Where is your 'top table' going to be?

We are having a round table in the middle of our guests so they can't gawk at us whilst we are eating If you are more comfortable on a round table do it! We found that it is more difficult to talk to everyone on a long table....

No, I think thats a fab idea! and after reading in a few bridal magazines a few ppl are doing this nowadays, i'd say go for it! ?

We're doing the same, our venue have round banqueting tables which seat 10 to each, but for the top table we could either have a long traditional style one, or have one of the round ones. We've opted for round, otherwise we'll all be sat there in a row and only really able to talk to the persons on either side, at least at a round table we can all talk to each other easily and it won't feel quite so much like we're an interview panel sat up there.

We're having the more traditional long top table as this layout suits our room better, also due to warring parents, it's easier to keep them separated!. My friend had a round top table in the middle of her guests and it worked really well with her venue, so if you're both happy with it, then go for it! Loads of people have round top tables nowadays and it's good to be in the middle so everyone can see you

We had a sweetheart table, just the 2 of us in the middle of the room, best idea my hubby had!

I've done a couple of weddings where there has been no top table due to Divorecd parents, it works really well & the couples have felt more comfortable doing this than being "on show" as one put it.

For a number of reasons we are having a sweet heart table. My brother had a round table in amongst his guests and i worked perfectly fine.

That sounds lovely. In fact, I think I'd really like to do something like that too. Convinving OH might be quite a challenge though because he doesn't like deviating from tradition.

I rather like the idea of a 'no top table' but we could have 14 people on it (if we have the flower girl and ring bearer too) and I'm not 100% sure the tables at the hotel are big enough!

Not a great stickler for tradition either and the 'us and them' thing certainly can make people feel awkward but it's obviously worked well for a long time...

Oh phew! I'm glad it's not too out-there! Might keep it hush from h2b that it's popular in the bridal magazines though! :-D

My parents are divorced too but mum's remarried so I was really agonising about where to seat her husband in terms of him and my dad. Don't have to worry about that as much with a round table, whoop!!

We're doing this as well - much to my MIL2b's utter disgust. She's made her feelings quite clear on the subject but I dont care!

I just think its much more sociable and I want to enjoy my wedding day! I also hate people watching me eat. Plus it'll be easier to 'mingle' in between courses as you are already in the middle so can cover more tables!

xxx

We're having a 'U' shaped top table, mainly because the hall is too narrow to accommodate everyone on a traditional long one, but we still want to sit facing our guests. We've got 8 people to accomodate so OH and I and the maid of honour and the best man will be across the bottom of the 'U' and then the two sets of parents down either side of the 'U', if that makes sense. Should make it easier to talk (and for me to lipread!) too!

We are going for the sweetheart top table too - just easier for us that way.

Love the idea of a sweetheart top table, but since we don't get to see our family very often, we will likely have a one table with all of us on it.

I think the idea of us being in the middle of our guests is the best - a bit more democratic and approachable!

We are having a round table too, our room is square and so we will be on the edge in the middle (if that makes sense)

the reason i still want to put us on the edge/at the fron if simply for the speaches which we are doing after the meal, so whoever is doing them just faces forward and not all around them.

Our dining room is smallish so we are having straight tables with the top table at the window and then the other table leading off from that (like legs). I think this will be good as everyone will still be seated quite close together

We think we'll have a round table too, depending on what we can fit into our venue room. My parents are divorced so we're going to ask each of our three sets of parents to 'host' a table of their own, and then have our closest friends (BM & his OH, bridesmaids & their OHs) on our table, most probably. Otherwise I'm not sure how we could do it!

And as others have said, on a long table you can't really talk to anyone but the person next to you, and if you turn to one person you're turning your back on another.