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You’ve planned an event to remember for your wedding day. From fabulous food and favors to the perfect décor and entertainment, you want your family and friends to have a great time. But many brides and grooms overlook how important the tables at the reception are to the guest overall experience, and one misstep can be the difference between someone having a blast or looking forward to going home. Before you put the final touches on your special day, take a look at these seven common wedding table mistakes to avoid.
Choosing centerpieces that are too tall
You don’t want to ruin your guests' experience by forcing them to talk to each other through a bunch of flowers, notes Joan Wyndrum of Blooms by the Box. Instead, she suggests opting for tall and slender containers with a style arrangement, or line the middle of the table with short vases and keep the flowers close to the top of the vase. "We also love when couples take their flowers up in the air with an incredible suspended installation," she says.
Setting up tables too close
Remember that tables need to be five to six feet from each other and from the wall. "Tables can be 3 feet from the edge of a dance floor," says Janice Carnevale of Bellwether Events.
Making table numbers hard to read
In a dimly lit room it can be challenging to see the table numbers, notes Aviva Samuels of Kiss the Planner. "If you want guests to find their seats quickly so that you can move on to the announcements and the rest of the formalities in a timely manner, a hard-to-see table number will slow that timeline down."
Placing older guests near the music
JoAnn Gregoli of Elegant Occasions by JoAnn Gregoli suggests keeping in mind the placement of speakers and making sure tables are not to the sides of them. "Place older guests furthest from the speakers," she says. "They have a difficult time holding any conversation with the speakers right on top of them."
Forgetting about guests in wheelchairs
Think about guests with mobility issues, says Lynne Kennedy of The Gilded Aisle. Make sure wheelchair-bound guests can easily get in-and-out of their place at the table. This also applies to those who need a walker. Make sure that person can pull the walker up next to their chair without having to uproot other guests.
Deciding on a singles table
Kennedy recommends not using your wedding as an opportunity to play matchmaker. "Unless it’s a group of single friends who normally socialize together, avoid the temptation of grouping strangers based solely on their relationship status," she says.
Mismatching guests
Avril Ewing of Avril Ewing Officiant & Celebrant recommends being midnful of who you seat next to each other. "Don't put a die hard conservative next to a die hard liberal!," she says.
