The wedding top table: who sits where
In Spain the top table (the mesa presidencial) traditionally seats the couple with their parents and the padrinos, the couple's closest witnesses or sponsors. It isn't a rule: you can sit alone, with your friends or spread your parents across other tables. What matters is that nobody feels out of place and that you can be seen from the rest of the room.
The traditional version
The couple in the centre, with their parents and the padrinos on either side. A common arrangement mixes the families: each of you next to the other's parent or padrino, so the two sides talk to each other.
Separated parents or new partners
If the parents are separated, there's no single answer. Some couples seat everyone with their partners at the top table; others give each parent their own table, presiding over it with their partner and family. Ask them before deciding: they know best what will make them comfortable.
Alternatives
- A table just for the two of you, so you can move around the room more freely.
- A table with your closest friends.
- No top table: you sit at a table like everyone else, or go from table to table.
Where to put it
Somewhere it can be seen from every table, near the dance floor if there is one, and not with its back to the entrance or the kitchen door. With a digital seating plan you can try different arrangements before deciding.