Post # 1
Member
3372 posts
Sugar bee
Because we’re having an intimate wedding with a small guest list (25-30 pax), our wedding planner has suggested one long table. I love the look of long tables, but I’m a little worried about the seating arrangements.
If you had a long table, where would you place the bride and groom? Should we be seated next to our families, or bridal party?
Do you think we’re better off having multiple smaller tables, even if it means the layout looking a bit sparse? We could also look into having the cocktail furniture moved to the reception area, so it fills out the space a bit more.
This is actually our venue, and would be where the reception is. If we went for multiple tables, this is the style we’re looking at:
Post # 2
Member
595 posts
Busy bee
We have 16 people and had the tables laid out in a U shape. It worked out well for us.
Post # 3
Member
1252 posts
Bumble bee
I think a U-Shape or multiple smaller tables (of say 6) would work best. I think the problem with long tables is that you can feel a bit isolated if you are down one end and bit far from the action (speeches etc. if they are being given from the middle of the table).
If you do go long then the way I’ve seen this done at other weddings is bride and groom in the middle, bridal party on either side and then the parents were opposite the couple.
Post # 4
Member
2612 posts
Sugar bee
We did two looooong banquet tables (about 40 per table). Darling Husband and I sat together.
I’ll be honest, the seating arrangement is like pulling teeth. And honestly, I think it’s worse and harder than dealing with individual tables. In our case, since DH’s parents are divorced and although civil, not really in the mood to be near each other, we arranged the tables according to who we thought would get along with whom. I think that we ended up with a situation in which every person had what we considered 4 “table mates”–the person to their L and the person to their R and then the two people directly across from them and everyone had at least 2 of those tablemates filled by someone they already knew. The other seats were people we thought they’d like to know.
People liked it, though. And I loved the look, personally.
Post # 5
Member
19 posts
Newbee
We have 25-30 guests as well, and around 6 or more of those are children… Wondering how exactly the seating plan will work too! Our reception locationj recommended doing the feasting tables, which I love the idea of, just NO IDEA how to seat everyone.
Post # 6
Member
7312 posts
Busy Beekeeper
- Wedding: October 2011 - Bed & Breakfast
We did a long table to seat 32 and it worked out very well. BUT, the seating plan was the single biggest PITA of the entire wedding planning experience. We easily had 8 versions of it before we settled on “the one”. We had to make sure to seat people who are already friends together, while keeping some of our more outspoken friends seated far enough away from some of our more conservative family, while also making sure that certain people didn’t feel “slighted” by their seat assignment. You have to think about each person on the left and right of any given guests, plus the 4 people seated directly across from them, because all of those people are within comfortable hearing distance of each other. Mr. LK, Teen LK, and I sat at one end of the table, so that everyone could see us. There were no problems with hearing speeches, but then again none of us are particularly soft spoken. 😉 All in all, I’d do it again in a heartbeat. It felt like a dinner party, and worked like one too. New friendships were made between different circles of friends, and we consistently receive compliments on it even 2.5 years later.
Post # 7
Member
3372 posts
Sugar bee
lovekiss: Handful: BothCoasts:
This is so useful! I’m not looking forward to starting on the seating chart…I already have friends emailing me saying “You’d better put me on a good table!” only half-jokingly.
A bit off topic, but given you guys also had smaller weddings – did you also have a dancefloor/DJ/band? We’re thinking of doing away with the DJ/band option and just opting for an iPod with sound system but part of me still wants to have the first dance.
Post # 8
Member
7312 posts
Busy Beekeeper
- Wedding: October 2011 - Bed & Breakfast
peonyinparis: We used an iPod for background music, but skipped dancing alltogether for a multitude of reasons. Mr. Lk and I did sneak off for an impromptu first dance, but otherwise the after dinner festivities focused on good drinks, good cigars, and good conversation.
I’ve been to 3 other small (50 or less people) weddings. One skipped dancing. Another was an afternoon wedding of 50ish with a DJ, and I’d say about 15 people were on the dance floor. The last was an evening wedding of 35ish, also with a DJ, and they had about 8 people on the dance floor. The bride for the last wedding was really disappointed. She had visions of a rockin’ dance party in her head, but that just wasn’t reality.
Post # 9
Member
102 posts
Blushing bee
- Wedding: April 2014 - Akiin Beach Club, Tulum Mexico
I’m also having a very intimate destination wedding (20-25 people) in the Riviera Maya. This is the layout we chose for our tables (different table decor). Our parents and immediate family will be closer to our table, of course. :)<br /><br />
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Post # 10
Member
919 posts
Busy bee
We had 3 long tables with about 60 guests total. For the seating chart, I broke the tables into thirds (according to how the actual physical tables were placed). We sat at our own sweetheart table because trying to figure out a head table just got too complicated.
