Ask the Experts: Wedding Seating Plans

Question: My parents are divorced and have both re-married. It's making the table plan really complicated for my wedding, any ideas on how to keep everyone happy?

Answer: This happens surpisingly often so firstly, don't panic! If it's a fairly small wedding and you're all on one big table, the trick is to evenly space the parents around the table. I'd suggest you pick the bridesmaid and best man to sit on either side of you and your new spouse and then have each 'set' of parents evenly space around the table.

For bigger weddings when you're looking at a top table and lots of other tables, I'd take an idea that a friend of mine had. You 'give' each important person in the wedding a table to look after'. Keep the top table for your closest friends, or the people that you don't see too often and actually really want to catch up with. Then suggest each parent or set of parents has their own table. This means that they can sit with the people they want to sit with (neighbours, aunts, uncles etc) and not anywhere near each other.

You could also give siblings tables to look after too if they want to feel more part of the wedding. Approach each 'head of a table' before the wedding and explain that you'd like them to take charge of a table so that the people on that table feel looked after and so that you and your new spouse don't need to worry about every single table. They'll feel like they're doing you a favour and won't have to sit awkwardly with their ex's new partner.