The tables themselves can be a great attraction, and provide a wonderful, unique look to your reception room. Instead of those traditional eight-person round tables, why not go with the trend and arrange several long family-style tables that will seat sixteen to twenty? It creates a Thanksgiving-style celebration when more people are seated together. Choose square or rectangular tables to fit your guests more comfortably than trying to arrange eight-seater tables. Experts say these square tables facilitate conversa- tion between guests much better than round tables, too.

For a unique element and a great way to use floor space in your room, choose several different shapes and sizes of tables, such as rounds for the tables next to the dance floor, and rectangles for other tables in the room.

Mix up his side and her side. It used to be that the guest tables were divided down the middle, the bride’s family was seated to the left of the dance floor and the groom’s to the right. Now it’s far better for family inclusion and mingling to intersperse tables and get all of your family and friends blended together.

Outside of the guest tables, perhaps at the cocktail hour, consider renting two-seater bistro tables for guests to enjoy some alone time.

Borrow from wedding coordinators who have done lounge-style parties and Moroccan theme parties: set out long, luxurious couches in rich jewel colors for guests to gather on, with plenty of fluffy pillows. This is great for the cocktail hour or the after-party. At an outdoor wedding, provide some unique seating with bench swings, clustered beach lounge chairs, or even a few hammocks strung up between trees. Cozy couples can wander off hand in hand and swing in the evening breeze as Summer Wind is playing for the party.

At some outdoor weddings, bonfires and campfires with log seating dot the open-field landscape of the party. As the sun sinks on the horizon, groupings of guests or couples who have hit it off can sit by the fire and talk. Always use safety with this idea. Pro- vide a wide stone perimeter around the fire to keep guests with long squirts from being in danger of getting too close