Small wedding - Seating plan

We're not planning on having a seating plan and we will be having more people there (most prob around 70 in the day time) and we were thinking of putting the name cards with their favours (once weve decided on them) on table when you walk in with instructions to open the card to find their table and on the inside just something simple like "anywhere you would like" (",). We were also thinking of including their relationship to us (for example, John, cousin of bride) just for something different. I don't see the point in a seating plan, especailly if everyone is having the same meal, but that's just me. I'm trying to pursade my OH to have a sweat heart table instead of a top table but hes not too keen, but we will see how that goes.

That's what I was thinking Jen-Lou everyone at our wedding will be having the same meal. Top table is going to be obvious who shall be sitting there and it won't take everyone else on the other 3 tables too long to find out where they're seating, I don't imagine there will be any confusion.

A sweetheart table sounds lovely, that's something I probably would of done if I didn't have kids - they'll want to be sat with us and close family on the top table. I'm having 10 on my Top table, sounds a lot to me, but they do all need to be there.

Think people will be looking where they sit as that is what they are used to. I want people to mix as much as possible and talk to people they wouldn't normally. Luckily everyone who is invitied will talk to anyone, even more so when the booze is on the go (",), but we are planning on having it more of a relaxed affair anyways. Another plus on "no seating plan" is you dont have to worry about who can and can't sit together, at the end of the day they are all adults and they will just have to get on with it te he he.

We're after a relaxed approach too, I do like the idea of sit wherever you like, but there's some people in OH's family who don't get on. Feuds from years ago that haven't been fully resolved, I know they will be civil and be tolerant on the day and who knows some of these may bury the hatchet so for this reason I have had to think about where people will be sitting so no-one feels uncomfortable so I have made sure I've provided place names, so they better sit where I have placed them, if they want a little shift about then that's fine I won't be going all bridezilla on them ?

Personally, I think even thought it's a small wedding you'd be better off having a seating plan.

Bare in mind, elderly people and families with children get stressed over things like this.

You can sort the tables out equally into the right numbers, where as if it's free for all, people will be dragging chairs, moving place settings to accommodate where they want to sit if say it's an uneven number at one table...

Even if you just sort out who's sitting at what table..... Maybe line the plan cards into some sort of order at the entrance to the wedding breakfast which indicates which table they are to be seated at and they take any seat at that given table?

xx

We are having a small wedding too (30 including children) but I will do a simple seating plan x

Completely agree. Even if you have the nicest and most friendly bunch of guests in the world, the potential for odd seating arrangements, left-over single spaces and people being left out of bigger groups is too high to risk not having one (in my cabbage).

And definitely yes when considering children and elderly relatives.

I had about 40 people inc me and him

one top table and 3 tables coming off it and made a seating plan-

Made things easier. So I would recommend having one- mine only cost about 15-20 quid to make.

We had 28 people for dinner at our wedding and didn't bother with a large framed, decorative table plan although our guests were allocated seats with place names so it was not a scramble for seats with friends etc

We did only have 1 large table though and we provided a plan to the best man (on a scrap piece of paper) just encase anybody had difficulty finding their seat (but they didn't)

It worked well.

I would have loved to have us all around one table-I had tried to cut the numbers as it was!

If it was one table I would have done the same as it is easy enough to walk around on table to find your name but with our room set out like it was there was not much room for manoeuvring (sp?) up and down!

This is what I had been thinking even though we won't all be on the same table, I just don't see how it's going to be chaotic with such a small amount of people and a need for a fancy table plan. I might just do what you did with your best man. There will be 10 on the top table and 5 on each of the other 3 so nicely spaced out to see all the place names from a distance. They'll be double sided to help with that. I think it'll be fine.....