Seating arrangements at a wedding.

One of the most overlooked details during the wedding planning process is seating arrangements. Now if you’ve chosen a wedding venue specifically, they can help you with your table arrangements. But, in some cases you are at the mercy of the square footage of the room and slight adjustments need to be made.

Here’s a couple things to consider… If you’re in a smaller venue and the dance floor is important to you, consider a sweetheart table in leiu of a large head table. A head table can easily take up 20 feet of real estate in a wedding hall while a sweetheart table is a romantic table for two that only requires about 5 feet of space in total. You’ll enjoy more personalized service and have the opportunity to spend some quality time with your new spouse in an intimate setting.

Depending on the room you choose, it’s a good idea to ask the venue whether a buffet style or sit down dinner works best. Buffets are a much quicker option when there is enough space and when it can be cleared from the dancefloor or placed in a dedicated area. However, sit-down meals are great for smaller wedding parties as your guests can sit back and relax.

But that’s just the dinner service. When it comes time for dancing, where you put your DJ is very important. Your DJ should be front and center or at the very least accessible to the dancefloor. Not because we want to be the center of attention but because we want to be able to address your guests when needed and also so that when it comes time for dancing, the volume won’t be offensive to those who want to sit. If your DJ ends up in a corner behind tables, he will have to make the sound twice as loud to be heard on the other end of the room than if he was in the center.
But most importantly, during things like intros, first dances and parent dances, it is important for you to have the ability to have eye contact with your DJ. During those times, many guests may stand to take pictures or video and the DJ’s vision will be blocked.

So when you’re sitting down to plan your seating arrangements, keep these helpful tips in mind. Your guests and your DJ will thank you.

Wedding Seating Arrangements

As if planning a wedding wasn’t tricky enough, one of the hardest parts of the planning is the wedding seating arrangements. You want those closest to you to be near your head table and then fill in with friends, co-workers, & acquaintances. Makes sense right?

Think about this for a moment. You love your grandparents and your parents. And they love you. They are ecstatic to be a part of your celebration. Do them a solid and put them as far away from the dance floor as possible. Why?

The dance floor is a lively place to be. Full of music, and in some cases bright lights. If you remember from your childhood your parents or grandparents yelling up to you, “TURN THAT DOWN”, then being next to the DJ or his speakers is probably not the best place for grandparents. If you put them towards the rear of the room, they’ll be able to mingle with guests and chat with each other a lot easier if they are further away from the music.

“Can’t I just tell the DJ to turn it down?”

Sure you can. And they should oblige that request. But by the same token, a speaker is just that, a speaker. And it has to be loud enough to reach the far ends of the room. Not uncomfortable but, audible.

So when you’re starting to plan your seating arrangement, remember this little tip and keep guests young and old happy.

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WEDDING PLANNING : How to get the most out of your seating arrangements