Arranging family and friends at the reception can be tricky. Here's the rundown of where everyone should sit and how to get them to their seats.

Your parents are divorced, your last unattached friend is hypersensitive to being seated at the "singles" table and you have one couple coming in from out of the country who only know you and your partner. What to do? With a little tact, diplomacy and common sense, you can create a seating plan that will make everyone happy.

Why a Formal Seating Plan?

You may feel like developing a formal seating plan isn't really necessary, and that your guests are intuitive and go-with-the-flow enough to figure out where to sit. The logic: If you provide enough seats, can't everyone just figure it out on their own? The answer is: Yes... eventually. If you've ever been to a wedding without a seating plan before (and survived the riptide of guests trying to find their places, or seen the bottleneck after they've been through the buffet line trying to figure out where to sit), then you know why making one is a great idea. Taking the time to develop a plan will reduce your guests' anxiety of trying to find a seat (whether it's family and friend dynamics, not knowing if some tables should be reserved for VIPs, and not wanting to exclude anyone in a group or without a plus-one) and your involvement in mediating issues.