Which tables to choose for reception

We’re debating between square and round. I’ve been a guest at weddings and other events with both round and long tables. If you want people to be able to talk to anyone other than those to their immediate right, left and center, go with rounds. Talking to everyone at a long table doesn’t work.

We had 130 people and did a mix of rectangle and round!! I liked the mix and match look and I was able to do mostly large floral centerpieces on the rounds and more candles and loose blooms on the rectangles.

Ooohhhhhh ...... I like that mix! So, 8 at the rounds and 10 at the rectangular?

View Quoted Comment I think ultimately we ended up with slightly different numbers at each haha but between 6-9 at the rounds and between 8-10 at the rectangles.

Our venue offered both, but I preferred the round tables! After going to a wedding with long tables, I decided it really does make it easier to talk to folks as a guest. As a couple, we also had a more intimate time with folks going around and visiting. We had right around 110 guests! I was able to sit with many tables and have personable conversations that would have required musical chairs and long tables.

Our venue only offers rectangle, and I agree with Michelle, that you can really only talk to the first person on your right, left and opposite.

But, on the plus side, this makes it a lot easier to set up groups - rather than having to find 8 or 10 people that might work together, you just put a 'buffer' person between groups that don't know each other and voila! So, in our case, you either pop someone with similar interests between strangers, or possibly someone who might vaguely know them. It's made table planning way easier than I expected.

I will also add, I've been to weddings with very big round tables and was even more limited in who I could speak to than long tables - due to either the size of the table or the size of the flower arrangement in the middle - in those cases you can really only talk to the person on either side of you, so that's something to consider too.

Round tables are much more comfortable in my opinion, it is convenient to have conversations behind them, and it is also more comfortable to move around the hall

We have a guest count of 70 and decided to use farmhouse tables for our immediate families and rounds for all other guests. The layout will be the sweetheart table in a corner and the farmtables making an L on either side of us.