Seating arrangement conundrum

So, I started to have a think about the seating plan for our wedding breakfast, and oh my goodness it is TRICKY!

Having to squeeze 80 guests onto tables is hard enough, then there’s family groups, friendship groups, arguments within groups, “so and so wont sit with bla bla – they hate each other” and the old age phrase “traditional”.

The top table itself is hard enough to organise; in our wedding party there is 13 people. But the width of our venue will only allow for tables to seat 10. So do I go for Mr M and myself and just our parents? Or do I go for Mr M and myself, plus Bridesmaids and Groomsmen?

Apparantly (according to my Mum), the top table should be the married couple and their parents. No offence to our lovely parents, but I think I’d prefer to sit with those we’ve especially chosen to be a part of our wedding (Bridesmaids and Groomsmen). It’d also be easier for the Best Man to do his speech if he was sitting at the top table; if he was sitting with his friends, he’d have to cross the room to get to the front, which is a bit of a faff.

But anyway, the top table still needs deciding upon, so I’ll leave that for the moment.

Then there’s the other 70 guests. And here’s my problem.

My friendship groups are very small, and none of the groups know each other. Mr M’s friendship group on the other hand is very very big, everyone knows each other, and the group is rapidy expanding where babies are being created. This pattern is also mimicked with family. So this poses problems; some of my tables for guests are quite small, whereas the tables for Mr M’s guests couldn’t fit enough people round them, so his groups are having to be split.

Oh. My. Goodness.

Its tiring me out just thinking about it!

We are presuming here that all the guests we’ve invited will actually say yes to coming; if anyone cant make it, then I’ll have to have another think about possible seating arrangements!!

I’ve given the draft version of the seating plan to Mr M to have a look over for me, so I’m sure he’ll find a load of things that need changing because of ‘so and so, and bla bla’….