Who sits where?

TopTablePlanner.com

Now for the scary part (if you are not already hyperventilating)… seat assignments!

Seat assignments can be a logistical and a psychological nightmare. Aunt Betty and Uncle Tom haven’t spoken to each other in 20 years and you are on your third stepfather and have invited them all to your wedding. Who you sit where can make or break a party.

Issues to keep in mind

1) Think of each dining table as a party within your party. Who is going to be an “Ambassador of Fun” at each table, who can make anybody feel special and who do you think will enjoy each other’s company? Who would be repulsed to sit by one of your other guests (do keep them as far away from each other as possible)?

2) Physical restrictions: Who has a cast on their leg or is wheelchair bound? Who needs to be placed where there is plenty of room because he is the size of a sumo wrestler? Absolutely think of the challenges that each of your guests may have and factor those in when assigning their seat. A table generally for 10 may have to be a table for 7 to accommodate some special needs. Be sure your event or site coordinator is alerted to those special needs.

3) Ego Placements – Are your Fiance’s divorced parents’ tables equally prominent? Will that matter to them? You don’t want a pouting new mama- in- law on your hands at your wedding. Whose ego needs to be assigned a special table?

4) Good vibrations – make sure that you do not have your 96-year-old grandfather next to the DJ’s speakers. Most elderly guests’ ears may be sensitive to noise and won’t be able to hear anybody talk at their table if they are too close to the music.

5) Kid Friendly – Don’t put your cousin and her 3 children at the same table as someone who hates children. Do you want a kids’ table and then put their parents’ tables next to the kids’ table – sort of the “family friendly zone at your reception?”

So how do you make a physical plan of your table arrangements and seat assignments without needing tranquilizers? Do you need to get graph paper, crayons, or an architect involved???

There’s help!!!!! Several brilliant people have developed programs to help you with your seating arrangements. One web-based planner, Toptableplanner.com is worth taking a peek at. Their planner can help you make a layout and assign people to different tables. As importantly, it allows you to move people (and remove people) by just a drag and a drop. You can keep track of your RSVPs and guests’ meal choices and print your revised table plans, place cards and escort cards anywhere you have internet access (and of course a printer). It is a nice and easy planning tool and I believe can relieve so much of the anxiety you are feeling right now. It’s a $20 investment towards your sanity. There are other internet and software planning tools worthy of your evaluation (we’ll be looking at a few more in future posts), so do your homework and choose the best program for your needs.

Before you firm everything up though – be sure you are showing your plan to all the wedding vendors you are using. You want to be certain your layout fits into the room with all the decor and activities you have planned for your reception.

I could go on forever on this subject (I guess I actually have!) but for now – go jot down all the issues that you know you will need to take into consideration to make your room design and seating arrangements work for your celebration. And don’t forget to ask for help – there are a lot of professionals that can help you with these tasks – event coordinators, event designers, caterers, and party rental consultants are all people who work on room design and seating arrangement issues everyday.

Happy planning!

Walk into most any department in Wal-Mart and you can find something that may be useful for a bride and groom and generally speaking, you aren’t going to find it cheaper anywhere else. In their jewelry department you will find a few inexpensive engagement rings and wedding bands and a generous selection of accessories and gifts for an entire bridal party. Cubic Zirconia tennis bracelets, simple anklets, heart shaped and “Journey” necklaces with earrings to match, will accessorize bridesmaids well without emptying anyone’s piggy bank.

In the party section you will find several rows of typical wedding supplies for much lower prices than most specialty stores. A good assortment of Favor boxes at 50 for $12 can easily be filled with a sweet treat found in their candy department. Want the kiddies-at-heart to have bubbles? 100 Ring Bubble Wand Favors are only $15. For the computer savvy they have invitation kits at unbelievable prices and for the home bakers they have most anything you would need to make your own wedding cake or cupcake tower.

If you venture into departments not often thought of as wedding related, you will locate some great “finds” for a celebration. Do some price comparison and you may find that it is actually cheaper to buy whole sets of dinnerware than to rent them from a typical party rental company. On a recent visit to a Wal-Mart store, I found glass dinner plates for $1.50 each. The nice thing about purchasing instead of renting is you will have a large collection for all your future celebrations.

Decorating weddings with $5 vases, filling them with homegrown flowers and surrounding the vases with $1 votive candles can make for simple and inexpensive centerpieces. Purchasing a gazebo or an arbor in their garden department will allow you to reuse it in your own backyard after it has been the centerpiece of your ceremony. You can also get multi-use out of other special décor like lanterns, firepits or outdoor furniture that help create a very chic and contemporary styled wedding.

Right now, when the Christmas department is just being set up, it’s a great time to look at white lights to swag on your head and cake tables (underneath tulle or iridescent material). Or purchase Christmas ornaments and pile them in a crystal bowl for an easy centerpiece anytime of the year.

Don’t forget the personal health and hygiene departments to make “Wedding Day Emergency Kits.” Band-Aids, Tums, Aspirins, mouthwash, hairspray, deodorant, nail repair kits, Kleenex and smelling salts are just a few of the items key to a good emergency kit. Add energy bars, nuts and bottled water from the grocery section and stain removers from the laundry supplies and your kit will begin to look like a pro made it.

If your schedule is crazy and feet are sore, do some of your shopping on-line at www.walmart.com. By creatively thinking outside the box – you can come up with a Wal-Mart Wedding that won’t break the bank but can still be a very special celebration with all the trimmings!