XP - seating chart question

rbtrumpet

I am starting to put together my seating chart - we are sorting the tables by social status (single, dating/engaged, married, families) etc...

So - if anyone else did that, I have a question for you! 

I have 5 guests who are not coming with their SOs - should I put them at the singles table?  At the tables where they would be (i.e. our pastor who is coming alone could with with the other families w/ kids)?  How did you handle this? 

Thanks!

katiewhompus

We just did our tables by who would get along better, no matter what their "status" was. If I were a single person but knew many of the married guests I would much rather sit with them verses other single people. Similarly if I were invited to a wedding now and knew single people I'd rather sit with them than a bunch of married people I didn't know.

danieliza1127

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_xp-seating-chart-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:822ee77d-ced8-489f-af3f-61fbf3290481Post:8faf57d9-7db5-4ac2-a3b6-49fea5634d8e">Re: XP - seating chart question</a>:
[QUOTE]We just did our tables by who would get along better, no matter what their "status" was. If I were a single person but knew many of the married guests I would much rather sit with them verses other single people. Similarly if I were invited to a wedding now and knew single people I'd rather sit with them than a bunch of married people I didn't know.
Posted by katiewhompus[/QUOTE]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

Yeah, I don't really know anyone who's married. I'd rather sit with my single friends. I'm planning to do tables by social circle - FI's college friends, my college friends, FI's aunts/uncles/cousins, my mom's family, etc.

rbtrumpet

hmm - if you did that how did you handle the "left overs" table?

I know that sounds super rude, but I have to have tables of 10, and I have people from DC, MI, and CA.

I'm afraid of having

3 tables of DC people

3 tables of MI people

3 tables of CA people

and 1 table of mix...who are obviously the "left overs"

after the head table we have exactly 140 people coming, so 14 perfect tables.  Since we are paying per table (regardless of 1 or 10 people at the table), I'd really like to put 10 people at each table.

jnic0319

I would do it by who they are friends with rather than "social status."  I know a wedding that was done that way and a) people were so disappointed and felt like they were almost pointed out as the single people to be stuck at the singles table (they felt like the rejects) this is coming from 2 people who complained to me about it.  Also, those who were in relationships didn't really have anything in common with the other people at the table aside from being in a relationship.  I think your guests would much rather  be with people they know...and if they don't know anyone and are single throw them in a table with a single person at it-hey you never know what may happen!  A gf of mine met her husband to be that way haha.

Edit: sorry I should have read further.  Why can't you put the minister for instance with your family?  just re-arrange them a tad so the "left over" table makes more sense of why they may be there together.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_xp-seating-chart-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:822ee77d-ced8-489f-af3f-61fbf3290481Post:d630672b-1817-45f9-ac6b-3ccd7f598743">Re: XP - seating chart question</a>:
[QUOTE]hmm - if you did that how did you handle the "left overs" table? I know that sounds super rude, but I have to have tables of 10, and I have people from DC, MI, and CA. I'm afraid of having 3 tables of DC people 3 tables of MI people 3 tables of CA people and 1 table of mix...who are obviously the "left overs" after the head table we have exactly 140 people coming, so 14 perfect tables.  Since we are paying per table (regardless of 1 or 10 people at the table), I'd really like to put 10 people at each table.
Posted by rbtrumpet[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I'm sort of afraid of that happening. But I guess try to put people together who are around the same age, and make sure they know at least one other person at the table?

katiewhompus

Just add them in with people with similar personalities. You could even take 10 friends who know each other, put 5 at each table (not splitting couples of course) and then 5 people who have similar personalities. That way the people who know each other wil help to carry the conversation the you won't have one table of nothing but awkward silence.

jnic0319

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_xp-seating-chart-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:822ee77d-ced8-489f-af3f-61fbf3290481Post:e94a9add-95b9-4dbe-b5b1-d75f824214e7">Re: XP - seating chart question</a>:
[QUOTE]Just add them in with people with similar personalities. You could even take 10 friends who know each other, put 5 at each table (not splitting couples of course) and then 5 people who have similar personalities. That way the people who know each other wil help to carry the conversation the you won't have one table of nothing but awkward silence.
Posted by katiewhompus[/QUOTE]

This is an excellent idea!

rbtrumpet

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_xp-seating-chart-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:822ee77d-ced8-489f-af3f-61fbf3290481Post:e94a9add-95b9-4dbe-b5b1-d75f824214e7">Re: XP - seating chart question</a>:
[QUOTE]Just add them in with people with similar personalities. You could even take 10 friends who know each other, put 5 at each table (not splitting couples of course) and then 5 people who have similar personalities. That way the people who know each other wil help to carry the conversation the you won't have one table of nothing but awkward silence.
Posted by katiewhompus[/QUOTE]


This is actually what I'm trying to do, with keeping tables still geared towards similar life stages. (like 3 couples from MI, and 2 couples from VA all together at one table).

I'm actually suprised to hear so many people say they didn't like this, one of my favorite parts about weddings (as single, dating, and now engaged) is going and meeting new people!

katiewhompus

Eh, I go to weddings to support the couple and see people I already know. I have no desire to meet new people at weddings.

I think where you lose me is assuming that people want to hang out with other people because of relationship status. Not all married people have personalities to get along with other married couples just because they are both married.