Seating Arrangments at the Reception

[maplekitty]

Ok, how should I seat people at the reception? Should I mix it up and put some friends with some family, some younger with some older. Or should I group people with family members, old school chums, sorority sisters, all singles, all oldies....

I can't decide which would be better?

What have you all done?

[villanelle75]

I grouped peopel with whom I thought they'd have the most in common with. This generally meant there were younger people tables and older peopel tables. However, I stayed away from a singles only table. I think that tends to make people feel pu ton the spot, so I mixed them with couples, amking sure they weren't the only single at a table of couples. I did pu tsmall groups of people who knew each other together, but only when they were small groups. For example, I had 4 friends from high school and two of them had husbands, so they all went together because there was enough space leftover at the table to have several people who weren't part of that group. Had there only been room for a few people who didn't know the rest, I would have split thee HS friends into two tables.

I also did my best to mix my friends with DH's friends. At the family tables, we ended up having them seperated into mine and DH's, simply because those people are family and don't see each other often and we knew they'd want to be together. For the older friendd (family friends more our parents's ag than ours) we did mix the "sides" together though, but we did keep things seperated between younger tables and older tables, because we figured peer groups would have more in common.

It's not difficult. even though it may feel like it. Just guess which guests would get along well with or have things in common with other guests and take care not to make anyone uncomfortable (being the only single or couple at the table, being the only one or two who don't know everyone at the table, etc.). Good luck and HTH!

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[kris97]

I'm generally of the mind that people have the most fun when they sit with people they know, so, wherever possible, we sat high school friends with high school friends, college friends with college friends, family with family. When we had couples who did not know many other people, we tried to seat them at tables where they at least knew one person (for instance, Ryan had one high school friend come, and we sat him and his wife with Ryan's siblings, who the high school friend had grown up with). I htink the impulse to mix tables up is a nice one, but ultimately, people are not coming to your wedding to meet new people - they're there to celebrate your marriage and see their friends and family.

Good luck!

[Sare79]

My plan, right now, is to seat people of similar ages together, but mostly in their "groups." Joel's cousins will be divided over a few tables with each other, mine at a table, my friends from work together, my friends who don't belong in a specific group (like you) with people of the same age and interests. There are a few people I am having difficulty placing but it is mostly because I don't know them too well or like them much! :)

[maplekitty]

There are a few people I am having difficulty placing but it is mostly because I don't know them too well or like them much! :)

I laughed at this because my caterer told me we'll probably have to have two tents...I said one will be the "cast-off tent" for people who respond late, or whom I don't like, LMAO!