It is the the eternal question!     Every week we meet couples who are choosing their perfect wedding reception venue.  One of the most frequent questions asked of me is in relation to the seating plan and table shapes.  Do we use round tables or straight tables? Which will best accommodate our wedding guests?   The simple answer is – it is all down to what you require on the day.  Most rooms will accommodate both table layouts, however, if they are using all straight tables in the room I would suggest this will increase capacity by almost 30%.  So when booking your venue it is important to clarify your desired seating and table styles.   If you are planning a wedding for 300 and you would love to seat all your guests at round tables then the room should be no smaller that 300sq meters to fit 24 round tables.  (Most round tables are 6fth in diameter and can comfortably seat 12 guests). However, if you would like to keep all family members at one table you would possibly need to mix the different styles and sizes of tables.  This adds to the excitement- but not to worry, we are on hand to suggest lay out options, perfect fits and most importantly to keep every body happy (and in some cases separated!!).Remember at The Claregalway Hotel – It’s All about YOU!!   We can see the preferences and benefits to both styles.  We believe that round tables are the flavour of the month especially as the numbers of guests attending weddings are less. The bigger venues use round tables to “fill” the vast amounts of space they have at their disposal so that guests do not look “lost or lonely” in the venue.     The same thinking applies when venues have large numbers and wish to ensure that all guests are comfortable – they will use straight tables giving all guests the sense of space and avoiding what could be a cramped seating plan.   So what do we recommend? Here at The Claregalway Hotel we can now seat 230 guests on round tables (which does not include the top table) so we would recommend this plan.  If your guest list exceeds this number but is less that 280 guest then we can mix the table styles to ensure maximum comfort during the meal for every guest.   However this is just one of the many important elements which go towards creating your special day.   The Hotel’s high standards of service, the quality of the products we serve and the management’s attention to detail all combine to make your day a most memorable one for you and all your guests.
We would love to talk to YOU about YOUR wedding day and how we can deliver on YOUR unique wedding plans.

Paul & Nora