Cocktail reception seating

futuremrjkr

I'm having a cocktail reception, and a lot of older people, I'm wanting a seat for everyone, and the tables that the reception site provides are larger banquet tables. How should I do my seating?

Thanks everyone!

CMGragain

I don't understand this.  Cocktails, but no dinner?  What time is this reception?
My daughter had assigned tables for her brunch reception.  During the social hour, most guests sat down with their drinks at their tables and chatted while waiting for the bride and groom to show up.

donethat

A cocktail reception by nature is much more casual than a formal dinner.  I don't think you need to provide a seat for everyone.  So, first thing is no assigned seating. (That includes no bridal or head table - cocktail parties are for mingling ... which you and hubby will need to do to set the tone). Second, a mixture of stand up cocktail tables, a few of the banquet tables, and possibly rent a couple of couches, to make some additional conversation areas. Tie all of those different areas together with the same linens or same table decor or centerpieces.   A fun mixture is the key to the feel you're going for in not having a formal meal.  People will need to talk, drink, mingle, eat, etc... and you won't have that feel if everyone has a seat.  

Also, please have food out all of the time for guests to help themselves (or passed on trays) whenever they are hungry, as opposed to "everyone sit - everyone eat" type feel.  With that said, MORE food can come at different times.  

You can absolutely do a cocktail reception, and if you keep it flowing it will be great.  But, if you make it look and feel like a dinner reception (everyone sitting down at assigned banquet tables) with no dinner, it will feel like something is missing ... mainly a meal.  

Good luck (and I personally love this kind of party).  

Viczaesar

donethat said:

A cocktail reception by nature is much more casual than a formal dinner.  I don't think you need to provide a seat for everyone.  So, first thing is no assigned seating. (That includes no bridal or head table - cocktail parties are for mingling ... which you and hubby will need to do to set the tone). Second, a mixture of stand up cocktail tables, a few of the banquet tables, and possibly rent a couple of couches, to make some additional conversation areas. Tie all of those different areas together with the same linens or same table decor or centerpieces.   A fun mixture is the key to the feel you're going for in not having a formal meal.  People will need to talk, drink, mingle, eat, etc... and you won't have that feel if everyone has a seat.  

Also, please have food out all of the time for guests to help themselves (or passed on trays) whenever they are hungry, as opposed to "everyone sit - everyone eat" type feel.  With that said, MORE food can come at different times.  

You can absolutely do a cocktail reception, and if you keep it flowing it will be great.  But, if you make it look and feel like a dinner reception (everyone sitting down at assigned banquet tables) with no dinner, it will feel like something is missing ... mainly a meal.  

Good luck (and I personally love this kind of party).  

You are wrong.  Every single guest needs a seat.  It is incredibly rude to your guests to not provide them a seat to sit in.

Maggie0829

You need to provide a seat for every person.  It can be a combination of lounge seating with coffee tables, high tops with bar chairs, cocktail tables with 2-4 chairs per table and you can even throw in a few large round or square tables that can fit 8 people.  I do think that if you use all large round tables then it really won't feel like a cocktail reception but rather a dinner reception without the sit down meal, KWIM?

You could do a cocktail reception during dinner time but you have to make sure that you have A LOT of app choices and that they are substantial and plentiful throughout the entire night so that it equals a meal.

I agree that cocktail receptions are about mingling and any event that I have been to that has been a cocktail event the big difference was the seating options.  With a variety of seating options you get that mingling feel (tend to move from one table to another) and it is a bit more casual feel then a regular reception.

But again, you must have a seat for every butt regardless.

donethat

Viczaesar said:

You are wrong.  Every single guest needs a seat.  It is incredibly rude to your guests to not provide them a seat to sit in.

Ouch.  I'm pretty sure that not EVERYTHING I said was wrong, although who's to say (I guess you!)  Listen, I was simply trying to answer the OP's question, and suggest an idea for a cohesive look and feel with plenty of seating but with a layout to achieve the kind of party she is having ... a cocktail party.   I stand by my opinions and suggestions about if there are seats for everyone, then everyone will sit.     

Martha Stewart Weddings (possibly a more reliable source than me) suggests seating for 65 - 75% of your guests when you are hosting a cocktail party.  The exact number and percentage can be whatever the hosts want, including OVER 100%.  

https://shine.yahoo.com/love-sex/skip-seated-reception-throw-kind-wedding-instead-213700863.html

Maggie0829

Viczaesar said:

You are wrong.  Every single guest needs a seat.  It is incredibly rude to your guests to not provide them a seat to sit in.

Ouch.  I'm pretty sure that not EVERYTHING I said was wrong, although who's to say (I guess you!)  Listen, I was simply trying to answer the OP's question, and suggest an idea for a cohesive look and feel with plenty of seating but with a layout to achieve the kind of party she is having ... a cocktail party.   I stand by my opinions and suggestions about if there are seats for everyone, then everyone will sit.     

Martha Stewart Weddings (possibly a more reliable source than me) suggests seating for 65 - 75% of your guests when you are hosting a cocktail party.  The exact number and percentage can be whatever the hosts want, including OVER 100%.  

https://shine.yahoo.com/love-sex/skip-seated-reception-throw-kind-wedding-instead-213700863.html

She didn't say your entire post was wrong, just the part that she bolded.

And would you be a happy guest if you wanted to sit down but had no where to do so because the couple followed what Martha Stewart had to say?

If it were me I would have over 100% seating options for a cocktail reception just because people would like to move around and speak with each other.  And just because there are seats for everyone does not mean everyone will sit.  Thus why I suggested different forms of seating rather then regular banquet tables. It would help to promote mingling but still allow everyone to sit and eat their apps and drink their drinks comfortably, not trying to juggle their plates and utensils and glasses and clutches and cameras and phones and god only knows what else.

Viczaesar

donethat said:

Viczaesar said:

You are wrong.  Every single guest needs a seat.  It is incredibly rude to your guests to not provide them a seat to sit in.

Ouch.  I'm pretty sure that not EVERYTHING I said was wrong, although who's to say (I guess you!)  Listen, I was simply trying to answer the OP's question, and suggest an idea for a cohesive look and feel with plenty of seating but with a layout to achieve the kind of party she is having ... a cocktail party.   I stand by my opinions and suggestions about if there are seats for everyone, then everyone will sit.     

Martha Stewart Weddings (possibly a more reliable source than me) suggests seating for 65 - 75% of your guests when you are hosting a cocktail party.  The exact number and percentage can be whatever the hosts want, including OVER 100%.  

https://shine.yahoo.com/love-sex/skip-seated-reception-throw-kind-wedding-instead-213700863.html

You mean the sentence immediately following didn't clue you in to what you were wrong about?  The sentence in your original post that I bolded didn't clue you in to what you were wrong about?

Martha Stewart is in no way an authoritative source on wedding etiquette.  Why on earth would you take etiquette advice from a felon known for her crafting?

You know what happens when there aren't enough seats for everyone?  People claim seats and hoard them, guarding them from encroachers.  What's more, it's rude to try to force your guests to remain standing in order to create some kind of party atmosphere.  Your main concern at your reception should be the comfort of your guests, not how best to manipulate them into being the perfect background audience.

RebeccaB88

Every butt needs a seat. No exceptions.