Planning Wedding Guests Seating arrangement for Summers can seem like a daunting task but it doesn’t have to be. It’s that time of year again and the invitations have started to flood in. So its important to plan where your guests will be sitting. These five tips will help you make the best decision to create the perfect arrangement. And will get all of your guests seated as soon as possible!

1) Set the Tone according to Wedding theme

For a summer wedding theme that is on the lighter side, the seating arrangement can be structured in a more casual manner. Alternatives to round tables are benches or large sofas. Another option is to keep guests seated throughout the ceremony and reception by having one long table with chairs down either side of it.

2) Keep it Organized

The rule of thumb is that the bride and groom should be in the middle. The father of the bride on her left, and the father of the groom on his right. But there are also some other considerations to keep in mind when deciding where to seat your guests

  • Honorary Guests – These are usually older relatives or friends who might not want to stand up throughout an entire ceremony. There’s no set protocol for how you should honor these people. But it’s a nice gesture to make them feel special. 
  • The Ring Bearer – Whoever carries the rings down the aisle needs to be seated as close to the altar as possible . So they don’t need to move around much during the service. 
  • The Groom’s Parents – Traditionally, the bride would sit next to the groom’s mother and father would sit next to the bride’s mother. However, this can be reversed if everyone wants things switched up.
Wedding seating arrangement

3) Don’t Overdo It

To avoid people feeling like they’re sitting on pins and needles, it’s important to have a good mix of seating arrangements. When planning your wedding, there are many options to consider:

  • round tables with multiple seats per table
  • rectangular tables with one seat per table, or a combination of the two. 
  • Have an even number of guests at each table.
  • Don’t put tables too close together so guests can’t talk to each other. Tables should be spaced out so that it doesn’t feel crowded. 
  • Consider adding another round table in between two rectangular ones if you want some conversation to flow from one end of the table to another. You might also want to put them on opposite sides as well for easy access from all sides. 
  • Using round tables, make sure not everyone is facing forward as this could lead to feelings of being trapped or uncomfortable.

4) Stick to a Theme

For any formal event, this is always an important thing to take into consideration. You want people who know each other to be seated near one another if possible, and people you don’t know should ideally be seated with someone they know. Generally speaking, as long as the guest of honor is at one end of the table then it doesn’t matter what the layout looks like on either side of them. But when you have a large number of guests, keep in mind that seating can take up a lot of space! Try not to seat two people next to each other where there are already three seats available.

5) Get Creative

There are a lot of factors that go into creativity for planning the perfect wedding guest seating arrangement for summers. So be sure to take everything into consideration. 

  • Be flexible with the number of seats available– Remember that not everyone is going to show up on your wedding day and it’s okay if they can’t find somewhere to sit when they arrive.
  • Be considerate with kids– If there are small children in attendance try to seat them close to an activity so they will be occupied. 
  • Seat large groups together– A great way to do this is to set aside tables designated just for those families that have at least four people in their group.
  • Offer bar/food service for guests that don’t want to wait in line- Offer something light for those who are sitting near the bar area where food service won’t be offered.