Texas Party and Wedding Planner

PURPLE PENELOPE

TABLE AND SEATING PLANNING

www.PurplePenelope.com

BANQUET SEATING: Guest are seated at predetermined places indicated by their place cards, then served at the table by a wait staff. The rule of thumb is to allow approximately 8 to 10 square feet per person. A 48-inch round table will seat 6 people comfortably; a 54-inch round table can accommodate up to 8 people. A 60- and 72-inch round table will seat 10 to 12 people. You should estimate about 4 to 5 feet between tables to allow for enough movement.

BUFFET SEATING: Guest will go through a buffet line, then take their meal to a pre-determined table location. Often drinks are served at the table. The above guidelines for Banquet Seating apply as to number of tables needed.

RECEPTION SEATING: Reception seating means limited tables and chairs. Usually the reception setup is in an area with a bar, a few cocktail tables, and a few lounge chairs. Guest generally stand and mingle. If you serve drinks and snacks, you don't need to be concerned with table size and numbers. You will need some tables for guest to sit down drinks and snack plates and you will need some chairs for older guest to sit.

THEATRE SEATING: Theatre style seating consists of rows of chairs set up in front of a speakers’ table or podium. This is usually used for workshops & seminars. It can also be used for wedding ceremonies in hotels. The chairs can be set up straight across or in a semi-circle. You will need at least 10 feet, and perhaps as much as 20 feet in front of the guest chairs to set up a wedding podium. You should allow 6 to 8 feet for isle space.

AFTER THE GUEST ARE SEATED: Let them help you create memories that will last a lifetime. Don't forget the pictures! Not everyone has a cell phone with camera built-in, and even if they do, they may not remember to pull it out. So, put disposable cameras at every table and invite your guest to capture their memories in film. Have a designated place for them to leave the used cameras so that you can be sure and get the photos timely. A bridal website is a great place to share memory photos from all the wedding events -- from the bridal shower through the reception -- and it's an easy way to allow your guests to pick only the photos they want to see. Oak Ridge Web Designs offers wedding websites at reasonable costs.