Wedding Reception Seating: Sweetheart Table versus Head Table
If you are planning your wedding, you will probably soon be faced with the question of where you and your new spouse will sit during the reception. Of all the thousands of decisions you make surrounding your wedding, this one can set the tone (and spark more decisions to be made), so I want to dive into the two options and what each means, if you’d like to know.
Sweetheart Table
Charise Photography via Deanna Nash Events
Literally, this table is for the two of you – the newlyweds, the sweethearts if you will. Typically, this table is placed in a central location where the two of you can be seen by most of your guests. This table allows you some privacy and intimacy in the reception space, and allows you a little space to enjoy your first dinner together as a married couple. That does not mean that guests will not approach your table to say hello, offer their congratulations and perhaps pose for a selfie with you. It just means you have a little piece of the reception to yourselves.
The Sweetheart table is an opportunity to splurge on special touches of design and décor solely focused on your table. Upgrading linens and flowers for every table may not be within budget, but adding those extra special details to the sweetheart table afford you the elevated look at a fraction of the cost.
If you prefer to be in the middle of all the action, then a sweetheart table might feel a bit isolated for you. Alternately, if you feel uncomfortable in the spotlight, this type of seating may not be the most comfortable for you as you may feel on display seated at a sweetheart table.
Head Table
The head table, on the other hand, means that you’ll be sitting with multiple people. Most often, those guests seated at the head table are the wedding party or family, or a mix of both. This seating option allows you to sit with those designated guests throughout the evening. The location of a head table is typically such that all guests can see you – imagine if you were on a stage, that’s the feeling a head table evokes.
One hallmark of a traditional head table is that wedding party members are all seated on one side of the table, facing out to the remainder of the guests. I personally feel this seating arrangement is highly awkward for those seated there, not only because conversation is limited to those seated on either side of you, but also, traditionally, spouses and significant others of wedding party members are seated elsewhere in the reception space. And, consider that seating a large wedding party on one side of a table requires a large enough space to accommodate an extra-long table.
Alternately, you could also place your head table right in the middle of your guest tables so that you are surrounded not only with those that are seated with you, but by your other guests as well. This type of table is often referred to as a feasting table, or a king’s table. Seating is arranged on both sides of the table, which promotes a more celebratory feel. Most often, significant others are invited to accompany the wedding party members in this seating arrangement, and family may be included as well.
Finally, if you feel most comfortable sitting with your immediately families, do so! If you have a small wedding party and want to include them, this seating arrangement is a lovely alternative that works best with smaller families and small (or no) wedding parties.
As with a sweetheart table, having any one of these head table seating situations also allows for upgraded décor to signify the importance of this table. It can either stand out amongst the other guest tables, or be decorated in a similar fashion to the other tables in the room.
In the end, it’s your wedding and you should choose a seating situation that best fits you, your style, your budget, and your vision for your wedding. As long as you are happy and having the best day of your lives, everything else is secondary.