Anyone not having a seating plan?

That looks a lovely set up. If it were me I would still have a seating plan but you can engineer your parents to separate ends of the table if need be so there will be no dramas.

We're debating at the moment...... we're having a bbq and are considering just letting people do their own thing like you would having one at home. I'm fairly certain the children would all be happier just sitting outside with theirs.... and so might I be!

There's no major drama with them sitting near each other. Mum and SD will be fine, might be some awkwardness from my dad's wife, but just on her part, not down to anything specific. I'm just not sure where to start about where to put people!

I love the idea of your set up for a smaller wedding

I have been to two weddings where there was no seating plan. Both times I would say there was about 5/10 minutes where people looked about and discussed where to sit and people swapping with others to sit beside friends/family. It didn't bother me too much to be honest, some people said it was awkward. As yours is a smaller wedding I don't see a problem with no seating plan I am sure your parents would make sure (if they wanted to) that they were not sitting close to each other.

We didn't have a seating plan at our reception. We had all round tables, one with extra decoration for ourselves and our parents, and one reserved for my best friend and her husband and OH's brothers and their wives/gfs. The other tables were all free seating, and we didn't have any problems at all. It was a rustic village hall reception, only 50-60 guests, so we didn't want anything formal.

It looks lovely - similar to how my sister had her tables.

Personally if I was a guest I would be happier being given a place to sit. I feel that by having a table plan it will make sure partners get to sit with each other and will probably stop a lot of fuss and time. I wouldn't feel it makes the day any less informal and relaxed (I would feel more stressed about where to sit and who to sit with - but that's because I have socialising issues!).

But it is just personal opinion. You know your friends and family best - so if you feel they would be happier with that then it will work for your wedding

Nice to hear other's opinions. I do like the idea of having us all round the one table!

We having a similar set up to you.

We are having allocated seating with place names (but not bothering with a written display plan I don't thinks its necessary for one large table) I think its easier when you have 2 sets of families and friends coming together (that potentially don't know each other)

We will be sitting in the middle of the table (about where the fireplace is in my flash) so we are in view/can talk to as many people as possible. we are thinking about putting our parents at the head at each end.

I only have 20 ish people at the wedding breakfast but still going to be a table plan. Reason being, I had a small engagement celebration meal and I ended up sitting with fiancé, a distant auntie and a friend, when my parents and sister were over the other side

I would normally recommend having a table plan, if only to remove the chance of odd chairs being left forcing couples to sit separately.

I heard off a friend that her OH wanted to play 'seating bingo' where people choose a number out of the hat and they have to sit in whatever seat corresponds with that number! ? Worrying!!! Very Worrying!!

We aren't having a table plan, but we're not having a sit-down formal meal either. It's more of a pick what you want eat at any point over an hour or so lunch. We're providing tabled seating for lots more than we're inviting in the hope of avoiding the odd seat/split couples thing, but if some people need to move round then hopefully in an informal setting no-one will mind too much.

These formal rooms with one big table look beautiful. So elegant and personal.

I would love not to have a seating plan, the less formal the better, but we've got guests in a family of 6, and single guests, and all in between. The fact there will be several tables I've decided to allocate tables to folk, but once they're at their table there'll be no places assigned.