When it comes to your wedding reception you may feel the need to design a seating plan so that you assign your guests a particular table with other guests that they will feel comfortable with. However, in some cases a seating plan may not be necessary. When it comes to this part of your wedding planning, read these tips first to make sure you organize your seating to perfection!

Do I need a Seating Plan?

If your wedding reception is small & informal then a seating plan may not be necessary. However, if you are having a large number of guests & a formal sit down dinner then it is a good idea to draw up a seating plan so that you guests can find a table quickly & efficiently. Many of your guests will want to sit with family & friends so a seating plan will prevent a mad rush of guests all trying to sit together at the same tables! Having a seating plan that places people who will get along together will help to create the happy atmosphere that you want for your wedding meal & will make a difference to your guest’s enjoyment of the day.

Within your wedding planning you will find a number of options available for your seating plan. These range from:

No plan at all – best for standing buffets or small & informal events. Assign guests to tables – you allocate guests to tables but the choice of seat is theirs. Assign guests to seats – you specify the seats at which each guest will sit.

When it comes to deciding on a seating plan, bear in mind that you should do what you think will make your guests most comfortable.

The Top Table Dilemma

The traditional top table is a long table on which sits the bride & groom in the center & the rest of the wedding party beside them. Whilst this is still the favored choice, there are other alternatives being used as family structures become more complicated.

Traditionally the top table would look something like this:

Chief Bridesmaid–G.Father–B.Mother-Groom-Bride-B.Father-G.Mother-Best Man

Alternatives are used where parents are divorced & maybe remarried or have a new partner. Another popular choice is to do away with the top table altogether & just have a table for the two of you.

Top Tips for Other Tables

1. Seating families or close friends all on one table may not do much to encourage mingling between guests, although these guests will be relaxed. Sitting people who don’t know each other may be daunting for those concerned & again may not do much for the atmosphere. The best advice is to mix the tables up so that there is a combination of new & old friends. Consider your guests ages & interests also & try to seat like for like together, they are more likely to get on & have fun that way.

2. Singles can be a dilemma, especially if a large number of your guests are couples. It can be tempting to try a little matchmaking but this could back fire, making both parties & you uncomfortable & embarrassed. Avoid a singles table & try to place them on tables with other likeminded guests whom you think they will get along with.

3. Etiquette rules apply depending on the shape of the tables you are using. For round tables sit male & female guests alternately. If you are using long tables sit couples opposite one another & alternate male/female along the table.

4. Reserve the tables closest to yourselves for close friends & family.

5. Make sure each table has a name or number to identify it. You could theme them according to things relevant to you both, for instance name after your favorite places you have visited together, or your favorite films. Your venue may make these cards for you, but make sure they are shown on your seating plan.

6. If you want to assign a specific seat to each guest then you will need to write out name cards which you can then place at each setting. Aside from the traditional name card, you can use menus or wedding favors for the same purpose.

Creating your Seating Plan

Start putting together your seating early in your wedding planning. You can start even before you have had back all of your RSVP’s as you will know already who is definitely coming.

When you start ask your venue for a plan of how the tables will be arranged on the day & decide on which shape of table you will use. You will also need to know how many guests you can seat at each one.

Putting together your plan can take some time & may involve many revisions to get it right. A good tip is to write each guests name down on separate pieces of paper & do the same for each table. You can then arrange the tables out & assign guests to each one. Experiment by moving them around until you find the right layout for you. In recent years there have been numerous software programs developed to help with organizing your seating plan which can save you time & a great deal of stress as well!

When it comes to your wedding reception you may feel the need to design a seating plan so that you assign your guests a particular table with other guests that they will feel comfortable with. However, in some cases a seating plan may not be necessary. When it comes to this part of your wedding planning, read these tips first to make sure you organize your seating to perfection!

Do I need a Seating Plan?

If your wedding reception is small & informal then a seating plan may not be necessary. However, if you are having a large number of guests & a formal sit down dinner then it is a good idea to draw up a seating plan so that you guests can find a table quickly & efficiently. Many of your guests will want to sit with family & friends so a seating plan will prevent a mad rush of guests all trying to sit together at the same tables! Having a seating plan that places people who will get along together will help to create the happy atmosphere that you want for your wedding meal & will make a difference to your guest’s enjoyment of the day.

Within your wedding planning you will find a number of options available for your seating plan. These range from:

No plan at all – best for standing buffets or small & informal events. Assign guests to tables – you allocate guests to tables but the choice of seat is theirs. Assign guests to seats – you specify the seats at which each guest will sit.

When it comes to deciding on a seating plan, bear in mind that you should do what you think will make your guests most comfortable.

The Top Table Dilemma

The traditional top table is a long table on which sits the bride & groom in the center & the rest of the wedding party beside them. Whilst this is still the favored choice, there are other alternatives being used as family structures become more complicated.

Traditionally the top table would look something like this:

Chief Bridesmaid–G.Father–B.Mother-Groom-Bride-B.Father-G.Mother-Best Man

Alternatives are used where parents are divorced & maybe remarried or have a new partner. Another popular choice is to do away with the top table altogether & just have a table for the two of you.

Top Tips for Other Tables

1. Seating families or close friends all on one table may not do much to encourage mingling between guests, although these guests will be relaxed. Sitting people who don’t know each other may be daunting for those concerned & again may not do much for the atmosphere. The best advice is to mix the tables up so that there is a combination of new & old friends. Consider your guests ages & interests also & try to seat like for like together, they are more likely to get on & have fun that way.

2. Singles can be a dilemma, especially if a large number of your guests are couples. It can be tempting to try a little matchmaking but this could back fire, making both parties & you uncomfortable & embarrassed. Avoid a singles table & try to place them on tables with other likeminded guests whom you think they will get along with.

3. Etiquette rules apply depending on the shape of the tables you are using. For round tables sit male & female guests alternately. If you are using long tables sit couples opposite one another & alternate male/female along the table.

4. Reserve the tables closest to yourselves for close friends & family.

5. Make sure each table has a name or number to identify it. You could theme them according to things relevant to you both, for instance name after your favorite places you have visited together, or your favorite films. Your venue may make these cards for you, but make sure they are shown on your seating plan.

6. If you want to assign a specific seat to each guest then you will need to write out name cards which you can then place at each setting. Aside from the traditional name card, you can use menus or wedding favors for the same purpose.

Creating your Seating Plan

Start putting together your seating early in your wedding planning. You can start even before you have had back all of your RSVP’s as you will know already who is definitely coming.

When you start ask your venue for a plan of how the tables will be arranged on the day & decide on which shape of table you will use. You will also need to know how many guests you can seat at each one.

Putting together your plan can take some time & may involve many revisions to get it right. A good tip is to write each guests name down on separate pieces of paper & do the same for each table. You can then arrange the tables out & assign guests to each one. Experiment by moving them around until you find the right layout for you. In recent years there have been numerous software programs developed to help with organizing your seating plan which can save you time & a great deal of stress as well!

Planning your wedding can be stressful, don’t feel alone. There are many couples who succumb to the stresses of wedding planning.
The best advice is to make a plan and make it as early as possible.
It’s a good idea to follow wedding etiquette but not to a point where it will make you crazy or cause you to go broke. There are plenty of books and articles on wedding etiquette but their suggestions are not written in stone.
If it is the number of things that have to be done that wears on you, find friends and family who will be willing to help and assign them projects to complete. Don’t feel that you have to pay them in any way for this service. If you can afford it though, a small gift may be appropriate but it is definitely not required.
Your plan should include all of the major things that have to be taken care of like where to hold the ceremony, where to hold the reception, how many guests and things of this sort.
Taking care of just these three items will put you into a position to think about what else has to be done.
Oh, in your wedding planning, don’t forget about the wedding officiant early on. This is especially important if the wedding ceremony isn’t being held at a church that has a minister to officiate the ceremony.
Many officiants fill their schedules way in advance and it is sometimes hard to find someone who meets your expectations is you wait until the last minute.
If it is the costs that you have you frazzled, set a budget and stick to it. Keep in mind that anything that is preceded by the word wedding (wedding planning, wedding flowers, wedding favors) is marked up 100% to 300%.
This is not to say that there are not vendors in the wedding industry that will give you a good product for a good price, there are plenty of them. It does take some work to make sure you are getting what you expect. You need to check them out and get references.
There are some items that can be bought for your wedding without having the wedding label.
Find ways to save by doing some out of the ordinary things.
Here are a few ideas:
1. Buy a cake from a local food store, add wedding decorations yourself
2. Shop online for flowers, dresses, accessories etc.
3. Do you know a seamstress? Buy a dress that needs some work at a reduced price
4. Limit the number of band members or get a DJ instead
5. Cut your own music cds and have a friend man the act as DJ
6. Have a friend who is a good photographer? videographer?
7. Use your own caterer not the facilities’ (many hire outside caterers anyway)
8. Small wedding, have family and friends provide the food and beverages
9. Buy your own alcoholic beverages with an agreement to get a refund for unopened bottles
One word of caution, always check out those you are going to buy from or hire to perform a service. Do or have someone do a little research for you to make sure you are getting what you are paying for.
Don’t let the wedding planning get you down. Remember it is your wedding and you are the one making the decisions. You are in charge. Get what you want. You can do it. You can have the dream wedding that you’ve always wanted without being overwhelmed.
Don’t stress, have fun with the whole experience.

What a glorious moment. Waking up the one day and realizing that your boyfriend / girlfriend is the one for you. Knowing that you want to spend your life with them and grow old together.

We have seen it in movies, we have heard about stories and some of us have been blessed enough to actually experience all the emotions associated with being in love and proposing or being proposed to. You look at the elderly couple walking down the street, hand in hand, just like they did 20 years ago. This type of love is rare but still found.

When proposing there is a couple of things that have to be kept in mind for example:

When will it be the right moment to propose? What type of ring does my girlfriend like? What ring size does your partner wear? Would she/he prefer that I ask her parent’s permission first? How will your own parents react? How am I going to propose? Going down on one knee or popping it into a wine glass as in the movies? Where am I going to propose? At a party or at a restaurant? Are we old enough to take this step? Has your partner finished studying? How does your partner feel about getting engaged?

The choice is completely yours but remember that this opportunity usually only comes once, make full use of it and try to plan it to precision. Consider each question above and make sure that you can answer it without hesitation.

Keep in mind that the journey you are about to embark on, might not be as easy as you thought it was. Money, commitment, passion, timing, new responsibility, moving in together, steady jobs, compatibility, parents, proper housing, higher self-discipline and marriage are active factors that need to be considered, without them the chances are that the relationship / engagement will fail.

In the end it all comes down to the love you share and your ability to care for your future hubby or wife. Share in the challenges that you might face and keep in mind what the payoff will be. Stay strong through this process and transition and everything will work out for you.

God bless on your journey towards engagement and marriage. Stay romantic and keep on caring. Thank you for reading.