Visualising your reception space is an important factor in getting the right balance and feel at your reception.
By creating a floor plan either by hand on paper or using a CAD plan, will help you see how the space will look and more importantly how YOU want it to look.
How you arrange your reception tables is just as important as determining where to seat your guests.
Below are a few useful tips for creating your floor plan…
♡ Thoughtfully locate your tables to allow good visibility and access for all your guests. They are there to see you, so make sure that you are seated somewhere where they can see you – That also goes for anyone who is giving a speech.
♡ Ask your venue or tent structure provider for room layouts and sizes as a starting point. They might even have a floor plan template you can use.
♡ Number or Name your tables clearly so that they are easily recognised on the seating plan for guests to find their seats and for your caterers so they now which table to serve.
♡ Consider what food you will be serving and what centrepieces/decor you will have on the tables. Sharing platters are fab and work well on long trestle tables but think about where the food will be served. You don’t want florals, foliage or candles getting in the way and getting crushed or having waiting staff balancing plates whilst trying to move props so that they can serve the food. Additionally, opt for either high or low centrepieces that are away from guest’s line of vision.
♡ If you have a marquee or tipi, don’t forget to think about where the poles are situated or if there are any sloping sides.
♡ Don’t forget to include any additional tables such as a cake table, guestbook table, gift table.
♡ Create a second floor plan if you are planning on moving furniture around for the evening reception to show how the space will look from day to night.
♡ Clearly label where the different areas will be such as the dancefloor, stage, toilets, bar area, photobooth etc..
♡ Show where the access points will be for your guests so that you will know what the first thing guests will see as they enter the space. Also include access points for caterers as they will usually be using a separate access to serve food.
♡ By creating a floor plan, it will help you design your seating plan more easily. You’ll be able to notify caterers if there are any guests with special requirements.
♡ If you are having a marquee/tipi, show on the floor plan where you will need power sockets placing. Speak to your suppliers who are providing entertainment and caterers/bar supplier what their power requirements are as they usually require multiple sockets.
♡ Share your floor plans with your suppliers so that they know where everything is, this will help make setting up easier and stop any last minute questions on the day for where things are placed.
♡ Not sure what table size to go for?
Below shows a brief guide to various table sizes…
ROUND TABLES
- 6ft Round will fit 10-12 guests
- 5.6ft Round will fit 8-10 guests
- 5ft Round will fit 6-8 guests
LONG TABLES
- 6ft Trestle table will fit 6 guests/ 3 seats per side (8 with one on each end)
As a wedding and event planner it comes as no surprise that we LOVE to plan. Visualising how your event will look is a key part of the planning process. We create floor plans of your event space and work with you, your venue to find the best style and layout.
During our site visits, we will measure up and map out the best possible layout and come up with numerous set-up options depending on your requirements and guest numbers.
Get in touch for more information on how we can help and support you on your wedding day.
