Reception Seating

verycrafty

I am trying to arrange the reception seating and am having issues.  Not so much who sits with whom at which table, but how to mix up the tables at the reception.  The ceremony is divided into "bride/groom" with respect to sides of the aisle, but I want the reception to be mixed.  While I want people who know each other to be seated near each other, I don't want the reception to be divided into "his and hers".  Do I alternate the tables with "my guests, his guests, my guests", etc. or just let the reception be divided?  Am I just making too much of this?  Thanks!!

lyndausvi

I think you are over thinking.  

I put tables of like people near each other.  Yes it sort of made up with his side my side, but not totally..  I find people if can't sit at the same table as their family/friends, the last least like to sit close to them and not across the room.

trix1223

I think you're overthinking.  People at a wedding are generally there to enjoy catching up with old friends and family, to chat and visit.  Your Aunt Helen probably won't want to sit around and chat with his Uncle Bert, and that's just fine.

I've been MOB and MOG now, and I really didn't spend time with the families of my new children-in-law.  And their families didn't really spend time with my family.

Your guests won't really notice whether the tables are mixed or not.

megk8oz

We split it "his and hers". My guests where very happy with this.

DH's family is extremely clique-y and usually, they have to meet you at least twice before they will actually talk to you. So if we "mixed things up", it would not have gone over well with them.

In my family, we can pretty much make conversation with anybody, however I was the first wedding in years (Generation gap), and there's not going to be another one for a while. However coming from a large family, we constantly are seeing people at, sadly, funerals. So, while my family probably would have "made due" if I split people up, the extended family was thrilled that they could get together and talk about and bond over something happy for once. If we had split people up, they would have wound up gravitating towards tables with people they wanted to be around between courses instead of making new friends.

I'm not saying don't split the sides, I'm saying make sure that you have the kind of guest list that won't be put off by this before doing so. Remember: the ceremony is for you and your FI, but the reception is for the guests. Don't make people uncomfortable.

pulga131

There is nothing wrong with splitting between his and hers, especially if the two sets of guests dont really know each other.  If you have any guests from both sides that get a long then you can mix them.  Also make sure that you aren't giving any side better tables if that makes sense.  His immediate family and yours should have a table close to you.  Other than that, I wouldnt stress about it.  People want to sit with who they know and wont even notice or care that its split.  Honestly, what I don't like is being stuck at a table with a bunch of people I don't know; although that may need to happen sometimes.