Seating is a key element for a great wedding reception so make sure you give it the attention that it deserves. You want your guests to be as comfortable as possible so they will stay and enjoy themselves. Give people plenty of room so that they can see what is going on all around them. Depending on the type of wedding reception you are hosting that can include the band, the food, the wedding party, and of course the delightful wedding cake.

Long tables can be a good idea as can round ones. No matter how you try, people aren’t going to be able to avoid sitting with their backs to something. However, if you provide enough room for them they can easily move their chairs in a new angle to be able to see what they want to. Avoid cramming too many chairs at one table. On the same subject you need to avoid having too many tables in close proximity. Make sure that wedding reception location offers adequate room for the number you will have in attendance.

Try to station the tables and chairs strategically to get the most from them. For example short rows of many tables may be better for you than longer rows of them. You also want to have clearly defined aisles so that people can get in and out of their seats without being disruptive to others.

The music will likely be loud and you don’t want to have seating too close to it. Otherwise those sitting there will become annoyed. There is no possible way that they can have a great conversation with those around them if they can’t even hear themselves talking.

You may want to offer a few tables and chairs for younger people to enjoy as well. These should be children old enough to be away from their parents for a while but where someone can still keep an eye on them. Getting shorter tables and chairs for them will make the wedding reception more comfortable for them. They and their parents will appreciate your thoughtfulness in this regard as well. By the same token you may try to get a few high chairs so that younger ones have a place to sit too.

The common dilemma is if you assign seating or if you allow your guests to find their own location. There are pros and cons to doing each one of them. When you allow your guests to sit where they want to then there aren’t any hurt feelings over where they ended up. You also don’t have to continually shuffle them around because you discover that your friend Kim can’t stand your husbands friend Tom.

On the other hand when you allow people to sit where they want to you can end up with quite a mix of people out there. It can be harder for you to locate someone or when food is being served if you have had them RSVP what type of meal they would like to have. Take your time to decide which option works best for your type of wedding reception.

If you want to have a wonderful wedding reception where people are eating, laughing, interacting, and staying until it is over you need to make them comfortable. Effective seating for your wedding reception is worth putting some extra effort into so that you won’t have to worry about it when the event is taking place. Explore some different layouts in advance too. You don’t want to be trying to piece it all together the day of the wedding when you are decorating or even the night before.