Photo: Julian Kanz
Creating a seating chart for your wedding reception can be a little tricky—you want your guests to feel comfortable at their assigned table and enjoy the company of their tablemates. So should you seat your parents and your groom's parents at the same table? Our wedding etiquette experts are here to answer your questions in our daily post.
I'm working on our reception seating chart. Should I seat my parents at the same table as my fiancé's parents? Or is it better to seat them at different tables?
Figuring out the reception seating chart is like putting a giant puzzle together—not an easy task. Traditionally, the bride's and groom's parents sit at the same reception table, along with the officiant and his or her spouse (if they attend the reception) and any grandparents. But some couples arrange for two parent reception tables, so that each set of parents can sit with more of their relatives (such as siblings) and close friends. You might also choose separate parent tables if your parents don't know each other very well, or if they've never met before and you don't want them to feel awkward (of course, depending on your parents, sitting together at your wedding might be a great introduction). If either set of parents is contributing to the wedding bill, consider asking them if they have a seating preference. Also, if either of your parents is divorced, you'll probably want to have each parent and his or her spouse host their own table.