Today’s blog is one in a series on Wedding Tips for those getting married across the greater Philadelphia, PA area. Whether you are planning your own wedding or helping somebody you love to plan theirs, this blog series is meant to provide fun tips and ideas for a memorable Wedding celebration.
If you are looking for the industry’s most luxurious Wedding Transportation company, call 610-222-6225 today and speak to a Kevin Smith Transportation Group Wedding Coordinator. Your dedicated Coordinator will help you arrange all of your transportation, from Limos to Party Buses to Shuttle services for you or your guests.
When the wedding guest list is done, venue chosen and ceremony planned, one touchy task remains: assigning seats for the reception meal.
Don’t wait until crunch time to begin, wedding planners say. And don’t throw up your hands and not do it at all. Walking into a sea of tables without a seat assignment can feel like walking into the cafeteria on the first day of school.
It’s very important to the flow of the event. So unless your reception is lounge-style grazing with food stations and no dining tables, buckle down and figure out who’s going to sit where.
Assigned seating makes for less chaos. A lot of thought goes into it. It can be challenging. Both bride’s and groom’s sides work together on seating. Where a guest’s table is in the room is important.
Center your VIP tables (parents, grandparents, close family) in front of the head table, giving them the best view of bride, groom and wedding party. Don’t place older guests in front of the band or DJ. Consider single guests: Would he or she like to sit with relatives or other singles the same age? College buddies might appreciate being close to the bar. Seat co-workers on the outskirts of the room, but together.
Place your guests where they’re most comfortable. You never want to put grandma in front of an amplifier, and we’ve seen it done.
If you are looking for the industry’s most luxurious Wedding Transportation company, call 610-222-6225 today and speak to a Kevin Smith Transportation Group Wedding Coordinator. Your dedicated Coordinator will help you arrange all of your transportation, from Limos to Party Buses to Shuttle services for you or your guests.
Any strained relationships? If Uncle Dave doesn’t get along with Uncle Mike, separate them by a few tables. Ditto for divorced parents, while keeping them equally centered on the head table. Usually guests put differences aside for that day. But small things can be done to help.
Have a few extra chairs on hand. It’s typical for guest lists to change the night before and the day of the wedding, with a few positive RSVPs dropping out or other guests suddenly able to attend. Or someone shows up with an unexpected date.
A Few Tips
Know the maximum and minimum number of guests you can have at each table, given the style and size of chairs. Start with a stack of blank paper; each sheet represents one table. Write each guest’s name on a single Post-it note. Start grouping the guests, moving Post-it’s as needed, to create harmonious tablemates.
Your guest list is likely already in a spreadsheet, with columns for the title and first name, last name, number of guests in the party and special needs (such as highchair, wheelchair, vegan, food allergy). Add a column for the table number.
Work on seat assignments as RSVPs come in. Your plan should be nearly complete a week before the wedding.
There are countless creative ways to communicate seating assignments to guests as they enter the reception. Consider a traditional escort card, with guest’s name, table number, and the indication of a special meal if necessary, in elegant calligraphy laid on a linen-covered table with a floral arrangement.
Don’t need place cards? Use a board on an easel. Either way, arrange alphabetically by guest’s last name, followed by his or her table number. Do not list Table 1, 2 and so on, followed by names of guests at that table. That will take guests a very long time to find their name.
Remember to relax. It’s meant to be fun. “I tell my brides, this is your first wedding,” our wedding specialists said. “But I’m lucky enough to do this almost every weekend.”
If you are looking for the industry’s most luxurious Wedding Transportation company, call 610-222-6225 today and speak to a Kevin Smith Transportation Group Wedding Coordinator. Your dedicated Coordinator will help you arrange all of your transportation, from Limos to Party Buses to Shuttle services for you or your guests.
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