Head Table: Seating Plan and Things to Consider

The head table is a very traditional part of most weddings. It can also be the source of a lot of tension. There is no right or wrong way to decide how you want to have your wedding dinner set up. There are however some traditional layouts that you might want to consider.

Traditional Layouts

1. The bride and groom sit in the center of the table with the bride on the groom’s left. The bridesmaids sit on the bride’s side starting with the maid of honor. The groomsmen sit on the groom’s right side with the best man next to the groom.
2. The bride and groom sit in the center of the table with the bride on the groom’s left. Her parents would be seated next to her with her father being beside her. The groom’s parents would sit next to him with his mother being on his immediate right.
3. The bride and groom sit in the center of the table with the bridal party and their parents sitting at opposite ends of the table. This can either be done in the boy girl format or by keeping the bride’s people on her side and doing the same thing on the groom‘s side.
4. Only the wedding party sits at the head table. The bride and groom in the centre with the best man next to the bride and the maid of honor next to the groom. The rest of the bridal party is then seated in boy girl order.
5. A sweetheart table is set up for just the bride and groom

Things to consider when planning your head table:

• How many people are in your bridal party?
• Do you have an equal number of bridesmaids and groomsmen?
• Are either the brides or groom’s parents divorced?
• Do the divorced parents have new partners?

There are many ways that you can diplomatically work around these problems. If there is not enough room at the head table for all the people you wish to include, then a sweetheart table might be the best option. Then ask each member of the bridal party to act as a host/hostess at other tables. You may wish to include the parents of the bride and groom in this request. You may also set up a family table at which both sets of parents will sit. The family table or first table may include any people you want, that you were not able to seat at the head table. Whether or not you have a seating plan for the rest of the room it is very important that you work out the details of the head table and family table well ahead of the wedding so that these people will know where they are expected to sit and with whom.