If you have a wedding soon, then you are now scurrying around, trying to make everything in time and not to forget anything, so that the holiday is fun and easy. First of all, future spouses care about their outfits, about choosing a good toastmaster, about culinary delights and other moments, but very often they forget about such an important point as the plan for seating guests at a wedding at a table.
Why do we need such a plan?
Believe me, the general atmosphere of celebration depends on this. Having made a seating plan for guests at the wedding, you will ensure a fun holiday not only for yourself, but also for everyone present. After all, the husband’s boss will not sit next to your fifteen-year-old rapper neighbor, and an unmarried pretty girlfriend will not listen to the stories of the grandmother from the village about all ways to treat gout. You foresee all these moments, and we will tell you how to create a seating plan for guests at a wedding, design it exclusively and, thanks to this, make an unforgettable celebration. So, we will consider the main options for seating and their features.
Option 1: European Scheme
To date, such a scheme is quite popular. And not in vain. It assumes the presence of several small tables, arranged around the table of the newlyweds. Thanks to this option, you can easily form categories of guests. From 6 to 9 people can sit at one table. We recommend placing together members of the same family, company of colleagues, comrades. Form the number of people at one table taking into account the size of the room and the total number of guests. You’ll do even more wisely if you do not seat people around the entire table perimeter, but only in of the space. Thus, no one will sit with his back to the newlyweds, and everyone will see the progress of the celebration.
Option 2: round table
The seating of guests at one round or oval table (the latter is more suitable for rectangular rooms) is ideal for a celebration, the number of guests at which does not exceed 20 people. This is a kind of quiet family holiday. The round table assumes unity, equality, a friendly atmosphere. The advantage of this option is that it will require only one composition for the design of the table, and not several.
Option 3: multiple rectangular tables
Such a plan for seating guests at a wedding involves the presence of several rectangular tables. They can be located at an angle or symmetrically to each other. But in no case perpendicular to the table of the bride and groom! This option of seating allows you to create a good overview for the guests, arrange them on the principle of belonging to the side of the bride or groom (or in another way acceptable to everyone). Place the tables so that in the center there is a place for dancing, and so that everyone can freely approach the newlyweds. By the way, the combination of rectangular and round tables looks very interesting.
Option 4: one long table
This plan for seating guests at a wedding is more suitable for a celebration in the open air, since if there are a large number of guests, then not every room is ideal for this scheme. Despite the fact that such a plan recalls the times of the Soviet Union, today it is very popular, because the styling of the design has changed dramatically. Since all the guests are located opposite each other, everyone feels part of something big and important. Such a seating scheme combines, allows guests to move freely around the site and “go to visit” to other guests.
Option 5: the letters "W", "P", "T" and others
This scheme is the best suited for those who do not know how to create a seating plan for guests with a very large number of guests. Perhaps these are the most traditional and popular ways of accommodating guests in our country. Indeed, in this way you not only save space, but also plant a huge number of people even in a small room. However, there are also disadvantages. Firstly, people will certainly find themselves with their backs to each other, and secondly, moving around the hall will be difficult.
Do not forget about children
The more guests, the more children will be at the holiday. The seating plan for guests at the wedding must be prepared taking into account this important point. Kids are full of energy and love of life, they love to run, jump, because they will certainly amuse guests. However, everything needs to be organized so that the wedding does not turn into a booth, where children scream at the whole hall, and adults because of this do not hear the host or each other. So, remember:
- always plant small children with their parents, but for older children, organize a separate table;
- for younger guests, purchase coloring books and pencils so that they are busy with interesting things and allow parents to take an active part in the celebration;
- if possible, place children's tables away from the newlyweds so that noise and din do not spoil the holiday for the heroes of the occasion.
Consider another important point: if there are children under 2 years old at the wedding, take care of the availability of special chairs.
Wedding Seating Plan: Design
So, you have decided what kind of seating will be ideal in your particular case. Now you need to inform all invited about their plans. What is the best way to organize everything? After all, meeting each guest at the entrance, looking for his name on a piece of paper and sitting in the space allotted to him is not very convenient and beautiful. We invite you to explore several options for translating your plan into action:
- By sending an official invitation to each person, you can attach a leaflet to him with a beautifully designed seating plan. However, such an attractive option (at first glance) has a number of disadvantages. Firstly, invitations are sent out in advance, which means that the layout of people can still be adjusted. Secondly, having received such a leaflet in advance, a person is likely to lose it or simply forget about its existence.
- A sign of good taste are the cards located near the appliances on each table. They can be conservative and strict, or they can be beautifully and originally designed. That's your business.
- Sometimes there is such an option: draw up a large plan on a Whatman paper and place it in front of the entrance to the hall. Everyone will have to go up to him and find his last name. Agree, it doesn’t look very beautiful ...
What to choose? What to stop at?
We dare to say that the most suitable option is still an offer with cards. Firstly, each guest can easily find their place at the ceremonial table, secondly, no one will blame you for not organizing the wedding well and not taking into account all the details, and thirdly, this is a kind of expression of respect for the hosts to invitees .
If you plan to invite a large number of people, it is better to supplement banquet cards with first and last names with table numbers, so everything will look more organized and will not cause confusion. The design of cards and their design depend on your taste, the general style of the hall and other details. They can be decorated with ribbons, lace, beads, romantic pictures and other cute little things.
It is better to place cards near devices or with napkins. Some put them right on the plates, but classic etiquette does not accept this. The better and more original the cards are decorated, the more likely it is that guests will pick them up as a keepsake of such a beautifully organized celebration.