There’s nothing quite like trying to figure out which eight wedding guests to place at which round table. Will this one be offended that he’s not closer to the head table? Will that one balk at having to sit by her sister? Does every table need to include four women and four men? Jeez, no wonder there’s so much seating chart software out there.
And who can blame brides and grooms for waiting until the last minute to complete this less than fun wedding planning to-do? Not me! I cheated and let guests sit where they wanted to – anyone looking for a seating chart would have been disappointed – which funnily enough resulted in pretty much the table assignments we would have created ourselves.
BUT before you brides and grooms go this route, let me caution that my wedding was more casual than most and I have been to at least one wedding where the lack of a seating chart left some guests feeling like the odd men out.
Some brides and grooms approach the creation of the perfect wedding seating chart with vigor. For some, it’s easy (no, really), and for others, it’s a challenge to be faced head on. Others, like yours truly, simply bury their heads in the sand, make the reception a seating free-for-all, and hope for the best. For those who are currently shaking with dread at the thought of putting together a seating chart, I’d like to offer up another option:
Banquet style seating. In other words, long rectangular reception tables.
While not every reception venue space lends itself to two very long or three shorter rectangular tables in a U shape, when it works, banquet style seating can work very, very well. Wedding guests often feel closer to the newlyweds, even if they’re sitting quite far away. And you, the mighty wedding planner, don’t have to worry as much about who is seated near whom, as everyone is seated near lots and lots of different people. Especially when the tables are placed in a U.
Other banquet style seating pros include: the ability to fit more people in your reception venue (in some cases), a more intimate atmosphere, you may need fewer centerpieces or be able to use smaller centerpieces more dramatically (like this), and the ability to use repetition to your advantage in your reception table decor – helllooo buying in bulk.
So my take is that banquet style wedding reception can simplify your reception planning. Yes, you do still have to make a seating chart – unless you’re a wussy bride like me – but there’s a good chance this particular wedding planning to-do will get checked off a lot sooner and with a lot less stress.
What kind of seating scheme are you planning for or did you have at your reception?
Image via Style Me Pretty
