Avoid Seating Faux Pas at the Wedding

Unless you're having a really small wedding with just a few dozen people in attendance, you'll probably assigned seating at some part of your wedding planning process. Assigned seating can seem too formal, and might not lead to spontaneous mingling. An open seating arrangement does seem more care free and allows guests to just grab a chair at whichever table they like. Unfortunately, open seating comes with a whole set of problems, and you're better off having an assigned seating arrangement. This is one part of the wedding on which you will disagree the most with your parents. Parents tend to have their favored and honored guests who they would like to have at their table.

This can send all your seating plans out of the window making seating plans a night mare. There's a way to get around this. Have assigned seating for the bridal party, the groom's party and for honored guests like the elderly guests at the reception. This also works out to the advantage of those who might find it hard to scramble for a seat at the reception like older guests. For the rest of the guests, keep seating open.

If the though of an open seating arrangement, and people scrambling for a place makes you uncomfortable, it's probably best to go in for a full on assigned seating plan. This will take some amount of planning. Make sure you have a chair and table arrangement plan and make several copies of it. Now it's easier to chalk in the names of people who will be assigned to specific tables. Write down the name of each guest and leave them on a table at the entrance, so guests can pick one up as they enter the reception.

The couple usually sits at a special table for the bridal party. The bride and groom typically are at the center of a long table, the bride on the right of the groom and the maid of honor to the left. The other members of the bridal party including the ushers and the bridesmaids occupy the rest of the table. It's perfectly acceptable however, to sit with your parents. Some couples actually prefer a separate table for the two of them, and that's fine too.

This author lives in Flemington, NJ with her husband and 5 month old daughter and is an expert contributing author for a luxury wedding favors boutique offering variety of wedding party favors, beach wedding favors . This author and WeddingFavorStation.com is also dedicated to providing valuable and informative articles on wedding planning, wedding party ideas, wedding dresses styles and wedding etiquette.