Figuring out seating arrangements can be one of the hardest tasks while planning a wedding. While seating plans are difficult it is also important to understand what choices are available to you when choosing these arrangements.

Different types of table set-up:

There are many different styles in which you can set up your tables. To pick the right style for your wedding it is important to understand the variety that is available while creating your plan. You will have a Top Table alongside the tables you choose to seat your guests.

Top Table

The Top or Head table sits at the front of the wedding guests. It is where the bride and groom are seated with their wedding party. Traditionally this table will host the bride and groom at the centre. Typically the brides parents will sit beside her, and the grooms parents beside him. The table ends with the maid of honour and the best man on respective sides.

Guest Tables

While the family sit with the newly wed couple the guests will attend to tables close by. There are many ways in which these tables can be organised, and listed below are the most common and most popular ways in which couples decide to seat their guests.

The Horseshoe Table connects the head table with the rest of their guests taking the shape of a horseshoe/U. It is a more modern seating arrangement that is well suited for smaller parties. The arrangement allows for an intimate gathering where all the guests can socialise with the newly wed couple.
Round tables are the most traditional option for a couple which often means that they are also the most popular choice. The arrangement allows for social activity between the guests as well as allowing more guests to attend as they are more suited to high guest counts.
Long tables are all the fashion at the moment. They allow for an elegant dinner party feeling while giving the couple to adorn their guests with beautiful table arrangements and decorations. Long tables work better for more intimate gatherings as they hold less guests.

So why choose to have a sweetheart table?

A sweetheart table accommodates the modern couple, it is a table which seats solely the bride and groom, having all their close family and friends on tables close to them. The table itself has many advantages:

The seating arrangement is more intimate, it allows the couple to have a moment to themselves to reflect the day that has just passed. It gives them a chance to celebrate their day together. It gives the couple a moment to reflect and spend quality time with each other after a long day
Another advantage of the sweetheart arrangement is that it accommodates modern family situations. Blended families are more and more common in todays day and age, a sweetheart table allows for the couple to enjoy their reception together while having a comfortable and more flexible seating arrangements for all of their family and friends.
Large families can also pose similar challenges when negotiating a seating plan, the table arrangement again allows the couple to enjoy their time together and have a smaller more intimate table/moment to theirselves while still being surrounded by their friends and families.

So is a Sweetheart Table the best choice for you? There are plenty of benefits listed whether that be an intimate moment, quality time, or family dynamics making the sweetheart table an ideal option. However you may decide that you want the your reception seating to be surrounded by your close family and friends, in which case one of the other options might suit you and your partner better. While taking all of this into consideration it is important to note that you as the couple know what is best for your wedding party and guest, so however you choose to have your seating arrangement the main thing is that you savour your special day.