Guest tables

You may either use assigned seating or unassigned seating. If you over 100 guests or you are having a sit-down meal with more than one entrée selection, it is recommended that you have assigned seating.

To assign seats, you can put the place cards on the tables where the guests are to sit, but then the guests need to walk around the reception room looking for their names. A better idea is to clearly number the tables and have place cards with the assigned table numbers by the guest book for the guests to take and find their seat.

If you decide to have assigned seating, you should start your seating charts two weeks before the event. If you have a calligrapher writing your place cards you may want to start earlier to give him/her enough time.

It may help you to organize your seating chart if you get a layout of the room from your reception site including the head table, guest tables, number of guests per table, band or DJ, dance floor, and buffet if you are having one.

Head table

Traditionally the head table includes the bride and groom, in the middle, and all the attendants. But that does not mean you have to do it that way. You can also have just the bride and groom at the head table and seat the attendants together at one table or let them sit at tables with their dates. In this instance, the maid of honor and the best man can either sit at the head table with the bride and groom or other tables like the other attendants.

Parents' Table

The bride’s and groom’s parents are traditionally seated together at a table near the head table. If either set of parents is divorced you may have to arrange the seating differently to best suit the situation.