Alternative seating plans for top table?

Girls I'm sure I posted about this before but can't find the post to bump it! Maybe I didn't and was just thinking about it at 3am when I couldn't sleep! We have 12 at our top table as follows. Would love to see alternate seating plans that other people have used so I can have a look and see which one to suggest to my lot. After guest list problems to date, when it comes to the seating plan I really want us to be able to put a plan in front of people rather than (gulp) asking for suggestions!!!! Bride Groom Bride's parents x 2 Groom's parents x 2 Chief Bridesmaid Best Man 2 x bridesmaids 1 x best man 1 x priest My parents have already said they want to sit beside each other. No one wants to sit beside the priest. Of course no one is bothered whether that gives us a headache, they just want what they want! Anyway suggestions would be great, thanks! Particularly on whether bride & groom have a parent, an in law, or CBM / BM sitting beside them.

do wat ever u want.let your parents sit b'side each other if they want and then u need not worry that they'll be comfortable or not.ive a pain in my face worrying about my folks mixing well enuf with future inlaws that im giving up and am doing what i want.No top table.round tables and maybe even me and dh at one table and the rest can do what they like!!!!!having a bad day,can u tell!!!good luck!

As you say, nobody wants to sit beside the priest, but somebody will have to and you don't need to add this to the list of things you're already worrying about. If it were me, I'd do it like this, from left to right: Priest Grooms parents x 2 Best Man Groom Bride Bridesmaids Brides parents x 2 I'll be doing something similar and it's only for the meal after all, whichever one of the grooms parents are chattier, I'd put them beside the priest. Another thing I'm doing is not showing anybody the seating plan until the day of the wedding. And at that stage, if they don't like it, they can lump it!

Hi there grunge We had a round table as our top so not sure if I can help. We had parents beside eachother. BM beside me and best man beside DH. It helped that the priest was a bit of a laugh so no one minded sitting beside him! Didn't even really notice where everyone was until I sat down to eat TBH

Thanks Mrs. Blues Didn't realise til you posted that .... I have an extra BM so if priest doesn't sit beside H2Bs parents then table will be totally lopsided - and bride & groom have to be in the middle! It's just that my dad would be much more "religious" than H2B's dad....therefore I was surprised at this sudden insistence from my parents that neither of them wanted to sit beside the priest. Grrr I mean they know they're more religious than H2B's parents AND they insisted they wanted to sit together which means I couldn't put one beside me and one on the other side. It's great how people insist on what they want and aren't bothered whether that causes you a headache or not! As for not showing the table plan til the day, well I might have to show people before that in case there's some major faux pas that I don't know about, but I really do feel that people should just accept the plan and not try to chop and change - becuase if they want to move elsewhere, that forces other people to move etc etc ARGH! I wonder what H2B's dad would say if he's put beside the priest? H2B's dad is a jolly sociable man but not really chatting to a priest material. Then again he'd chat to the wall so maybe he wouldn't mind. Sitting beside the priest seems to be the booby prize - no one wants it - and I feel bad asking anyone to sit beside him but c'mon, he has to be there......someone's gotta do it and it can't be me!

Thanks girls. I hadn't even considered an alternative seating plan for the norm but now I think I will leave my parents sit together. My parents dont know my h2b's parents very well and although they would chat away, my h2b's parents are very quiet and would be happier together I would think! Anyway, its the most important day of my life and I want my parents by my side (separated only by 2 BM's). I am soo happy now. Everyone will be beside someone they know and nobody will be stressed out! Thanks Wollies

Why does the priest have to be at the top table at all? I'm sure he'd be just as happy at any other table - sit him beside a guest ur not really bothered about

Can I throw a spanner in the works here? We had a circular top table, just like the rest of the circular tables, only centred in the middle of the reception room. On it we had Bride & Groom Best Man Best Lady & husband Best friend & partner Best friend & parner Each family also had their own personal table of a sort, and it all worked perfectly, and with our best friends on our table, we had a brilliant time!

[quote="Moncai":1el6hag4]Why does the priest have to be at the top table at all? I'm sure he'd be just as happy at any other table - sit him beside a guest ur not really bothered about [/quote:1el6hag4] Naughty Moncai! I doubt I'd get away with that. Problem is NO ONE wants to sit beside the priest but because my dad acts all holy and has been on parish committees and all sorts, you would THINK he wouldn't object to sitting beside a priest for dinner. I couldn't believe it when my mother said neither of them wanted to sit beside him. Seems a bit selfish really. But to be even he should be on the groom's side... ARGH. Bride and groom have to be in the middle but no one on groom's side will want to sit beside priest either. I don't know what to do! I've asked H2b by mail whether his father would object - I know he will think "yes" and plus after hassle with in laws H2B won't want to go back to his father and say "oh by the way you're sitting beside the priest" cos he'll think that's adding insult to injury (IN THEIR MINDS ONLY) as FMIL already not happy that she didn't get all the guests invited that she wanted. I repeat, ARGH. Why is nothing straightforward? Any other suggestions wollies? Siobod, I'd NEVER get away with not putting our parents at the top table - they are absolutely expecting it. Mind you FSIL didn't at hers, but then hers was abroad.

Maybe I am just a goody two shoes, but I think its very sad that people are so disrespectful to the priest. Without him, you wouldnt be married at all. No-one is asking people to stay to hang out with him for the night, a couple of hours will hardly kill someone! Chances are that the priest is lovely, but people cant be bothered finding out. I have been on the top table at 3 weddings and organised 100's when I was a hotel manager and I know that the top table isnt the table with the best craic so regardless of who you are beside, it won't be the laugh of your life! Spare a thought for the priest who has to sit beside someone that he mightn't want to sit beside either!