Wedding planning can be exhausting, and one of the hardest parts is the seating chart. After worrying about where and how your guests will be sitting, some couples forget to seat themselves!

Choosing whether you want to sit close to your bridal party and family or on your own throne as wedding royalty can be a tough choice. The decision between a Head Table and a Sweetheart Table comes down to most couples’ preferences or logistics. If you and your hunny aren’t particularly swayed in one direction over another, here’s some detailed information about both options to help you decide.

Photographer: Plum and Oak Photography, Florist: Native Poppy.

Sweetheart Tables

A Sweetheart Table is exactly what it sounds like: a table meant for only the “Sweethearts,” aka the Bride and Groom. It will be one of the few designated places you and your significant other will be able to–frankly–escape the hordes of your adoring fans. There won’t be many moments over the course of the night where the two of you will be able to have private moments to yourselves, and having a designated seat away from the crowd might be exactly what you need.

Photographer: Elizabeth French Creative, Florals by a family member of the Bride.

A Remote Island Getaway

This table acts as a liferaft in the sea of your enthusiastic family members and will become your perching place for those few precious moments that nobody needs you for anything. Plus, everything on the table only comes in two’s, so you can afford to decorate! Without worrying about making 100+ copies of everything and buying in bulk, you can customize your special space all you want. Make it look like the table of your wildest dreams! (Or your wildest Pinterest boards…)

Photographer: By Amy Lynn Photography, Florist: KO Floral Designs.

No Need to Have Your Friends on a Leash!

Having your own table also grants your bridal party the freedom to mingle and pursue their own agendas throughout the night without feeling like they have to ask permission to leave the table. Most bridal party members will also be bringing a date, and they’ll want to be seated close to them. The Sweetheart Table keeps your honored friends out from under the spotlight and can entertain your other guests.

Photographer: Jordan Galindo, Florist: Layered Vintage.

It’s All About The Numbers.

Speaking of bridal parties, have you considered the size of your whole crew? Plus their dates? If you plan on seating only the designated bridal party with you, hopefully, their “Plus Ones” know somebody else to sit and talk with at their tables…

In general, extensive bridal parties tend to look a bit excessive if they’re all seated away from the rest of your guests at a Head Table. A group of people over twelve thick is tough to seat properly, especially if they’re all looking out in the same direction since you wouldn’t want anybody’s back to the rest of your guests. That can mean your head table is now around eighteen feet long! (If you want to talk to the ones at either end, start practicing your smoke signals now.) In this situation, unfortunately, those whom you wanted closest to you can end up not being the most remote.

Photographer: Gipe Photography, Florals by the Bride and Groom.

Musical Chairs

Think back to other occasions where a large group of friends and family got together at a restaurant. One of the biggest seating issues is making others have to get up or scoot their seats in every time you need to get up. Honestly, at your wedding, you only get to sit and relax for a total of about 45 minutes, if you’re lucky, and the toasts are long. You’re going to want every second of that seated peace enjoyed.

This seat-shuffling issue is removed by having a Sweetheart Table. It also makes you seem more approachable to your guests. Nobody wants to cause an inconvenience by imposing themselves on someone else’s space. By removing additional bodies, a direct line of traffic can form between your excited guests to you. Thus, creating a quicker flow of interactions and a more time-efficient process for the event overall.

Photographer: Shelly Anderson Photography, Florist: I Do Flowers For You.

Sentiments and Symbolism

Sitting at a Sweetheart Table can also be the first gesture a couple can make together in their married lives. It can signify that they are a single united entity forging a future path of their own. Many couples choose this option for that reason and the privacy it allows as well. Whispering sweet nothings in the ear of your freshly wedded spouse, without worrying about an audience, can keep the romance alive on such a crazy day.

Photographer: Lauren Scotti Photography, Florist: Siren Floral Co.

Still Can’t Decide?

With all of this said, the idea of a Sweetheart Table doesn’t sit right with some couples. They want their bridal party right at their sides, or they love the thought of a Head Table’s ability to make a bigger design statement.

Keep an eye out for Part 2 coming next week, where we’ll explore the other side of this decision and all the Head Table benefits!