Wedding Wednesday: What the heck is a "King's Table"?

Happy Wednesday everybody!  I promise I will get some recipes and home improvement posts up here soon, the summer has just been very busy.  In the meantime, I will continue to regale you with tales from the crypt  of marriage ;).

First and foremost, I want to give an early "Happy 1st Anniversary" shout out to my wonderful husband, whom I love very much!  I don't know that I will have a Wednesday post next week due to the holiday, and I can't believe it has been almost a year since our wedding!

So where was I?  Oh yes, what the heck is a "King's Table"?

When it comes to your wedding, you will have many table arrangement options, particularly for the wedding party.  Today we will be discussing the pros and cons of each (for wedding party and guests).  This is not an exclusive list, I'm sure there are other options, these are just the most common I've seen.  Advanced warning that I am quite biased as to which is the best, we decided to go with the King's Table.

Wedding Party Seating Options:

Option #1: Standard head table seating

Description: Typically a banquet style table or 2 with bride, groom and wedding party sitting on one side, facing out into the room, sometimes placed on risers to make the party stand out even more or to provide a tiered effect if 2 tables are used.

Pro 1: You and your wedding party will be on display for everyone to watch.
Con 1: You and your wedding party will be on display for everyone to watch.

This one can be a pro or con, depending on how much you like to be in the spotlight.

Pro 2: All of your wedding party can fit at a single table or at maximum 2 tables.  You will be surrounded by all of the people in your party.
Con 2: There often isn't room for the wedding party's dates.  The dates are frequently seated at a nearby table.  This may not seem like a big deal to you, but someone's date likely doesn't know anyone else and is quite uncomfortable without their other half.  If you do choose to go with this option, try to leave room for your party's dates.

Pro 3: By having so many people around you, you will limit the number of people that come up to you to talk during dinner.  You will, hopefully, have a chance to eat some dinner.
Con 3: If you want people to visit your table, it may be intimidating to guests to approach.

Again, this can go either way depending on how you want dinner to run.

Option#2 Sweetheart Table

Description: A table for 2, just you and your sweetheart, usually flanked by round tables for people in the wedding party and their dates.

Pro 1: You will get to spend some much needed time taking in your reception with your new spouse.  The wedding and reception can go by quickly.  This provides you a way to get a few minutes alone to talk about how cool it is that everyone you love is in one room.
Con 1: Because you are alone, people can feel disconnected to you.

Pro 2: You will be able to set up the table anywhere in the room.  It is much easier to place a table of two somewhere in the room than a large banquet table.  This can allow more unique room configurations
Con 2: If you place the sweetheart table too far from guests, you could feel disconnected from your guests.

Pro 3: You will be served first and you can make requests that food be left on your table instead of cleared like everyone else's place settings.
Con 3: You won't have your bridal party there to help you out.  My MOH helped me get in and out of my chair with my dress while my husband pulled out the chair, as well as helped me change my shoes under the table.

Pro 4: Because it is just the two of you at your table, people will want to come up and talk to you.
Con 4: Because it is just the two of you at your table, people will want to come up and talk to you.

Again, depends on your perspective on this one.

Option #3 King's Table
Description: Rectangular table with wedding party (and dates) OR bride and groom's family sitting all around the table.  We chose this option and to allow for easier toasting, we didn't place anyone opposite us on the table.

Pro 1: It is kind of a combination of a standard head table and a sweetheart table in that you can be surrounded by your wedding party but it provides seating for all the wedding party's dates without having to have a gigantic head table.
Con 1: It doesn't provide the intimate feel that a sweetheart table does.  You can obviously talk to your new spouse, but the table is most conducive to many conversations, and you may want to get involved in the conversations others are having.

Pro 2: If you don't like the limelight, having people on both sides of the table provides a bit more of a shield from everyone staring at you while you eat.
Con 2:  If you like the limelight, you may not be as much on display as a standard head table, and you likely will not be able to use risers.

Pro 3: When you and your new spouse get up to "work the room" and greet your guests, everyone else at the table can still have normal conversations since people are sitting on both sides of the table.
Con 3: If you want people to visit your table, it may be intimidating to guests to approach.

Pro 4: Since it is just a longer rectangular table, it can still be placed in several locations in the room (usually).  It typically is not nearly as long as a standard head table because you can wrap and have people sitting on all sides of the table.
Con 4: I'm out of cons :)

I liked the King's table because it felt much more intimate than a standard head table, but it also provided a more connected experience than a sweetheart table.  Mr. Bear and I are close friends with all of our wedding party's dates so it was also nice to get to sit with them and catch up after the ceremony (many came in from out of town and we don't get to see them often).

Guest Seating:

There are two main types of tables that I've seen used during weddings.  The most common is the round table, usually consisting of 8-12 people per round (depending on the size).

At more recent weddings, I've also seen long rectangular tables, banquet-style, or a combination of round and rectangular.

Round Tables:
Pros: 

• More conducive to conversations among guests.  Guests are not just limited to talking to people directly on either side of them.
• Only one centerpiece needed for each table
• The center of the table is out of the way of anyone's reach.  (They will not even be able to reach across to pass the salt and pepper, so there is no way they are going to accidentally ruin your centerpiece by passing things during dinner)

Cons:

• If in a smaller space, you will be limited to the number of people you can seat in the room.
• Not as trendy.  Banquet tables are very trendy right now.
• If the round is too large, it can be hard to have a conversation with the people directly across the table from your guests.

Rectangular Tables:
Pros:

• Many more guests can fit at each table and in smaller spaces
• Guests will be closer to the people directly across from them, providing easier conversation with those guests

Cons:

• Less ability for guests to talk to people not in their direct vicinity
• Multiple centerpieces will be needed for each table
• Rectangular tables are usually narrower than rounds.  It is very possible that the centerpiece could get knocked over when someone is passing the salt to the person across from them
• Less elbow room.  Rounds inherently provide more arm room for guests because they essentially have a pie-shaped slice of the space around the table (wider on the outside and narrower as you go in).  When you sit directly around a table, you have to make sure to leave enough arm room for each guest.

Whatever arrangement you end up providing, please just keep your guests' comfort and your wedding party's (and their dates') comfort in mind.  Weddings are a social event, people want to be able to talk and catch up with friends and family they don't see very often.  Make sure that whatever you end up doing it is what works for you as a couple but also allows your guests to enjoy themselves.

-Danielle