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How to Make Your Wedding Rehearsal Dinner Seating Chart

Working on your wedding rehearsal dinner seating chart? Here’s who should be sitting where at this pre-wedding event.

River Café

Your wedding rehearsal dinner is the party before the real party. It’s where your nearest and dearest will gather to hash out any final details and have a mini celebration before the big day. While the rehearsal dinner seating chart isn’t as important as the one you’ve made for your reception, it’s still a necessity. We’ve hashed out exactly where everyone should be sitting to make planning everything out just a little bit easier.

Here’s how to make your wedding rehearsal dinner seating chart.

Think about your venue

Before you get down to business, you’ll need to take a look a your wedding rehearsal dinner venue. If you’re having it at a restaurant or event space, pay attention to exactly how many tables there are and their orientation. You’ll also want to ask the venue coordinator or restaurant staff whether they can be reconfigured for your event. If you’re having it at your home, or at the home of a friend or family member, take a little time and draft your setup options and decide what’s right for you. Once you’ve sorted out where everything is (or will be) you can begin to create your rehearsal dinner seating chart.

Choose your seats first

Of course, you and your partner are the guests of honour, so you’ll want the best seats in the house. The two of you should have a good view of the entire room and should be able to easily speak to everyone at your dinner (providing you haven’t invited all of your wedding guests). This usually means you’ll be seated at the head of the table, but if you feel more comfortable being somewhere in the middle, go ahead and put yourselves there.

Rodney's Oyster House

Make your parents a priority

Your moms and dads should also be treated to some awesome seats. Ideally, they should be beside you or across from you. They’ll definitely want to give you some words of wisdom before your big day arrives, so make sure they’re not too far away.

Give your grandparents VIP seating

Next, you’ll want your grandparents to feel special. Seat them beside your parents and make sure they’re within talking distance. If they’re hard of hearing, you may want to consider seating them even closer to you than your parents. Pro tip: a restaurant with a private dining room may help with keeping noise levels manageable.

Take care of everyone else

Last but not least, figure out where your wedding party, siblings and any other family and friends you’ve invited will be placed in your rehearsal dinner seating chart. If you’re having multiple tables at your event, they’ll probably be seated at them. The head table and best seats are for the top tier VIPs!

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