Atlantic Dance Hall seating?

[Bouncy bounce]

Did you use small tables or did you have them bringing in big tables?

If you had little tables did you have a seating chart or just let guest sit wherever??

 

[shaylih]

Did you use small tables or did you have them bringing in big tables?

If you had little tables did you have a seating chart or just let guest sit wherever??

I used the existing tables and just let people sit wherever. The marble tables are beautiful, why pay to take them away and use crappy wooden tables with linens over them?

We let people sit wherever they wanted and it made my life so much easier without having seating charts. Also saved a TON of money by just having 1 votive at each table instead of centerpieces.

It worked out great.

 

[PrincessBride010103]

We had the ten tops brought in and did a seating chart. Just kinda felt four tops weren't for a wedding...a little too informal.

 

[hmgolden]

We used most of the existing seating. We also brought in 2 banquet tables that we used as the parent tables. We also did assigned seating as we thought that would make it easier on our guests, and kept people from sitting to far away. We only had 76 people, so we didn't need all the seating on the 1st floor.

 

[twiu]

We're doing 7 10 tops on the dance floor and using the rest of the existing seating (4 & 3 tops). We have A LOT of guests (over 150) so we need all the tables. I wanted to do all 10 tops but it would've cost money to move all the existing seating out of the venue. Money that I can find other ways to spend....

 

[DisneyDeeFL]

we had 4 tables on the dance floor..2 8-tops and 2 6-tops, these were for the wedding party and the immediate families. we told these people ahead of time that those tables were reserved for them. also, those were the only 4 tables that had centerpieces. here's what they looked like:

everything else was open seating and we used the existing marble tables (we had 98 guests total). it worked out great, it really encouraged everyone to socialize and not sit at their table all night. on these tables, we used one votive, and it was just enough. i can't find any pics of these tables though...

 

[lpizzuro123]

and are not sure of the table settings yet. There will be between 50 and 60 people. We are thinking of using 6 large tables on the dance floor along with our sweetheart table. I just don't want that to be too many tables on the dance floor and not enough room for people to dance. Alot will depend on how many people we actually have. I really want the larger tables. I kind of agree that the small 4 top would not make it seem like a wedding. We are having a whole red and white theme so I really want white table cloths with red napkins and red flowers on the tables. I love the fact that the smaller tables will be around the upper section of the dance floor so people can break off into smaller groups throughout the day.

Love seeing the pictures of the room set up so if anyone has any more photos please add them to this thread. It really helps.

Thanks,
Linda

 

[scottish/canadian]

We have 77 guests total. We are having a head table for ten across the front of the stage and four ten tops on the floor. Hopefully, we'll still have enough of a dance floor. We didn't really want to use the two tops across the side by the DJ booth, but we've decided to sit all my cousins up there, so it should work okay. We're going to use the middle two of the four four tops on each side so that nobody gets stuck behind a pole...except our "vendor" table where the photogs will sit. I am a huge dwarf fan, so we're naming the tables after each of the dwarfs...well the four on the floor and then each side of the dance floor will be a dwarf table A, B, C, or D. So we'll still only have 7. Head table will be Snow White and Prince.

 

[CutieBugNY]

We decided to use all ten tops. We wanted a really elagent feel, in a fun atmosphere. We're have 170 guests. 6 tables on the dance floor and the rest spread out throughout the first floor. We did have to pay to get the tables removed but we wanted everyone to feel they were important and not have just close family at 10 tops. Plus we have some large families coming and weren't sure how to split them up with the small tables.

 

[Malibelle]

we had 100 people at ours and had them bring in 2 10 tops and we used the existing marble tables.

 

[CutieBugNY]

So I got an email from my planner today that she talked to my parents about our seating arrangments. (See post above) Now all of a sudden there isn't going to be enough room!!! So she want to change it to 4 tens on the floor and use the rest of the seating. I am like besides myself!!!

I have no way to break up most of my seating that I have already done, cards printed and all! Not to mention all my cool table names, and glass slipper shoe name card holders, what happeds to them? We have several large families that won't fit at tables of 4 and whats going to happen to all my cool center pieces, I'd only get the 4 for the large tables and then everyone else will get a stinky candle. This is exactly what we were tring to avoid, some guests being treated better then others. We'd have reserved seating on the floor and everyone else fend for themselves. I am SOOOOOO NOT HAPPY!!!!!! But she says its going to be a tight squeeze otherwise. What do I do???? Has anyone else faced this mess???

 

[lurkyloo]

Tell her you want it back the old way and you don't care if it's a tight squeeze. A lot of times they will bend over backward trying to warn you about stuff that isn't that big a deal or doesn't actually happen - they're just trying to cover themselves. If your planner is just suggesting this and not mandating it, you don't have to do it.

I mean, how tight is tight? Like "I can't get my huge hoop skirt between some of them" tight? Because unless people were sitting in each others' laps, I wouldn't care!

 

[Malibelle]

I would let her know exactly what you want. I will tell you that we had the 2 10-tops and 8-4tops on the floor and there was just enough space for dancing. In fact we had to push out the 2 big tables to make a little more room. So 6 big tables might be tight if you want a decent area to dance.

I was worried about using the small tables but it worked out great. we decided that all our friends were going on the 2 big tables and family on the small so no one could complain. it was easier to place friends together since many didn't know eachother. we put each of our parents in the front on each side of the dance floor. Phils brother an sister each got thier own table with thier kids...and so on. we used the sides and back tables as well. Not all the back tables were used since we only had 100pp. The cocktail tables in front of the bar we kept open and people used them to mingle. Everyone ended up telling us they like the small tables because it made people get up and mingle. People didn't stay in thier seats long, basically just to eat. With the big tables people tend to just sit all night and talk only to the people at thier tables. With people getting out of thier seats, dancing..etc it made ithe atmosphere fun and it looked liked it was a hopping place to be. Well, it was..lol.

 

[Error_kitten]

I think we had 5 Big round tables, a head table for just the two of us, and used the rest of the existing seating.
We left it free for all seating it was so much easier that way.
We also did the buffet which I HIGHLY Recommend!

Oh I found some pictures not that great looking though (sorry).

 

[DisneyDeeFL]

I would tell your planner all of the work you've put into the table cards and everything else and really push to have it done the way you want it done. however, i can tell you that from my wedding (and I think the same thing happened to Malibelle), most of the people that were seated at the big tables on the dance floor migrated to the smaller tables by the end of the night. They pretty much ate at their tables, and then spent the rest of the night mingling around the smaller tables. I don't think anyone felt left out or complained about the open seating. If your planner thinks putting all of your guests on the dance floor might be a tight fit...ADH is a huge and unique space, you have lots of options to work with!

Good luck

 

[lpizzuro123]

Try to find out how tight "tight" is. I was at a local wedding last year - beautiful location - wonderful cocktail hour - great room for the reception - but WAY too small. We were all so crowded in, once you sat down you could not get up. No room to dance on the dance floor - no one was able to get up and see the cake - you basically sat all night long. The bride and groom complained about the pictures that the photographer took after the wedding - he did not get any table shots - he did not get any candid shots - no shots of the cake - I don't think the man was able to walk around to get any of the shots they wanted.

Definately try to work this out and I understand about your table numbers and centerpieces - but also make sure your guests are comfortable. Unfortunately, the one main thing everyone at my friends wedding remembers is how crowded it was.

Linda

 

[Malibelle]

I have to add that even though we used the small tables too we chose to have a seating arrangment versus open seating and it still worked out fine.

 

[lpizzuro123]

Glad you added that. I was not sure how to work this if we do a combo of large and small. It all depends on how many people come to the wedding.

Linda

 

[CutieBugNY]

Well last night I emailed my planner all of my concerns and asked about a million questions. She got back to me by saying she's going to talk to the carters over at boardwalk and call me tomorrow to discuss.

Obviously I don't want our guests to be crowded, its just I've had a picture in my head about how its supposed to all look and I'm scared that I'm not sure what this new arrangement might be. I'll keep everyone posted. Thanks for all the support and comments.