by Karen Boyd

Created on: April 13, 2009

The wedding reception is here. The formality and stress of the nuptial ceremony is over. It's time to celebrate as husband and wife with family, friends, and acquaintances who share in your momentous occasion.

You're likely hosting this post-wedding party at a local banquet hall or restaurant. Guests will spend half their time dining and half mingling. Did you consider the seating arrangement?

Often dismissed as a last minute wedding planning detail, it is one that can cause the most headaches and confusion of all - the guest seating arrangement.

This task is important and not to be taken casually; so strategize and plan for several re-drafts of your placement map of family, friends, and acquaintances.

Order of Seating Arrangement Execution:

1. Ensure you plan for and place all guests; even those who didn't RSVP. (Don't ever rely on guests to pick their own seats - this is a recipe for disaster!)

2. Parents and siblings of the Bridge and Groom take front and center. (Ensure your immediate families are seated closest to the wedding party; or else! Work your way back from there.)

3. Consider the personalities and temperaments of all guests. (Avoid placing guests who most likely won't mesh together; unless you want your reception to either turn into a brawl or, at the least, create unhappiness and discomfort.)

4. Balance tables by placing some who know each other with some who don't know each other. (You definitely don't want an entire cluster of close family and friends to stick to their cliques and not venture to mingle at this social gathering. Likewise, you don't want to put a group of guests together who are strangers to each other; make it comfortable, yet adventurous!)

5. As part of your table "balancing act", mix up the guests of both Bride and Groom (This will create a well-balanced reception, avoiding a "Hatfield and McCoy" scenario between Bride's family and Groom's family; you're all one big family now!)

6. Seat guests with special needs or handicaps close to exits (Allow comfort for those who may need extra room and create less distance and obstacles for these guests to visit the restroom or leave the reception.)

7. Do not place family or friends who wallow in booze near the bar! (If you do, their seat will become the bar; best not to encourage this and make them walk or stumble farther.)

Once you've devised your final plan, stick to your wedding placement map; regardless of what "Moms" may suggest.

Remember, this is the first day of the rest of your married lives - enjoy it and make it enjoyable for all!

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