Seating dilemma/guilt

Alikat9614

The way our venue is set up, the dance floor is in the front of the room and the tables all go back from there. I'm having severe guilt about who to put in the back :-/ We will have 14 round tables, and I just can't figure it out! Right now, our families will have the tables closet to the dance floor. Also, our bridal party is spread out amongst the tables where their SO or friends are, and I feel bad that they won't be in front. I'm probably over thinking this, but it's stressing me out. I wish we could set up the tables more in a circle around the dance floor so no one is in the back, but they won't fit that way and always set up receptions like this. Any suggestions or encouragement is appreciated! (I attached a pic of the venue-the windows at the far end is where the dancing happens).

jacques27

Yes.  You are over-thinking it.

I will nearly 100% guarantee your wedding party will not care about being up front.  In fact, I think they will be far more grateful to be seated with their SO's and friends than anything else.  Seriously, what would "being up front" buy them that will make it so much more of a special and meaningful experience for them than having an enjoyable dinner with their own loved ones and friends?

Also, once they are done eating, they probably won't even be at their tables and will be mingling and drinking and dancing.  Stop stressing.

wrigleyville

In my experience, once the dancing starts, people are all over the place - dancing, mingling, talking, etc. I never sit in the same seat all night. I visit other tables to talk to relatives and/or friends in between dancing.

During dinner, it really won't matter. Everyone will be busy eating. When you're ready to cut the cake, anyone who can't see will move up and stand where they can see you.

Alikat9614

Thank you, ladies! I just needed someone to tell me to stop stressing The room isn't that huge, anyway. Also, those near the back are closer to the bar, anyway

jenna8984

Is the DJ located up at the dance floor? It's usually best to seat older guests away from that since it's loud and a lot of them (my grandparents anyways) prefer to sit and talk at their tables. So they would like the back.

MandyMost

Where will you be sitting? One wedding I was at recently had this type of set-up, and the couple sat far away from the dance floor in the back. It makes perfect sense if you think about it...they don't need a good view of anything on the dance floor, since they'll be the ones up there dancing!

Other than that, I think some general rules are:

• Older people away from the dance floor
• Partiers closest to the bar (unless you want to discourage it, then partiers furthest from the bar!)
• Parents where they can see everything most easily

I've only ever been "offended" when I was sat around a corner or basically in another room. 

vh2014

Ours are in a circle around the dance floor but FI is very worried about who is close to us or not... I used the same logic. We are only going to be at the table long enough to eat and then we'll be mingling with our guests. There's no rule you can't sit at another table when someone gets up during the party so he can sit with others and catch up if he wants.

theartistformerlyknownas

This is why we're sitting furthest away from the dance floor/bar. It puts the grandparents closest to us but furthest from the speakers, and college friends furthest from us but closest to the action. Win/win.

Alikat9614

We are sitting at sweetheart table on the left side of the room and will probably be there for about 15 minutes to scarf down some dinner ;-) We currently have our families up "front" so that they can see everything like first dance, toasts, and for his grandmother to feel special and have a place of "honor" (I don't know, FI's words). We don't have a lot of older guests, so I guess after dinner if they want something quieter they can go to the ballroom where the bar is, the mezzanine, or the card room- all of which are on the same floor as the "conference center" where the tables and dancing happen. It's just a beautiful and tricky space!

peachy13

In my experience, the non WP friends are usually in the back. I've been there plenty o times for friends' weddings. Why? Because usually after dinner, we're all up drinking and dancing, never returning to the tables again.