Sweetheart Table vs Head Table

Sweetheart Table vs Head Table

September 16th, 2011 @ 11:05 am by Mrs. Seal
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So remember how we have a ginormous wedding party, right? To refresh your memory, we’ve got: 10 bridesmaids, 10 groomsmen, 2 ushers, 2 flower girls and a ring bearer. Phew! Anyhoo, when it came time to deciding whether we’d setup a head table for the entire wedding party or a cozy sweetheart table for just the Sealman and I, the size of our wedding party definitely factored into that decision.

After meeting with our catering coordinator and going over the dimensions of our reception space, we were presented with a few options.

1. A (very) long, single-sided head table.

Like this, but longer.

Image via ArisingImages

Though I liked the idea of being surrounded by my wedding party, I didn’t like the thought of splitting up couples. As it’s physically impossible to fit a table long enough to include everyone and their date, quite a few of our party members would be separated from their significant other.

2. A long, double-sided head table (would enable us to keep couples together).

Image via Flowers by Denise/Photo By Colleen Rosenthal Photography

This option eliminated the issue of dividing couples but introduced a new problem: members of our wedding party would be seated with their backs to the rest of the room. If we were having all long tables, this may not have posed as such an obstacle in my mind, however, as our guest tables will all be rounds, I wasn’t keen on the idea. Firstly, I don’t want it to look as though we are alienating ourselves from our guests. Secondly, I don’t think our attendants would be thrilled about facing away from all the action.

3. The tiered approach.

Sweetheart Table vs Head Table : wedding decor reception san francisco Tieredt1 tieredt

Image via MJ Decorations

While this is surely a logical option—both aesthetically and financially it was not quite so desirable. For whatever reason, I’m not crazy about how this would look in our venue; add in the extra cost for renting risers and the thought of trying to climb in my wedding gown and you have a recipe for not gonna happen.

5. A table for two.

Image by Luster Studios

Image via PolkaDotBride/Photo by Jessica Claire

I’ve really fallen in love with the idea of a sweetheart table. Though I have no delusions of privacy for Mr. Seal and I, I do rather like the idea of being presented as a duo. So the Sealman and I, after reviewing all of the above options, have decided that this is the route for us.

Our sweetheart table will be situated in the center of the room, facing the dance floor. As we’ll be serving as a centerpiece of sorts for the room, I thought it would be reasonable to ask our florist to snazz it up a bit.

Image/Floral Arrangements via Enchanted Garden

So she’s going to create a similar arrangement (but in our colors of course) to the one in the photo above. The centerpiece of our table will be my sure-to-be-lovely bouquet.

I’m really looking forward to seeing how it turns out

Anyway, kids, what are you doing for your wedding? A head table? A sweetheart table?

Tags: decor, reception, san-francisco |

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33 Responses to “Sweetheart Table vs Head Table”

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Guest

Jessica

My husband and I did a sweetheart table (even though we had a super small wedding party). It was great just to have a table to ourselves and everyone to be with their dates.

9/16/11 @ 11:19 am (reply)

Member

RR (message) 3,234 posts, Sugar bee

Thanks for blogging about this! I think a sweetheart table will be our choice. I was actually thinking about having a sweetheart table with a small break and 2 small square tables on either side with our bridal party.

9/16/11 @ 11:22 am (reply)

Member

Future Mrs. Huban (message) 155 posts, Blushing bee

Sweetheart table all the way! I love the idea of a table just for the two of us. Will we have privacy? No. But it’s still boud to be romantic.

9/16/11 @ 11:23 am (reply)

Guest

Naturally Yours Events

I love the sweetheart table! Every wedding I have coordinated or been to, after dinner no one sits at the head table. It is just there empty and odd.

Great choice, it will be lovely!

9/16/11 @ 11:23 am (reply)

Guest

kate

I let the wedding party sit with their dates and their friends/family at whatever table made most sense for them. Then groom and I sat with our immediate family at a table. I think it’s more fun for the wedding party to be able to sit with their friends, etc. This is espeically true because you (bride/groom) will not be sitting at the table really at all during the night so you won’t get to see them even if they were at your table.

9/16/11 @ 11:46 am (reply)

Member

flurrsprite (message) 134 posts, Blushing bee

i really wanted a sweetheart table, but fi wants to hang out with everyone hahaha so he wants a wedding party table. plus, one of my gals doesn’t know anyone else at the wedding so she would rather be at a wedding party table and i don’t want her to feel excluded!

9/16/11 @ 11:52 am (reply)

Member

blurmeblue (message) 295 posts, Helper bee

I heard that the sweetheart table can feel lonely, but I can’t imagine splitting up my bridal party from their dates. Plus, I am not a fan of the long table–makes me feel like I’m on display in a shop. haha! In any event, I don’t think most people stay at their seats anyway. I think we’re going to do a sweetheart table.

9/16/11 @ 11:56 am (reply)

Member

Miss White Pearl (message) 195 posts, Blushing bee

sometimes, i feel like the bees on here read my mind and then answer my questions before i get up the nerve to ask them. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS POST!! this has been my focus for the past week and this is a great analysis. our venue is an 2-level open floor plan and the balcony floor overlooks the lower floor. beautiful, but a set-up conundrum. i think we’ll have a sweetheart table upstairs, where most of the seating will be… then we’ll have head tables in the downstairs portion. i’d never seen/thought of the tiered look but it’s lovely. i’m going to see if we can rent risers! that’d be so gorgeous!!

9/16/11 @ 12:19 pm (reply)

Member

latebloomer (message) 41 posts, Newbee

So weird! I’ve been trying to decide this very issue as well! Its funny the little details that seemed insignificant a month ago are now all I can think about Anyway, I have a medium sized bridal party - with 4 BMs, 4 groomsmen, 1 junior bridesmaid and one flowergirl. We are doing open seating for the rest of the guests but I think I will have a small cluster of tables reserved for the bridal party and immediate family…maybe I will just have a sweetheart table in its vicinity for me and the hubs? Still can’t make up my mind! Aah!

9/16/11 @ 12:36 pm (reply)

10.

Member

mrsbowieii (message) 692 posts, Busy bee

I love sweetheart tables but we decided on the first option but then again we only had 10 people including he and I.

9/16/11 @ 12:58 pm (reply)

11.

Member

NYCcaliBRIDE (message) 344 posts, Helper bee

Sweetheart table all the way. Most of our bridal party is married or has a significant other and I want them to be able to sit together.

9/16/11 @ 1:19 pm (reply)

12.

Member

Miss White Pearl (message) 195 posts, Blushing bee

@mrsbowieii: that’s the size of our bridal party too :- D did you include your party member’s dates at the head table, as well? if you didn’t, did you have alternate seating for the dates altogether?

9/16/11 @ 1:29 pm (reply)

13.

Member

MzSoon2b (message) 137 posts, Blushing bee

We have a large bridal party as well, luckily for us they are all couples. My future hubs wants some sort of head table but I dont like the long on sided table so we are doing a U shaped table.

9/16/11 @ 1:49 pm (reply)

14.

Guest

EnB2012

Thanks for the post. We’ll be having a small wedding party, but we are going for the sweetheart approach. My sister did this at her wedding and it helped a ton. I didn’t know very many of her friends (since she lives out of state) and she let me sit with my family and fiance….made me happy

9/16/11 @ 2:41 pm (reply)

15.

Member

HummusGal (message) 117 posts, Blushing bee

Sooooo I thought I had settled on the head table (mainly because FH seems to really want one), but now I’m second-guessing our decision! Maybe I’ll pick Mr.’s brain about it again! Thanks for the post, we’ll have to think about the layout of our reception venue to see a sweetheart table could, in fact, work! I think it’s, well… SWEET!

9/16/11 @ 3:28 pm (reply)

16.

Bee

Mrs. Teaspoon (message) 731 posts, Busy bee

Oh my goodness! I love the sweetheart table! So beautiful! We only had 2 on each side, so we went with a round table with our bridal party.

9/16/11 @ 3:38 pm (reply)

17.

Bee

Miss Porcupine (message) 428 posts, Helper bee

We have a big ol’ wedding party too so we’re doing the sweetheart table as well. Kind of nice to have a moment to yourselves (even if it’s literally just *A* moment) during the day.

9/16/11 @ 3:51 pm (reply)

18.

Bee

Miss Ladyfingers (message) 1,119 posts, Bumble bee

I just love sweetheart tables! That’s what we’re doing - I’d never seen one until last year. Maybe that’s weird, but I’ve loved them ever since. I’m sure in the right hands, the tiered approach would look lovely, but it reminds me of the 80s for some reason, the wedding party being up on a stage. Weird.

9/16/11 @ 3:57 pm (reply)

19.

Member

ADBK2011 (message) 759 posts, Busy bee

We are doing a sweetheart table. Our venue just offers round tables that sit up to 8 so this will work best for us.

9/16/11 @ 4:15 pm (reply)

20.

Guest

Heather

We did #2 and it was the best idea we had! It allowed all our wedding party’s SOs to sit with us and create a celebratory feel. I receive many positive comments about how wonderful and included the SOs felt. Our guests also commented about how wonderful it was that the wedding party wasnt on display.

9/16/11 @ 5:06 pm (reply)

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