How to perfect your wedding seating plan for a marquee reception
There is no doubt that creating a wedding seating plan is stressful, as it involves figuring out the seating chart, the dynamics, and the arrangement of furniture. It can quickly become very overwhelming. Which is why we’ve written this blog. With over 30 years of experience in the wedding industry, we understand the importance of creating a solid wedding seating plan (and the disarray a sloppy one can cause!)
The Layout
The layout of your wedding seating plan can have a massive impact on the day. The first thing to consider is the size of your marquee hire in Essex. Different guest range requires certain sizes of marquee. Check out our capacity guide for marquee size for more information.
The next thing to consider in your wedding seating plan is the furniture for your layout. Depending on your size and layout, there are options of trestle table hire or round table hire, each with its positives. For example, the round table hire is flexible and offers inviting dining for your guests, and with the right design, can be an amazing addition to your wedding seating plan. Whereas the trestle table hire can push guest interaction and is a beautiful and intimate seating arrangement.
This leads to the configuration of the head table. Typically, the head table is seated on a trestle table at the front of the other tables, but this wedding plan is yours -there are no rules! There are two routes for your wedding seating plan regarding the head table. Have a sweetheart table with just the bride and groom, which can offer an intimate and romantic seating chart, or there is the option of having a traditional long table surrounded by the bridal party, which can be a celebratory way to enjoy your day.
The Seating Chart
A good rule of thumb when designing the wedding seating plan is to avoid a singles table. At first, these seem like a good idea and a chance to play matchmaker with your single friends and family, but most of the time, they make people feel awkward and uncomfortable. A good way to go about this is by dispersing your single friends throughout family and couples tables, this instigates interaction without discomfort.
A kids’ table is normally a good idea, separating them from the adults allows for unrestricted conversation in groups. There is the opportunity of putting some colouring pages on the table to allow for entertainment.
Furthermore, in your wedding seating plan, it is important to place families and couples together; spreading them out can lead to discomfort and awkwardness. It is also ideal to know the dynamics of friends and family, if you know two people have ongoing friction, it’s important to separate them to avoid tension in the reception.
For large parties, if you are struggling to find places for everyone, don’t be afraid to go simple and do alphabetical order, which helps for smoother transitions and less confusion on placement!
The design
The wedding seating plan can be a fantastic way to push the aesthetic of the wedding. For example, if you’re going for a fairytale wedding, the furniture can uplift this theme heavily, through the use of our rustic trestle table hire, and our event chandelier hire you can create an amazing fantasy land.
The amazing part about creating your wedding seating plan is that you have the opportunity to utilise the tools and make the aesthetic unforgettable. The marquee becomes your blank canvas and yours to design.
We can help your wedding seating plan come to life
With the set-up of all furniture and the marquee on our shoulders, you can rest easy knowing we have it under control.
For more information on the perfect marquee wedding, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to help!