Sweetheart Tables vs. Head Tables | Pt. 2

Royal Throne or Party Table?

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 preference and logistics, but if you and your honey aren’t particularly swayed in one direction over another, here’s some detailed information about both options to help you decide.

In Part One of this topic, we discussed all the perks of a Sweetheart Table over a Head Table. Now it’s time to fully explore the benefits of this grand feasting table design to see if it’s right for you!

 

Head Tables: For Your Knights and Ladies In Waiting

As mentioned before, Head Tables can come with their own difficulties, but with an appropriately sized bridal party, they can be a perfect fit! Medium to small-sized bridal parties (4-10 people total, including the Bride and Groom) are what Head Tables are literally built for.

Photographer: Photo by Chana and Don, Florist: Splendid Sentiments.

Modeled After “High Tables” from Medieval Feasts!

Royalty kept only the most trusted people close to them at meals. Without getting too into the history, it was a matter of safety and propriety, which determined where guests were seated. So today, we seat those that the Bride and Groom want to honor closest to them for their friendship and loyalty in their lives. Usually the Best Man and Maid of Honor, these people have helped support the happy couple throughout their relationship and wedding planning mayhem. Placing them next to the newlyweds as a way to honor them give them the thanks they deserve seems only natural.

Photographer: Photography by Joshua Killeen, Florist: The Flower Shop Encinitas.

Family Matters

Family is an enormous part of weddings, and we wouldn’t want anybody to feel left out. Some couples stick everybody who was part of the processional of their ceremony at one table. Meaning the happy couple, the bridal party, all parents, and any other significant members all come together again, essentially creating an XXL Head Table. Here the love birds can be in the thick of all the fun, and surprisingly, it works out flawlessly! Their bridal party, full of people practically family to them already, is sometimes too big. It makes sense to be with them in the middle of the festivities. Your family and closest friends are all going to want to talk to you anyway; you might as well join them so everyone can be able to sit and chat!

Photographer: Vafa Photography, Florist: Haystack Floral.

Tired Of The Spotlight?

Let’s say you don’t particularly care for the spotlight 100% of the time, and you want to be seated with your family. We suggest trying a Family Table. Introverted and family-focused couples love this option, especially when so much stimulation over the course of the day gets to be too much. The extra support you’ll receive surrounded by those already begging at the chance to help will be a relief. This option is also smart for pinching a few pennies since you won’t need to order extra tables and decorations!

Photographer: Gipe Photography, Florist: Huntress Florals.

Now that you have all the information, good and bad points, make a choice!

Just remember to be true to what you and your significant other want.

 

Thanks to all of the amazing photographers mentioned above, whose pictures we used to make this collaboration, and all the Florists who help inspire us with these beautiful arrangements!

Maddie + Matt | Vee Taylor Photography

Inspirational DIY Boho-Chic Wedding!

 

 

Matt and Maddie had a gorgeous fall wedding here at the Ranch, and we loved all the intricate DIY details they incorporated into their special day!

 

 

These lovebirds were the perfect couple to get married here, and they were so kind as to answer some follow-up questions we had about their special day!

 

 

What was the inspiration behind your day? Did you have a specific theme, style, or color palette?

Maddie: “We were inspired by the bohemian beauty of Leo Carrillo and Southern California sunsets. We wanted our wedding to be fun, have a lot of texture and color, and be full of details that represented our guests and us!”

 

 

Maddie:We incorporated a range of terra cotta, light pinks, and pops of yellow and white throughout, as well as palms and pampas grass!”

 

 

How did you decorate your space for the ceremony and the reception? Was any part of the decor DIY?

Maddie: “We had such a blast designing with our amazing florist KO Floral Designs! Leo Carrillo is so effortlessly beautiful, so we wanted to just highlight and play off of the character at the Ranch.”

 

 

Maddie: “We wanted to focus our ceremony décor on the tree by using a garland with palm fronds and pampas grass.”

 

 

How did you meet? Tell us about the proposal.

Maddie: “Matt and I met when we were 15 years old in high school biology class! We started dating shortly after and have been together ever since! Fast forward ten years, and Matt decided to surprise me with a day of all my favorite things. He took me on a scavenger hunt around all my favorite places in LA and ended the night with a surprise in Malibu. We hiked to the top of a mountain and at the top, he lined the path with candles and rose petals and had a “will you marry me” sign, then he quickly got down on one knee and proposed!”

 

 

Tell us about your wedding!

Maddie:At our ceremony, we included a wine box tradition, where we included letters to each other that we will read at our first anniversary, and replace every year to reflect on our relationship grew over the years.”

 

 

What was the most anticipated or special moment of your wedding day?

Maddie: “We loved our ceremony!! It was so emotional and fun, and really captured our love for each other (we thought we wouldn’t cry…and we all cried a ton!)”

 

 

After this heartfelt ceremony, guests were encouraged to move down to the reception area for the rest of the evening’s festivities!

 

 

Personal Touch Dining worked in collaboration with the newlyweds to whip up some fun signature drinks!

 

 

Cam Ham Photo Booth delighted guests with their vast array of photo props and instant prints to take home!

 

 

Maddie: “We also incorporated a ton of DIY projects, such as:”

  • Our seating board
  • All of our signage
  • Our custom laser-engraved coasters with each guests’ name
  • Our table numbers
  • Custom dyed table runners
  • Our laser-engraved cake topper

 

 

We were in awe of this gorgeous and unique seating chart!

It’s such a personalized touch that makes guests feel special for seeing that bit of extra effort for them.

 

 

Every guest just needed to find their customized antiqued polaroid to find their seats.

Imagine looking up pictures for every guest!

 

 

Maddie: “For the reception, we wanted everything to look warm and blend with the sunset. One of our favorite décor items were our peacock chairs during our reception!”

 

 

The Grand Entrance, after some romantic sunset pictures, was immediately followed by the First Dance!

 

 

We love this shot by Vee Taylor Photography!

It visibly shows the tidal wave of love a Bride and Groom receive from their friends and family when they’re announced as Husband and Wife.

 

 

Always such a beautiful moment!

 

 

As soon as the Bride and Groom sit after their first dance, Personal Touch Dining offers them their tray of appetizers.

That’s when our Event Coordination Team plates-up their dinners for them, so they can take a minute to relax.

 

 

Maddie: “Matt and his groomsmen and friends also choreographed a dance for the wedding, and it was such an epic moment! It was such a fun and exciting part of the day, and our guests loved it!”

 

 

Bill Calhoun Mobile Music took over for the rest of the evening, always keeping the dance floor grooving!

 

 

This adorable Couple’s Cake had the customized cake topper mentioned earlier!

Personal Touch Dining made sure to have plenty of other desserts for the hungry guests to nibble on.

 

 

Here we see Red Velvet Cake Shooters, Cannolis, and Churros with whipped cream and chocolate sauce, all made fresh on-site!

 

 

What were some of your favorite parts of your wedding?

Maddie: “Ahhh – all of it!! Haha, we absolutely loved every part of our wedding, from our awesome vendors and décor to our fun-loving guests, to the music, and the amazing food  – everything was even better than what we had envisioned! We had so much fun dancing with family during the reception and loved getting to sneak away for romantic sunset photos!”

 

 

Do you have any wedding planning or marriage advice that you’d like to share with other couples planning their day?

Maddie: “The advice out there is true! The day goes by so quickly, but you will have memories for the rest of your life. So, prioritize what will bring you and your partner joy as you celebrate the beginning of your future together! Having an amazing vendor team makes all the difference!”

 

 

There aren’t enough words to properly thank this gorgeous couple for including us on their special day!

We loved working with them and wish them nothing but the best in their future together!

Huge thanks also to our phenomenal team of vendors who helped us put together another dream wedding!

Special acknowledgment to Personal Touch Dining for their multiple roles and faultless commitment to our clients!

 

Vendors

Bill Calhoun Mobile Music

KO Floral Designs

Vee Taylor Photography

Reel Thread Films

Cam Ham Photo Booth

Personal Touch Dining: Catering, Venue Management, and Event Planning/Coordination

Invitation Designer: Bride DIY

Men’s Attire: Kenneth Cole, the Tie Bar

Dress Store: Ellie’s Bridal Boutique Alexandria

Jewelry: Bride – custom ring made out of family heirloom, Groom – Grandfather’s wedding band

Bridesmaid Dresses: Lulus

Dress Designer: Essence of Australia

Hair: Hair by Jordan

Makeup: Makeup by Nancy J

Carly + Albert | Swan Photography | Southern California Event Venues

South African Ranch Recreation!

Albert and Carly were a wonderful couple who brought an impressive number of their guests all the way from South Africa!

Carly and her Bridesmaids finished getting ready in our welcoming little bridal suite…
…and then went exploring with Swan Photography, a destination wedding photography husband and wife team, to find some priceless photo-op. spots!
All of the gorgeous floral arrangements were from the talented Flowr Box Designs and we love those bright pops of fuschia and peach!
The Groomsmen also got ready separately here at our Ranch and the photographers coordinated to make sure the Bride and Groom couldn’t sneak any peeks of each other before the ceremony!
These guys kept us all in stitches and the whole day was bursting with love and laughter.
The Ceremony was serenaded by the melodious Nick Weiss, one of our favorite DJs here at the Ranch, and he couldn’t have looked more at home!

Gotta make sure we included “The Glow” or “We Did It” shot!

This thoughtful and fun customized sign from Carly and Albert had some very important translations to make sure there were no language barriers during the rest of the festivities!
Here we see more of Flowr Box’s magic down at the reception site!
The dining area had a simple layout and a clean and soft tablescape with lots of cornflower blue and white.
Carly looks stunning poised in front of our beautiful bougainvillea.
After an adorable and lively first dance, Albert and Carly got to sit and enjoy dinner!
Personal Touch Dining served the happy couple’s choice of Mediterranean Chicken and Marinated Grilled Tri-Tip with Wild Rice Pilaf and Fresh In-Season Veggies.
After dinner, everyone joined the love birds on the dance floor!
A quick break from dancing allowed the cake, from Flour Power, to be cut and churros freshly fried on-site, by Personal Touch Dining, to be available instead of cake for the rest of the guests.
We just wanted to thank Carly and Albert for choosing to spend their special day with us here at the Ranch!
We loved working with them and their family and wish them all the best in the years to come.
Special thanks to all of our wonderful vendors mentioned above as well!
The night couldn’t have gone so smoothly without you all.
Special thanks to Personal Touch Dining who Manages, Caters, and Coordinates all our Events!

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