Guide
Head table vs. sweetheart table: who sits where
What is a head table?
The head table is the traditional choice. The couple sits in the middle, with the maid or matron of honor and the best man on either side and the other attendants beyond them. It's usually a long row of tables with everyone on one side, so the whole table faces the room, and it's sometimes raised on a platform.
Plan about 2 feet of table per person when everyone sits on one side. A head table for 10 needs roughly 20 feet: three 8-foot banquet tables in a row.
What is a sweetheart table?
A sweetheart table seats only the two of you. It's usually a small round or rectangular table, 30 to 36 inches across, with both of you facing the room. Your wedding party then sits at regular tables with their partners and friends.
Head table and sweetheart table compared
| Head table | Sweetheart table | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sits there | The couple and the wedding party, sometimes with their partners | Only the couple |
| Typical size | A long row, about 2 ft per person | A 30–36 in round or small rectangle |
| Best for | Small wedding parties, traditional and formal receptions | Large wedding parties, attendants with partners, intimate moments |
| Watch out for | Attendants' partners sitting with strangers | Needing more guest tables for the wedding party |
Do the wedding party's partners sit at the head table?
This is the question that decides most couples. If you include partners, the head table gets long: 8 attendants with partners plus the two of you is 18 people. If you leave them out, partners spend dinner at a table where they may know no one. When many attendants bring partners, a sweetheart table or a king's table avoids the problem.
Where do the parents sit?
Traditionally, parents don't sit at the head table. Each set hosts a family table close to yours, with grandparents and siblings who aren't in the wedding party. If your officiant stays for the reception, they often join a parent's table. For parents who are divorced, see how to seat divorced parents.
Other options
- King's table: one long, family-style table with the couple, the wedding party and their partners, often in the middle of the room.
- Family head table: the couple sits with both sets of parents instead of the wedding party. It works when everyone gets along.
- No couple's table: the couple joins a table of close friends or moves around the room. It suits small, relaxed weddings.
How to choose
- Wedding party of 4–6 with few partners: a head table looks great and keeps your friends close.
- Wedding party of 8 or more, or many partners: choose a sweetheart table or a king's table.
- You want to see the whole room during speeches: a head table or sweetheart table facing the guests.
- Small venue: a sweetheart table takes the least space.
In HeadtableHead and sweetheart tables are their own table types on the seating canvas, so the couple's table looks right on the plan and the printed chart.
Once you've chosen, the table calculator works out the rest of the tables.
Plan the whole chart on your phone.
Download on theApp StoreFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between a head table and a sweetheart table?
A head table seats the couple with their wedding party, usually in a long row facing the guests. A sweetheart table seats only the couple; the wedding party sits with their partners at other tables.
Do wedding party partners sit at the head table?
They can. Including them makes a long table; leaving them out means partners sit with people they may not know. If many attendants bring partners, a sweetheart table or a king's table avoids the problem.
Do parents sit at the head table?
Traditionally no. Parents host their own tables close to the couple, with grandparents and close family. Some couples choose a family head table with both sets of parents instead of the wedding party.
Where should the sweetheart table go?
Where everyone can see it: centered at the front of the room or by the dance floor, with your families' tables closest to it.
How big is a sweetheart table?
A 30- to 36-inch round or a small rectangular table holds two place settings and flowers. Most couples sit side by side facing the room.