PLANNING LIKE THE PROS
Photo Credit: It's a Bride's Life
Take a seat our fabulous brides, as Fab Fête Event Planning Boutique
gives you the inside scoop on taking on one of the most challenging tasks in
planning your wedding – seating arrangements. Compiling a guest list and making sure that you haven’t
missed anyone is just the beginning. The real trick is figuring out where to
put all your guests to ensure the night runs smoothly.
There are a few different ways to go about it. If you want to keep things simple and easy for yourself why not let the guests do the choosing? Leave it to them to pick a seat. This is a great option for the bride with a smaller guest list. However, if you’d like a little bit more control on who goes where, that’s okay too. A great way to do this would be having assigned tables. This allows you to accommodate your guests’ needs but lets them choose who they will sit beside. Other couples like to have assigned seating to place everyone in a specific spot at the table.
 |
| Photo Credit: Stephen Sager Photography |
 |
| Photo Credit: Concord Photography |
 |
| Photo Credit: Phototerra |
When deciding which method to use, it is important to keep
in mind the type of wedding you are hosting (i.e.: laid back, easy going wedding,
formal wedding, etc.) Another component to making this decision is if it will
make scheduling easier in terms of food service, as well as speeches. You want
the people making speeches to be closer to the front rather than at the back. Lastly,
you want to make sure people aren’t separated because there weren’t any more
seats available for a couple or family to sit together.
Here are some tips on staying organized:
Tip #1: Start with
the bridal party and immediate family. You know these people the best and you’ll
probably want them closest to you on your big day.
 |
| Photo Credit: Mosoff Photography |
Tip #2: Figure out a
system that best works for you. For example, colour coordinating various groups
of people, hand drawn charts, computer programs to visually plan the layout, etc.
Here are some great websites to check out:
Tip#3: Look at the
people on your list that may have special needs/requests that may determine the
flow of the room. For instance, someone requiring a booster seat or high chair
for their child, or individuals in a wheelchair. Also, it is important to keep in mind that some people
prefer to have closer access to the doors, washrooms, etc. (e.g. young children,
the elderly, etc.)
Tip #4: Finally, don’t
stress yourself out too much. It is a difficult task but it’s not impossible as
long as you stay organized and on top of it. We suggest working together on
this one. Whether it is with your maid of honour, groom, mom, dad, or whoever…
try to get a second set of eyes on it so you’re not too overwhelmed.
 |
| Photo Credit: Mosoff Photography |
As long as you know your guests and you stay organized, you’ll
do an excellent job with figuring out the seating arrangements. Good luck to
our fabulous brides!