If you follow our blog you’ll know I write regular features for Save The Date Magazine. This issue I have talked all about wedding table plans, coming up with your seating plan can be one of the hardest parts of planning the wedding. Read on for the rest of the article.

Oh no, who have they sat us with?!

Coming up with the table plan can be one of the hardest parts when planning your wedding, choosing where everyone sits while keeping them happy at the same time. As well as choosing where everyone sits you also have to choose how to display your seating plan, no doubt you’ve spent a long time styling the rest of your wedding décor, it’s worth having a think about how you want your table plan to look to keep in with the style of your day.

There is help out there

Top table planner is an online tool which helps you get your seating plan right. Adam from Top Table Planner shares his top 3 tips for arranging your seating plan.

1.  Start as early as you can. Arranging the seating is widely recognised as one of the most stressful parts of planning a wedding and it can take longer than you think.

2.  Tackle the top table first as this is often the trickiest. Certainly don’t feel you need to stick to the traditional layout – do what works best for you!

3.  Ask your venue if they can accommodate a few different sized tables. This can make arranging your seating plan a lot easier.

Once you’ve decided where everyone is sitting comes the fun part, you can choose how to display it.

Perhaps you have a theme?

For a rustic wedding hang your table cards from rustic flower pots filled with country flowers on wooden boards, a lovely look for a Summer wedding. This rustic table plan was styled by Passion for Flowers, photography by www.cottoncandyweddings.co.uk

For another rustic look chalkboard table plans are great, just get hold of a giant blackboard and write out your table plan, perfect for any last minute changes. Photography by Christian Ward Photography

For a vintage styled wedding displaying your table plan in a vintage suitcase can look wonderful, or have you thought of having a seating plan displayed like a washing line. Vintage suitcase by Dottie Creations, washing line from The Vintage Drawer

If you like to travel as a couple have you thought about naming your tables after countries you’ve visited, your table plan could be styled on a world map with luggage tags as the table cards. Maybe you met in London and have certain memories from different areas of the city, use a London Underground map as the base of your table plan and name tables after areas which mean something special to you. For example the area of your first flat, first date etc.

Try your hand at DIY

For a DIY look for your table plan use a cream wire frame with luggage tags as table plan cards. The luggage tags can be styled with vintage keys hanging from each card, symbolising the key that unlocks your future. All of these items are available from www.theweddingofmydreams.co.uk

Alternatively use lots of different photo frames and set them up on a table, place your table cards inside the photo frames and dot around a couple of single stem roses in bottles to finish off the look.

Numbers with a difference

Are you thinking of keeping it simple and numbering your tables, sometimes table numbers can be seen as a hierarchy. You don’t have to number from 1 to 10. Why not use numbers which mean something special to you both. For example, 2 – date you met, 6 – days until your honeymoon, 9 – years you’ve been together, 23 – date you were engaged