Sitting. Many of us spend a lot of our workday doing it, but we rarely put much thought into it. Likely, most of you are just sitting in the seat you’re in because it was vacated by your predecessor, and there wasn’t a need to think about it at all. That’s a nice and easy decision.
And then there’s sitting at weddings.
Deciding where to sit all of your various guests for your big day can seem like a task that’s anything but “nice and easy” when you get started on it. Friends, family and co-workers don’t always mix so well in close proximity, and it’s doubtful your guest list conveniently contains just the right number of guests from each circle of your life to sit them all together without sliding in someone they don’t know. At least one table is going to end up with at least some people who don’t know each other well – or at all.
Further, some of your guests might be outright hostile toward each other. Did your twin uncles get in a fight over a $1 bet 20 years ago and are still sour about it? Well, mine did. Yep, that actually happened. Even if your situation isn’t quite that (ridiculously) dire, though, your guest list is guaranteed to be filled with some individuals or couples you just can’t seem to pair up at the right table. So what do you do?
Create a Formal Plan
Like with most projects, this one has a better chance of ending well if you organize a plan before you just start doing. When it comes to wedding seating specifically, not having a plan is a recipe for disaster. If you want your guests to come crashing through your reception hall like (possibly intoxicated) bulls in a china shop, then by all means, don’t go with a plan. But if you’d rather avoid a scene of friends and family running and scrambling toward “good” seats and inevitably leaving some with seats they completely despise, make a seating chart beforehand.
A seating chart will eliminate guests’ anxiety of picking a seat and will ensure that at least most people are seated with at least a few people they know and like. The only way your wedding can probably get away with not having a plan is if it’s going to be a small one with less than 50 people.
Keeping It in the Family
One popular approach is to have the parents of both couples sit together along with either grandparents and/or very close friends, but you don’t have to go that route. You could put each set of parents at their own tables with their closest friends and/or family members sitting. If one or either set of parents are divorced, then just give them their own respective tables.
Mix…But Also Match
And then there’s everyone else. You should absolutely sit some guests with those they’re most familiar with and/or closely related to. You might also want to try mixing in a few new faces to tightknit groups here and there, but don’t go crazy with it. Be smart when you do this; try to find people whom you think would get along with one another if they only got the chance. And don’t leave anyone completely stranded if you can avoid it. Give everyone at least someone they know to talk to at their table.
Singles and Couples
Trying to set up a couple of your acquaintances with one another? OK, you can probably get away with sitting them together, as long as you play coy about it and don’t get crazy pushy trying to make something happen. Also, don’t even think about a “Singles Table.” This is a mistake that will single out (no pun intended) your single friends. You want to be careful with not going crazy the other way either, though. Don’t put someone who just got divorced with a pile of newlyweds.
Take Your Seats
So once you’ve got the whole thing figured out, how do you inform your guests of the arrangements? You have several options: place tented cards out near the reception hall entrance in alphabetical order; use escort cards with guest names on the outside and their table numbers on the inside; or put up a nice framed version of the chart right by the entrance. And keep in mind that your cards don’t have to be “cards,” per se. For example, you can attach notes with names and numbers to seashells or starfish if you’re having a beach wedding.
Cubic Zirconia Jewelry
Well before anyone sits, someone has to kneel, and when he/she does, you’re going to want to see a beautiful engagement ring. Thanks to Russian Formula cubic zirconia jewelry, you can get one that looks just like the “real” thing without the very real, very prohibitive cost of diamonds.