Devising table plans for weddings isn't easy, but there are some tricks of the trade you can utilise to ensure things run smoothly...
Try to seat each table boy-girl-boy-girl etc. If a couple has a young child who requires looking after (such as a toddler who requires feeding) make sure to put them in the middle of their mother and father. Seating kids beside each other is a good idea, but only if they can be trusted to behave – otherwise it can be a recipe for disaster!
When it comes to table plans for weddings, at all costs avoid putting a large group of friends or relatives on the same table as an individual or couple who don’t know anyone else – the large group may enjoy themselves, but the individual/couple won’t thank you for it!
Put couples who know each other on opposite sides of the table – this will promote cross-table conversation and is much more likely to bring the other guests into the mix.
A good way to get your guests talking is the use of ice breakers and table trivia. Whether it's general knowledge questions, a ‘which person on the table once X’ quiz, jokes or puzzles, they are sure to get the guests talking and are a great way of kicking things off.
To help manage and devise table plans for weddings, invest in a white board or use the interactive table planner found in MyWeddingsday. A good old pen and paper can be used, but you will very quickly find that things get messy so why complicate things when there are easier alternatives?
Once you have created the table groups, think about which table to allocate each group to. Try to prioritise the tables (but don’t reveal the list to your guests!) and give your nearest and dearest the better seats in the house.
To try and avoid jealousy amongst the guests with table plans for weddings, avoid numbering the tables and name them instead (trust us, a guest on table number 9 could well send daggers across the room to a guest at table 3 if they think they are more favoured!). Out wedding table names article should help provide more ideas and inspiration if you are considering heading down this route.
Don’t bother with evening do table plans for weddings unless you are planning something really formal. Couples often ask whether they should go for one or not, but as most evening events involve a lot of dancing, drinking and mingling, employing one is normally a waste of time and effort.
As with all aspects of weddings, there’s a lot to think about when devising table plans for weddings but all the effort will be worth your while when you see the happy faces at your reception enjoying the biggest day of your life nearly as much as you are
