Three principles
- Seat couples together. Parents sit with their current partners. Splitting a married couple to “keep things simple” rarely is.
- Equal distance, not equal size. Each parent’s table should be as close to you as the other’s, even if one family needs two tables.
- Recognise who raised you. A step-parent who was there every day can be honoured exactly like a parent — at a family table, in the processional, in the speeches.
Reception options
- One table per household. Mum, her husband and your half-siblings at one table; Dad, his partner and step-siblings at another, mirrored either side of your table.
- A shared family table if everyone gets on — with a sibling or grandparent between former partners.
- Grandparents can anchor a table each, or sit together at a “grandparents’ table” near you — they often enjoy each other’s company.
Half- and step-siblings
Siblings usually want to sit with each other, not with “their” parent. A siblings-and-partners table near the front, regardless of which household they belong to, is often the happiest table in the room.
At the ceremony
Reserve the first rows on both sides. A common arrangement: parents with their partners in row one on their child’s side, step-parents beside them, grandparents in row two. If space in the front row is tight, both parents in row one with their partners directly behind in row two is a neutral solution. See ceremony seating for more.
Talk before you seat
Share the plan with each parent before the day, individually. “Here’s where you’ll be — does that feel OK?” avoids surprises, and gives anyone who is anxious about seeing an ex time to settle. In the planner, add a keep-apart rule for any pair who shouldn’t end up side by side after a late reshuffle.
Plan it, then print itPaste your guest list, seat everyone on a to-scale floor plan, and print the sign and cards — free, no account.
Open the planner