Party Planner

Size Up the Seating

How and if guests will be seated is one step in planning your party decorations. Be sure to avoid inviting more than your table or location can comfortably handle -- everyone remembers (usually with a tinge of pain) being relegated to sit at the "kid's table" during Thanksgiving dinner while the real action was going on at the "adult table" across the room. So, when planning your party, consider sizing up the seating as a preliminary step.

Seating Checklist:

1. How many guests will your current dining table seat comfortably?
2. How many guests have accepted?
3. How much space do you have in the room?
4. Can you do a buffet in place of a seated affair?
5. Do you have an outdoor living area such as a patio that could be utilized, weather permitting?
6. Will guests be able to move comfortably to socialize?
7. If servers are not used, is there enough space for drink or hors d' oeuvre stations?

Florists and caterers use a couple of simple solutions when working on a tough seating situation that will ultimately affect the presentation of their food or floral decorations.

1. Go Smaller:
   Use small tables throughout a space and seat all guests at the same size tables.
2. Go Taller:
   Turn the dining table on hand into a buffet table with standing guests.
3. Go Grand:
   Use plywood or a series of long tables to create a long table that seats many guests on both sides.

Once the business of bodies and where they will sit is solved, attention can be turned towards the decorations and the mood you want to create, the memories that your guests will take home long after you have kissed them all good night and washed the last dish.