What's Good And Bad About Round Table Event Seating

Our previous post discussed what's good and bad about long tables when planning your guest seating. Here we look at round tables!

Advantages of round tables 

• Most venues offer fold-down round tables to seat 8 or 10 so you won't need to order them in
• Round tables give a formal, elegant air to your event - they're typically best for glamorous affairs
• They are the best shape of tables for allowing full conversation among guests
• There is no "best" position on a round table - think of the Knights of the Round Table where they were all equal
• They are ideal for uneven guest numbers ie a smaller table of 7
• They provide more central space for elaborate centrepieces
• They appeal to many Asian couples for their good Feng Shui (thanks to their lack of angles)

Disadvantages of round tables

• Round-shaped tables are rarely considered cutting-edge or "trendy" by stylists
• A round table seating 10 people takes up more space in a venue than a long table for the same number of guests
• They take waiters longer to serve food and it takes longer for stylists to style the table
• They require bigger and therefore more expensive tablecloths
• Round tables need taller centrepieces than long tables (even in standard ceiling-height venues) to create focal drama thanks to their diameter width which is obviously much wider than for long tables
• Round tables are the wrong shaped tables to use small floral posy vases, without your decor looking lost and underwhelming to your guests.