Wedding Seating Plans (divorced parents)

How to arrange the top table when your parents are divorced.

The Top Table is usually the focal point at any wedding and where all the main people will be seated.  It can be a relatively straight forward matter but often it can be a little more complex and difficult need to be taken.

Traditional Top Table Layout

From left to right –

• Chief Bridesmaid
• Groom’s Father
• Bride’s Mother
• Groom
• Bride
• Bride’s Father
• Groom’s Mother
• Best Man

This all seems straight forward but what happens if the Bride’s parents are divorced and remarried or the groom’s parents or even both sets of parents.  This can then cause confusion and a potentially a huge problem.  How can you arrange everyone so that nobody is offended or feels neglected?

Lucky it has been generally accepted that there are alternative layouts you should use in situations.  This dissolves you of any decision making and helps avoid anyone feeling left out.

Bride’s Parents Divorced and Re-married

In this situation the following layout is considered to be correct –

From left to right –

• Bride’s Stepfather
• Chief Bridesmaid
• Groom’s Father
• Bride’s Mother
• Groom
• Bride
• Bride’s Father
• Groom’s Mother
• Best Man
• Bride’s Stepmother

Groom’s Parents Divorced and Re-married

If the Groom’s parents are divorced and re-married then the following layout is considered to be correct –

From left to right –

• Best Man
• Groom’s Stepmother
• Groom’s Father
• Bride’s Mother
• Groom
• Bride
• Bride’s Father
• Groom’s Mother
• Groom’s Stepfather
• Chief Bridesmaids

Both sets of parents divorced and remarried

In this situation the following layout is considered correct –

From left to right –

• Groom’s Stepmother
• Bride’s Stepfather
• Chief Bridesmaid
• Groom’s Father
• Bride’s Mother
• Groom
• Bride
• Bride’s Father
• Groom’s Mother
• Best Man
• Bride’s Stepmother
• Groom’s Stepfather

It is always a good idea to check with the wedding venue to see how many people they are able to comfortably sit at the top table.  It is not a good idea to squash people in if there is not enough room.  In this situation it may be a good idea to discuss the situation with your parents – you may find that they are happy to sit together without their new partners.