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Reserved Sign for Older Guests

Knottie1456246869Knottie1456246869 member
First Anniversary
in Wedding Etiquette Forum
Hi!  My fiancee and I are having a picnic style reception at a local park.  There are picnic tables available that we will be using for the majority of our seating, but are also having a few traditional tables set up for older guests who will have a harder time sitting down and getting up at a picnic table.  I'm going to put signs on the non-picnic tables indicating they are reserved for older guests (and whomever they want to sit with them), but I'm having a hard time coming up with appropriate wording.  "Reserved for Older Guests" just doesn't seem to have a nice ring to it.  Any suggestions for wording? 
Thanks!
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Re: Reserved Sign for Older Guests

  • peachy13peachy13 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    I think having assigned tables would be the way to go here.
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  • Jen4948Jen4948 member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    I would assign tables. In addition to what the PPs have mentioned, some people are sensitive to being referred to as "older" or being put in any situation that might make them feel singled out, which a "Reserved for Older Guests" sign might do.
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  • AddieCakeAddieCake member
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    Assigned tables all the way. 
    What did you think would happen if you walked up to a group of internet strangers and told them to get shoehorned by their lady doc?~StageManager14
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  • kimmiinthemittenkimmiinthemitten member
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    Are the older guests also VIP's?  I think it'd be okay to have say 2 or 3 reserved tables that just say "Reserved" and let your grandparents and great aunt and uncles know there are reserved tables for them, but it'd be odd to reserve tables and have VIP's just sitting anywhere.

    With that said, I also think assigned tables are the way to go.
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  • redoryxredoryx member
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    charlotte989875 said:
    Knottie1456246869 said:
    Hi!  My fiancee and I are having a picnic style reception at a local park.  There are picnic tables available that we will be using for the majority of our seating, but are also having a few traditional tables set up for older guests who will have a harder time sitting down and getting up at a picnic table.  I'm going to put signs on the non-picnic tables indicating they are reserved for older guests (and whomever they want to sit with them), but I'm having a hard time coming up with appropriate wording.  "Reserved for Older Guests" just doesn't seem to have a nice ring to it.  Any suggestions for wording? 
    Thanks!
    What is the ratio of tables to picnic tables? I think it's going to be hard to reserve some seats and not the others. Not to mention if you have any other guests with mobility issues (surgeries, expecting mothers, etc) you don't want to exclude them. If you can do all regular tables I would.  

    The best way to do that would probably be to assign seating, even though that seems weird at a casual, picnic style reception. If you're worried other people will sit at those tables (which I think you right to be concerned because many people would prefer a regular table to a picnic table) and you can't do all regular tables (if you can, you should) you probably should list the names of the people at that table or some other escort card/table number combo. 

    I think if it's it one regular table for grandma and her family, probably not a big deal to just assign that, but if you have half regular tables and half picnic tables you're going to run in to problems. 
    I hate picnic tables and if given an option would take a regular table, so I'd suggest trying to do all regular tables if at all possible. If not, like suggested, limit the number of regular tables to 1 or 2 and just do assigned seating. As much as I hate picnic tables, I'm going to be understanding if I see a list of names at a regular table and realize it includes grandma and/or the bride's cousin who has mobility issues. 
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  • auriannaaurianna member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    Definitely do assigned tables (and I agree, only have a couple of nice tables, strictly for older and immobile VIPs. Too many and the other guests will feel second string).
    Definitely don't say "reserved for older guests" because despite best intentions, it may be insulting to some.

    Also... I've had bad luck at weddings with just a few "reserved" signs on tables with no other info. At my husband's brother's wedding some tables upfront said "reserved" and there was no other seating chart. No one knew who the tables were reserved for. Because they did a head table without dates (bleck) and hubby was best man, I ended up sitting at a nearly empty table with my MiL & FiL and then a random aunt of the bride. Awkward. Almost all of the reserved tables were mostly empty. If I couldn't sit with my husband I would have liked to have sat with some of his cousins I'm close to but they didn't think they were allowed at the magical, mystical, reserved tables.
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  • southernbelle0915southernbelle0915 mod
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its

    For your situation, I do think you should just assign tables.

    Given the choice, I would choose a regular table all day long over a picnic table - mainly due to wearing a dress and stepping in/out of the picnic table... And some people may see no signs on the picnic tables and assume it's all open seating without noticing signs on the rounds.

    I just foresee issues for you that could be easily prevented by assigning tables.

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  • SP29SP29 member
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    I think it would be fine to put "Reserved" on the tables, but I agree that your guests have to know who the tables are reserved for.

    Otherwise I agree that assigned tables would work best.
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  • kvrunskvruns member
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    Even if you spread the word that the "reserved" table is for a certain group they may not sit there or may forget. We did the head table/king's table whatever for ours and it wasn't numbered but we had told the WP SOs that they were sitting up front but because it wasn't on the seating chart they were wandering around not sure where to sit. In hindsight I would have put it on the seating chart with a table # so they weren't confused but I just figured they would remember. 
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  • Jen4948Jen4948 member
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    kvruns said:
    Even if you spread the word that the "reserved" table is for a certain group they may not sit there or may forget. We did the head table/king's table whatever for ours and it wasn't numbered but we had told the WP SOs that they were sitting up front but because it wasn't on the seating chart they were wandering around not sure where to sit. In hindsight I would have put it on the seating chart with a table # so they weren't confused but I just figured they would remember. 
    Not only that, but people other than the guests you are reserving a table for may disregard the sign and sit at that table themselves.
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  • flantasticflantastic member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    Jen4948 said:
    kvruns said:
    Even if you spread the word that the "reserved" table is for a certain group they may not sit there or may forget. We did the head table/king's table whatever for ours and it wasn't numbered but we had told the WP SOs that they were sitting up front but because it wasn't on the seating chart they were wandering around not sure where to sit. In hindsight I would have put it on the seating chart with a table # so they weren't confused but I just figured they would remember. 
    Not only that, but people other than the guests you are reserving a table for may disregard the sign and sit at that table themselves.
    Especially if there is a clear disparity between comfortable and uncomfortable seating.
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  • SaintPaulGalSaintPaulGal member
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    I think assigned seating for all is the way to go here.  Having just a table or two with a "reserved" sign has the probability of making friends and family in the "general admission" section feel like second class citizens, as well as leaving you with the challenge of communicating whom the reserved tables are for in the first place.
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  • auriannaaurianna member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    Are there going to be place settings at the picnic tables? If there aren't, yet another reason for assigned tables, because people are going to sit at them with a comfortable number of people which may or may not be the number of people you need to sit at each one.

    How big are these tables and how many people do you need to sit at them? Please don't make them so crammed that the guests on the end have to straddle the table legs and such.
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  • Knottie91021729Knottie91021729 member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    You could always soften the wording, along the lines of: "Priority seating for guests who might find traditional picnic benches harder to access"  or something like that.  (I was going to say for "less active guests" but that sounds a bit harsh.) It's tough to think of an eloquent way of saying "Older Guests" ! 
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  • Jen4948Jen4948 member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    edited July 2016
    Knottie91021729 said:
    You could always soften the wording, along the lines of: "Priority seating for guests who might find traditional picnic benches harder to access"  or something like that.  (I was going to say for "less active guests" but that sounds a bit harsh.) It's tough to think of an eloquent way of saying "Older Guests" ! 
    That wouldn't work because just about everyone finds traditional picnic benches harder to access.
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  • kvrunskvruns member
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    aurianna said:
    Are there going to be place settings at the picnic tables? If there aren't, yet another reason for assigned tables, because people are going to sit at them with a comfortable number of people which may or may not be the number of people you need to sit at each one.

    How big are these tables and how many people do you need to sit at them? Please don't make them so crammed that the guests on the end have to straddle the table legs and such.
    good point! I can definitely see some tables having only 4-6 people for comfort whereas if OP planned for 8 per table that would be a problem. 
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