From the Receiving Line to Seating Arrangements - What You Need to Know
Some wedding traditions never go out of fashion & these include the receiving line where the wedding party line up to greet the guests as they enter the wedding reception room, & the top table seating arrangement, which can be a source of confusion for many couples. These days there can be many variables with families which often makes the line up for the wedding party & top table seating a difficult & confusing affair. Some parents may have divorced, remarried or still be single. Others maybe widowed. Sorting who goes where doesn’t have to be a headache though with our quick guide.
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The Receiving Line
The accepted receiving order is:
* Bride’s Mother
* Groom’s Father
* Groom’s Mother
* Bride’s Father
* Bride
* Groom
* Chief Bridesmaid
* Best Man
If you have step parents involved then those parents who are hosting the wedding should be first in line. However, this in itself can cause difficulty & you may need to come to some other arrangement to keep everyone happy. If you can’t find a solution that is acceptable to all then consider just receiving the guests on your own or simply abandon the receiving line altogether, let the guests in all at once, stick a cocktail in their hands & greet them all by circulating instead!
The Top Table Seating Plan
The accepted top-table seating plan is:
* Chief Bridesmaid
* Groom’s Father
* Bride’s Mother
* Groom
* Bride
* Bride’s Father
* Groom’s Mother
* Best Man
If either set of parents is divorced & has remarried it could look something like this:
* Groom’s Step-Mother
* Bride’s Step-Father
* Chief Bridesmaid
* Groom’s Father
* Bride’s Mother
* Groom
* Bride
* Bride’s Father
* Groom’s Mother
* Best Man
* Bride’s Step-Mother
* Groom’s Step-Father
Some step-parents may prefer not to sit at the top table (or you may not want them to) so you will need to sit them elsewhere. However, if the bride’s step-father is giving her away & not her natural father, then it is he who should sit beside her at the top table & not her natural father.
Setting out the Reception Room
Table layoutsYour table layouts will depend on the shape of the tables available (unless you hire in your own). You will need to consider how many tables will be required & how they can be best laid out in the room so as to make it look balanced & not overcrowded. The most common layout is with round tables for the guests & a long top table which gives a balanced look & allows the guests a good view of the wedding party.
Avoid using a round table for the top table because the guests will not be able to see the bride & groom as they will be obscured by other people sat around the table.
Don’t forget a small table to display the wedding cake on. This is usually set up to one side of the top table, but you may have a better, more prominent position in mind.
Guest seating arrangements
Seating your guests can be a bit of a headache particularly if you want to keep certain people separate for whatever reason. It is usual to seat your family & close friends nearest the top table, with other all other guests seated further away.
If your tables are long seat couples opposite each other & alternated between male & female. If you did decide to split couples up make sure they are not sitting too far away from each other. If you have invited children make sure they are seated with their parents.
It is always a good idea to seat guests with other people they know as this will make them feel more comfortable & will help to great a nice relaxed atmosphere around the wedding reception. If this isn’t possible with all your guests, try to seat people in groups according to age or with people you feel will get on well. The last thing you want is for your guests to feel uncomfortable because they are sitting with people they don’t know, so avoid the temptation to fill your tables with guests who have no connection with each other.
Printed table plans
Make sure your guests can find their tables & places by presenting a seating plan at the entrance to the wedding reception room. A seating plan shows all the tables with the guests names assigned to them. It is also a good idea to name or number your tables to make it even easier. Some seating plans can be laid out to show the layout of the tables in the room.
Table place cards
Use name cards at each place setting to ensure guests can find their seats. You can print or hand write these at home on little folded cards or use mini frames to display them in. When you write the names out stick to the format of your wedding invitations, for instance if your wedding invitations were written in a formal style then you should your guests names with their title first i.e. Mr David Smith with his wife Mrs David Smith written on another card. If your wedding invitations were less formal then you can just write the guests first & last names i.e. David Smith & Sarah Smith on separate cards.
Author Resource:-
Georgina Clatworthy is a dedicated full time writer who composes informative articles related to wedding favors and weddings. She is connected with 1WeddingSource, today’s leading wedding social networking planning site.
