When it comes time in your wedding planning process to begin mapping out a floor plan and seating chart for your reception, you will need to also determine if a head table or a sweetheart table is better suited for your celebration. While there are many benefits for both seating options for you and your new husband or wife, as well as your bridal party, one option is likely to stand out against the other. If not, your friends and experts here at Flora D’ Amore are breaking down the details, pros, and cons of these choices as well as offering more options to consider.
Head Table
Head tables are wonderful for those who love to make a statement and keep their bridal party together. It echoes a grand table in a royal dining hall set for the “queen and king” and their honorees. Incorporating a head table into your wedding reception gives you a larger table to design with your favorite flowers, centerpieces, and decor items as well. However, be careful that this table doesn’t get too crowded, especially if you plan to include dates or plus one’s of those in the bridal party.
Sweetheart Table
Soak in the beauty and magic of your wedding as you dine at a table for two with your new husband or wife. Sweetheart tables allow you to feel like you are on the most magnificent date with your love. In addition, your bridal party is sure to also feel relaxed and comfortable seated all together with their dates or at guest tables with their friends and family.
King’s Table
If you are looking for an alternative option, something fresh, or simply want everyone to dine together comfortably, then a king’s table might be the best option for your wedding reception. These very large tables are typically set up in the center of the reception and are set to accommodate not only the newlyweds, who sit in the middle, but their bridal party and families. While the theme of the day is bringing two families together, some couples enjoy being able to sit with their new spouse, new in-laws, parents, grandparents, and siblings or having more than enough room for the dates of their bridal party.
Another Alternative
Sometimes seating arrangements can be the worst part of wedding planning. However, if you are holding a small and intimate wedding, you might be able to opt for a freestyle wedding reception. This means that instead of traditional banquet tables or round guest tables, eclectic seating with a mix of both, high-tops with barstools, and lounges are available for guests to choose their own seats. If this is the path you and your fiancé want to go down, we highly suggest having buffets and/or cocktail servers passing out appetizers, tapas, and small plates.
Weighing the pros and cons of a grand head table versus a romantic sweetheart table can make for some sleepless nights. That’s why the wedding professionals and your friends here at Flora D’ Amore are happy to gently remind you that while the opinions of your bridal party and family are valued, this is your big day. With more options and routes to take to ensure your wedding reception is fun and reflects your own personal desires, we hope this eases your worries and alleviates the pressure of making this decision.