Wedding Guests: Reception Seating How-Tos

Deciding seating arrangements at a wedding reception can seem like an unimportant, if necessary, task. However, that is not so. If you are not careful, seating arrangements can cause family feuds and broken friendships. When seating people, you need to take into account personal preferences, dislikes and history. For example, if you know that your cousin absolutely loathes your sister-in-law, make sure that you seat them far away from each other. If your mother's side of the family has an ongoing feud with your father's side of the family, give them separate tables. The worst thing you can possibly do is assume that people who hate each other will become friends for the day just because it is your wedding. For example, one woman placed her uncle and brother next to each other. Although the woman's mother warned her that the two hated each other, the woman ignored her and did it anyway. No one was surprised when halfway through the dinner, the brother threw a glass of champagne into the uncle's face and slugged him.

When you make seating charts, you have to consider what your relationship is the person you are seating. You should probably seat your best friend close to your table, and not at the edge of the room with the people you barely know. If you seat them too far away, you may find that you no longer have a best friend. Also, when seating people in your immediate family, give them a good spot. Even though you may not be particularly close to them, they may feel slighted and hold a grudge against you for the rest of their life. Another potentially sticky situation is when there is a guest that you do not feel close to, but they think that the two of you are friends. If you have a good reason to keep yourself in this person's good graces (for example, your boss' good graces), then make sure to give them a decent seat.

If all of this sounds too stressful, then consider taking the easy way out and having open seating. Letting guests choose their own seats relieves you of the burden of seat planning. However, open seating is not perfect. It is basically first come, first serve, and may deprive people of the seating they actually deserve. One compromise is to section off several tables for close friends and family, and allow the majority of the guests to select their own seats.