Wedding Seating Plan

So, tell me you didn't freak out (too much) when you received the estimate for the food and bar costs from the caterers?

You saw the price tag on your daughter's wedding gown and after a brief hiatus, your heart resumed beating in its regular rhythm?

The wedding invitations had to be sent back to the printer because of a misprint and you still got them out on time?

The flower girl's chicken pox is clearing up and the best man won't be out of his cast before the big day, but apparently the sleeve of his tuxedo covers it just fine.

All the RSVP's are in. (You just found out that your friend will be in town on the day of the wedding after all and wants to change his RSVP from a "no" to a "yes".

Creating a seating plan is really not complicated. Honest!

Mostly, it's just common sense and putting some thought into what is best for everyone at the reception.

It does, however, take some time to get it just right, so don't think you're going to dash one off in a half an hour or so and think it's going to work. It won't!

You've come this far in preparing for a spectacular, memorable wedding. Spend the time and get this part just right!

If you're planning a really small, informal wedding with lots of room (read: extra seats at extra tables), you might want to forgo a seating plan. People can just sit where they want to sit and be done with it.

To be honest, sometimes that works, but really only in situations where the guest list is very small and most people are already acquainted with one another.

Even then, I'd opt for a seating plan, just to make things go a little smoother, a little quicker, with a little less hassle. People can always change spots after dinner and the formal part of the evening is over.

Head Table Seating

The most frequently used option is to seat the entire wedding party at one head table, with the bride and groom in the centre and the attendants flanking the newlywed couple.

Some people prefer to seat all the female attendants on one side and all the male attendants on the other side of the bride and groom.

Some like to alternate male and female attendants down the length of the table.

Large wedding parties may need to have 2 tiers of head tables, or a head table in an upside down V-shape to accommodate the number of people at the head table in the space available.

By upside down 'V', I mean that the pointy end of the 'V' is away from the guests.

Young flower girls or ring bearers might want to sit with their parents or grandparents instead of being in the spotlight at the head table after a long day.

Another option is to seat only the bride, groom, best man and maid of honour at the head table and have attendants seated at separate tables flanking the head table, or amongst the invited guests.

Some people do away with a head table altogether and seat the bride and groom with their parents and attendants at flanking tables.

Do what feels right for you.

Important Things To Consider

You at least have to wait until all the RSVP's have been returned so you have your "final" guest list in hand.

The caterers will need to know ahead of time how many people are expected and how many tables to set up, but they don't have to know who the guests are or at what table each is going to sit.

I had a seating plan arranged 3 weeks ahead of "The Day" when our oldest daughter was married, then had to change it four times because of last minute changes to the guest list. Things like...

• a cousin with a sick child had to cancel
• a friend of the bride and groom changed his mind and said he could come after all

If the wedding is on Saturday, have a rough draft done by the week before and finalize it three or four days before the big day.

More on wedding seating right here.