Wedding Seating

Photo courtesy of www.weddingwire.com

I have recently had several brides ask me for advice on seating arrangements for the reception.  There are several ways you can arrange your guests, but it is all based on preference, and knowing your guests' personalities.

I will touch briefly on a couple of different ways that are common, and if you would like more in-depth details, or even help with the seating arrangements, give me a call (319) 373-0648 and we can set up a time to meet.

Having a wedding seating plan is very important for both the smallest of small, or largest of large weddings.  The meal at the reception is a time your guests truly look forward to, so you will want to make them feel as comfortable as you can, which leads to you (the bride) knowing your guests will have a good time. 

The three most common ways to seat your guests are to:

1) Have no seating plan.  I see this mostly at smaller weddings (fewer than 50 guests), and weddings serving the meal buffet style.

2) Assign each guest to a table.  I find this choice most popular, as the bride can look at her guest list, and choose 8-10 guests (depending on table size of course) that have similar personalities, interests, and/or common age.  The bride would then noticeably name each of the tables.  She will then need to make a spreadsheet with each guest's name and which table they are assigned to.  A good spot for this sheet would be at the entrance of the reception.  There are many more ways you could go about this, so be creative!!

3) Assign each guest to a seat.  This could be very time consuming, depending on the number of guests.  You will want to do as I mentioned in idea number two, and name each table.  You will then want to have placecards with each guests' name, along with their table name at each place setting.  Then you will again, want to have the another card or list at the entrance, with the guests' name and table name.  Again, you can do this is many different ways, and the more creative, the better!

Whether you assign each of your guests a spot or let them seat themselves, be sure to let your coordinator or reception vendor know what you decide ahead of time so they can assist your guests if the need be.

Happy Wedding Planning.

Setting the Timeline for the Wedding Day

I just finished up a conference call with some other ABC members in the region I am located in, and tonight's emphasis was on the importance of setting the timeline for the wedding day.

I am proud to say that I already implement a very detailed schedule for the rehearsal and day-of.  It is very important to have this detailed timeline, so that if a problem arises, it will be much easier to adjust accordingly.  This is why it is almost essential to have a professional bridal consultant.  We are experienced, and can help the bride and groom be as prepared as possible.

If you would like to sit down and chat with me about helping you prepare your Wedding Day Timeline, shoot me an email or phone call and I would love to assist you!