Who Should Sit On The Top Table At A Wedding?

Good Afternoon Lovelies, today we are bringing you one of the most asked questions when it comes to wedding planning "Who should sit on the top table at a wedding?". If you are planning your wedding for the very first time, or even have planned a wedding before, it is still a question that will feel like a stressful task. However, it doesn't need to be stressful, here's our blog post on who should sit on the top table at a wedding...

Top Table Position?

When it comes to who should sit on the top table at a wedding, the first thing you may want to consider is where the top table should be positioned. You want to position your top table in the best location that allows your guests to view you. We often try to position the top table facing the stage/bar area where possible. Basically where the evening entertainment is going to be, so that if you want to sit down again, you can with full view of everything. It can't always be that way if your tables need to be repositioned in a room-turnaround, however you can speak with your venue or wedding planner in regards to the best options.

Traditional or Non-Traditional?

This is the common question with a lot of our couples that come to us. Do you go for a traditional top table or a non-traditional and what are the differences?

Firstly, with traditional weddings, the newlyweds go in the centre of the table with their parents either side. The final two places are for the best man and maid of honour. Traditionally you will have a long top table in front of your guests so everyone can see you.

Non-traditional is more popular with a lot of our couples. Weddings are no longer a formal affair and more of a relaxed celebration of your love for one another. Who should sit on the top table at a wedding that is more non-traditional? It depends where you have the top table. What we mean by this, is whether you choose to have a main longer table seated in front of your guests, or if you choose to place your table within your wedding floor plan. It is very common to have either a round table in the centre of your guests, or to be seated in the middle of banquet tables.

Family or Friends?

A difficult question again when it comes to who should sit on the top table at a wedding. Do you choose family only or just have your friends? It's a total personal preference and it's ultimately what you want as a couple. The questions you need to ask yourself are "Would your family be happy being split up?" "Will this cause some drama within your family as some members may feel left out". If any of these questions are occurring then we would say, remove all of your family members and only have friends.

We see a lot of couples choosing their friends to share their top table as it's a more fun vibe that you get within the wedding breakfast. You want everyone to be enjoying themselves, and sometimes, it's just that much easier to allow your family to sit on another table so they can chat with one another. It gives you that slight break to have a bit of fun and relax.

Children?

We always advise our couples to place children with their parents wherever possible or a family member that they are close to. Double check with parents before confirming your table plan as if they are due to sit on your top table, they may want to be moved. A lot of parents will be flexible and go with whatever you would like, but it's always polite to check.

Sweetheart Table?

If you are struggling to decide on anyone at all and it is just getting too stressful, we highly recommend looking into a sweetheart table for your wedding day. What is a sweetheart table? A sweetheart table is a smaller table for just yourselves as a couple. It gives you a breather during the wedding breakfast to enjoy one another company, whilst all your guests enjoy being at their tables. We are seeing this more and more with weddings across next year with a definite demand for them. We do believe this is because it stops anyone getting upset by not being on the top table, plus it gives you some time to enjoy each others company.

No Top Table?

If all else fails, go with the no top table option. You don't need to have a top table when it comes to being seated for your wedding breakfast. Gone are the days of being traditional, this is a new era and couples are doing whatever they want. Why? Because it is your wedding! There is no set rule book when it comes to planning your wedding table plan, you can choose to sit wherever you want that allows you to enjoy your special day.

We hope we have answered all of your questions for you, if you need any help you can always email hello@illyelizabethweddings.com or view more on our packages at www.illyelizabethweddings.com

Photo Credit | Photo 1 - Unsplash | Photo 2 - Jessica Lily Photography | Photo 3 - September Pics |