How to Plan Your Wedding Reception Layout and Floor Plan

No matter where you’re having your wedding reception, whether at an art gallery, a hotel, or a tent on your parents’ lawn, you’ll need to figure out a floor plan for your wedding reception setup. Deciding how to place the dance floor, tables, stage, and bar(s) will have a major impact on the flow of the evening, and it is important to ensure that you organize the space in a way that adequately utilizes and showcases the venue.

"Strategic layout is essential to the success and flow of your event," explains wedding planner Layne Povey. "Ensuring that you have enough space between tables for both guest comfort and service is extremely important, but making sure that you are still creating an intimate space that doesn’t feel like a banquet is how your event comes to life." 

You will need to take into consideration multiple factors and orchestrate the best strategy for not only optimizing the event space but also ensuring guests will interact with each other and participate in the festivities. Movement, visibility, and accessibility are the major elements to be mindful of. The layout and seating arrangement that you decide should allow guests to move about freely and have a good view (and photo angle!) of the major events scheduled.

"Even with large guest counts you want to make sure that your event feels like an intimate dinner space," adds Povey. "No one wants to feel like they are eating in a dining hall." Also, take into consideration if any of your guests have additional needs in terms of accessing certain points and see to addressing these in the floor plan.

We know how daunting this may seem, so we delved deep into the situation and—with some expert guidance—discovered a few tips for where to start.

Where to Start

The ideal reception layout accounts for guests being able to move about freely. It creates enough space for unobstructed traffic flow to essential areas like bathrooms, exists, bars, the dance floor, or a buffet if there is one—no one wants to ever have to weave through a maze (especially after a few drinks). Visibility of main attractions, such as the newlywed and bridal party entrances, the first dance, and toasts, is also key. These should be visible to everyone. Consider elevated seating if necessary and don't forget the kid's table if need be. Also, be mindful of your decor choices. "Keeping continuity in your decor decisions is so important when working with unique table arrangements," says Povey. "If you have too much going on the guests won’t know where to stop their eye to enjoy your design, and it can feel hectic. Harmonious design helps to connect a unique layout."

Place the Dance Floor and Stage First

With the dimensions of the room on hand, decide where you’ll put the dance floor. But how big of a dance floor do you need? "Typically, you take the number of guests and divide that in half, which is usually the number of people you will have on the dance floor at any one time," explains Povey. "You take that number and multiply by 4.5 and that tells you how many square feet of dance floor you need."

She goes on to mention that this is a very scientific approach and is best used as a guide for establishing the minimum size. "If you know you have a lot of dancers, make that dance floor as big as you can," she adds.

An established venue (think, hotel ballroom) will often have good layout suggestions, but if you’re working with a venue that doesn’t host many weddings, you may have to come up with your own ideas. The two most popular options for a rectangular room are to either center the dance floor lengthwise, with the dance floor and stage for the band or DJ against one of the room’s long walls (this is usually directly across from the entrance), or to place the dance floor at one end of the room, centered and backed up against one of the room’s short walls. Make sure the dance floor or stage doesn't create a hurdle for guest mobility, as you want to encourage guests to move around the space and interact with one another.

How to Select the Tables

Before you fill in the floor plan, decide what shape and size you want for your tables. Will you and your partner be at a sweetheart table, or will you be joining your wedding party at a longer head table? Either way, make sure the two of you are in a central location that most of the guests can see—and with a great view of the band (if you choose to have one). Then decide if your guests will be at round, square, or rectangular tables, and determine how many guests can fit at each table (which will help you figure out your total table count). "When we are choosing a table size we think about the guest count, space, the tabletop decor that needs to fit, and the type of food service," says Povey. "Guest experience is always the most important factor. We always want your table to be stunning, but the level of service will be affected when the appropriate room for glassware, chairs, and plates isn’t accounted for." 

How to Arrange the Tables

Now that you know what kind of tables you’ll be using, lay them out. Put yourselves in the best seats in the house, whether that means giving the head table the greatest view or setting the sweetheart table immediately opposite the dance floor from the band. The newlyweds should always be positioned so that they are facing their guests. From here, try to arrange tables as symmetrically as possible. They can form a U-shape around a dance floor, be centered along a long wall, or fill one end of the space if the dance floor is at the far end.

"Always take into consideration any specialty items that might factor into your space, such as photo booths, additional bars, or food service," adds Povey. "Anything specialty that might need room needs to be considered even more in a space that is limited." And don't forget the wedding cake placement if you want it to be on display throughout the evening!

Picking the VIP Seats

"We always start with the head table and immediate family members and then build around those," explains Povey. "We want the newlyweds to be able to see the dance floor perfectly and will oftentimes not sit anyone directly across from the couple, so that photo and video can get great shots of them enjoying speeches. Typically, we will try to put the head table closer to the dance floor and with ample room around." Reserve the tables closest to the two of you for your immediate families, and set aside tables that are farther from the band for older guests. The less desirable seats should be saved for your friends—they’ll be spending more time on the dance floor than at their tables, anyway.

Making Room for the Bar

A good rule of thumb is to have one bar with two bartenders for every 100 guests. So if you’re expecting 150 people, you should have two bars and at least three bartenders for the evening. Spread them out to avoid congestion, and try to keep them away from the entrance so guests walk all the way into the reception before looking for a drink. For a two-bar wedding, place one bar near the dance floor to keep the party satiated and another a little removed from the dance floor (and far away from the catering entrance).

Saving Space for Cocktail Hour

If you are having cocktail hour in the same space as the reception, leave room around the bars so you can set up cocktail tables for mingling. Consider setting a few cocktail tables out along the edge of the dance floor so guests have room to spread out, then either remove them once everyone is seated for dinner or leave them set up so guests can put down their drinks when their favorite songs come on.