Step-by-step instructions for seating guests at a wedding

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Successful seating of guests at the wedding guarantees a pleasant banquet atmosphere for the whole evening. Become a good sorceress, with an easy wave of the wand of which guests of the bride and groom will meet, old friends will meet, business partners will strengthen cooperation, all those invited will be joyful and satisfied, and someone may find their soulmate. The wedding portal www.articlewedding.com has developed for you step-by-step instructions for seating guests at a wedding, with the help of which you will understand the intricacies of etiquette, psychology and spatial orientation.

Seating letter I

Step 1: Have a seat early

Do not put off this part of the organization on the eve of the celebration. Of course, you can make the last adjustments on the night before the holiday, but you will have more important things to do than planning guests seating «from scratch». Ideally, begin to think through the layout with ordering a banquet hall and sending out invitations.

Step 2: categorize your guests

When you have compiled a guest list, you can characterize each according to various parameters: relationship (relative or friend, from the bride or groom, colleagues or friends at school and university), age, interests, married couple or in the search for a soulmate, etc. . Try to remember all the details that potentially bring guests together.

Seating the letter T

Step 3: Deal With The Space

The number of guests and the style of the wedding will tell you how much space you need to accommodate everyone. Do not save on choosing a banquet room: people are unlikely to like crowding in a small room, where there is barely enough space to dance. On the other hand, huge areas do not add coziness and do not contribute to communication and acquaintances. Celebrating outdoors is a separate wedding scenario. Thus, everything should be guided by common sense and principle. «golden mean».

There are several types of arrangement of banquet tables:

Seating Option

letter I

suitable for small feasts, for example, when the wedding is celebrated at home or in a narrow circle of close people.

If the number of invitees is from 20 to 25, a seating arrangement will suit you

letter T

. At the same time, the newlyweds and witnesses sit at the head of the table, and the rest along it. Usually the most honored guests (parents, older people, boss, etc.) take places closest to the young.

Seating with the letter P

At 30-50 guests can put tables

letter P

, which is currently often done in Russia. So, at the head are newlyweds, witnesses, sometimes parents, and guests are divided into two parts - relatives of the bride or groom, youth or adults. In any case, this seating arrangement has one drawback - guests are immediately opposed to each other.

If more than 60 guests are invited to the wedding, it is appropriate to accommodate them.

letter Ш

. In this case, the seating is similar to the previous one, with the only difference being that another table is added so that there is enough space for everyone.

Seating with the letter Ш

European option

(English, Italian). A popular option for European weddings is the arrangement of guests at separate tables. In the English interpretation, 6-8 people gather at one table, in the Italian - 4. In the center, a table for newlyweds is set up. Such seating is good for maintaining a conversation, better acquaintance of people, but there is a risk of some guests being separated into private groups.

European seating option

And finally,

american version

, he is a buffet. If the celebration takes place outdoors or involves a picnic, you can set up several long tables with snacks. Guests themselves around them and choose refreshments. The downside is that not all guests will approve such a decision.

Step 4: The Subtleties of Banquet Etiquette

Banquet etiquette involves several seating arrangements for guests:

  • The bride sits to the right of the groom.
  • Either parents can sit next to the newlyweds (the bride’s father and the mother of the bride are next to the bride, the bride’s father and the groom’s mother next to the bridegroom) or witnesses (the witness is next to the bride, the witness is next to the groom).
  • Men sit to the left of women.
  • People in a married couple are not sitting next to each other, but opposite each other..
  • Honored guests (dignitaries, special guests, elderly people) take places closest to the newlyweds.

Make sure everyone has an interesting conversationalist

Step 5: please everyone, do not forget anyone

It is here that you will need those characteristics that you noted when compiling the guest list. Now you can plan how to imprison people according to their age, interests, work or school, thus ensuring common topics for conversation. You can take care of acquaintances, having «free» people next to each other, not couples. Make sure guests who do not get along are at a respectful distance from each other. Try to arrange a separate table for the children, or at least put those invited with the children nearby so that even the smallest guests do not get bored.

Step 6: Become a Fakir

If it is difficult for you to imagine a seating plan, draw it. Experiment. Lay out the invitations in front of you and create a seating arrangement from them. Try to separate your friends to avoid coalitions or, conversely, gather friends nearby. In any case, this is your chance to set the mood for the celebration..

When the seating is ready, place it on a separate sheet of paper and send it to the guests (along with invitations, for example). Check if they agree with this state of things or would like to make adjustments. Be a kind and welcoming host to the holiday.

Banquet Cards

Step 8: Prepare Banquet Cards

It’s embarrassing to make guests memorize the seating, especially if there are many guests. You can make a big plan at the entrance to the banquet hall, as a reminder of the seating arrangements. You can ask the host or waiters to accompany guests to their places. But you can also set up special banquet cards with the names of guests so that everyone knows exactly where to sit. This solution is both simple and aesthetic. In one of the articles, the wedding portal www.articlewedding.com talks more about wedding banquet cards..

Enjoy your wedding party

Step 9: Enjoy The Wedding Party

You and your chosen one proved to be real diplomats, attentive hosts and subtle psychologists. Thanks to you, all the guests are satisfied and found interesting interlocutors. You can rightfully enjoy the magic of the atmosphere of a fun and enjoyable holiday that you have created yourself.