Head Table Question......

[Victoriasmom98]

OMG!!! My wedding is this Saturday and the Disneymoon follows........I'm having a very casual beach wedding and wasn't planning on having a head table at the restaurant, nor am I having reserved seats. Now my mother is asking where she is going to sit........I don't know what to do. My wedding party is me, my husband and my 12 year old daughter and I was going to just have a small table for us. I know my Dis friends will have some opinions, so please....what do you all think???

 

[CityGirlLost]

I guess the answer depends on how much you get along with your mother. Is it too difficult to say "wherever you're comfortable"?

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Thanks CityGirl, and I did say that, but now I'm rethinking it.....arrggg!!!!

 

[Brit_Jude]

How many people will be at your wedding in total?
What other family members will be there?

Just to help us know what you dealing with might help us better answer your question. 10 people vs 100 makes a big difference.

 

[Victoriasmom98]

There will be 83 confirmed guests there......

 

[Brit_Jude]

The trouble with having so many guests and not having any 'reserved' seating is that your Mom and any other of your or your new hubby's family members might end up at the back table or not being able to sit with their spouse/date/kids etc. You have the potential to end up with a little caos and frustration with people wondering around looking for seats at your reception. If it was just twenty people it would not matter as you would probably only have two or three other tables.

In my opinion and if it was me I would reconsider having at least some reserved seating with small tent cards for the most inportant guests/family members. It does not have to be a head table but certainly some where up near you.

 

[sambycat]

so, 83 or something people in a restaurant but no other direction of where anyone should sit other than the 3 of you, immediate family? i agree, i would at the minimum reserve a table for parents and the like, optimally, i would have had a seating chart of some sort just pointing folks towards a particular table. thats a whole lot of people trying to sit near you. and also how is for someone sitting at a table and no one wants to sit there?!?

and i am not sure you even confirmed you are having a head table? can't more than 3 people sit there? people kind of expect seating assignments at a wedding, so it's the function i personally would feel the least awkward asking people to sit in one area or another.

good luck.....

 

[tinkandonaldfans]

A lot of people find it difficult to just pick somewhere to sit. I mean for example if you go into a restaurant and many of the tables are empty and the waiter says "you can sit anywhere you like" you end up spending a little time trying to decide and thats just for the two of you! So multiply that by 83 and you are going to find people getting stressed out!

Those who are closest to you will want to be as close to you as much as possible and may feel put out if they end up near the door! I would make a table plan and if you don't want to assign exact seats maybe you could just assign the guests to an exact table and let them decide where to sit at that table!

 

[ChocoKat]

I will echo the other ladies suggestion and say, at least assign some seating.

We attended a wedding last year that had around 90 guests or so. The only seating that was assigned was for the bride, groom and the wedding party. Everybody else was on their own.

It caused a lot of confusion, everybody first went looking around for the non-existent seating chart or escort cards, after we realized those weren't there we sorta did a bit of a table/chair dance and tried to figure out where and who to sit with.

A lot of tables were left very empty, people actually physically moved chairs to seat with a party and not be left out with people they didn't know

We were very lucky and had just the right number of friends for a table, but other folks were left all alone (a couple) on a table for 8 because they just didn't know anybody that well there, so we spent some time jumping from table to table to try and keep them company ourselves, rather uncomfortable if you ask me.

I guess to some it might have felt like the school cafeteria all over again

 

[Victoriasmom98]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I really appreciate it....still not sure what I'm going to do but I have done up a plan just in case. Thanks again!!!!