Round Tables vs Trestle Tables: Which Is Right for Your Wedding?

One of the decisions you'll make when planning your wedding reception is how you'd like your tables set up. Round tables or long trestle tables? Both look beautiful, but they create quite a different feel in the room, and sometimes your guest numbers will help make the decision for you.

At Waipuna, we use both round and trestle tables for weddings. For smaller weddings, round tables can work beautifully, while for our larger weddings, trestle tables allow us to comfortably accommodate more guests in the reception space.

So, if you have the choice, how do you decide which wedding table layout is right for you?

Round tables: classic and intimate

Photo Credit: Angela Jones Photography

There's a reason round tables have been used at weddings for such a long time. They're a classic choice and create smaller groups of guests throughout the reception space.

Our round tables are 1.5 metres wide and seat eight guests comfortably, which works well for grouping couples, family members or groups of friends together.

We particularly love round tables for smaller weddings at Waipuna. They fill the reception space beautifully without making it feel crowded, while still giving the room a sense of occasion.

They're also lovely to style. A floral arrangement, collection of candles or simple centrepiece in the middle of each table gives you a natural focal point without needing a huge amount of décor.

The downside of round tables

Photo Credit: Sally Anne Photography

Because of their shape, round tables can create quite a bit of unusable space. If you're having a head table, some of your guests will also have their backs to it and will need to turn in their seats during speeches or other parts of the reception.

And while round tables are sometimes described as being better for conversation, that's not necessarily the case. With a 1.5-metre-wide table, you're unlikely to spend dinner chatting to someone directly across the other side. Conversation will naturally tend to happen between the people seated closest to you.

You don't necessarily need every table to contain exactly the same number of guests either. A table of seven or nine is absolutely fine if that's what makes your wedding seating plan work best.

Trestle tables: relaxed, communal and great for larger weddings

Photo Credit: Sally Anne Photography

Long trestle tables create a very different atmosphere.

They have a relaxed, communal feel that works beautifully for weddings, particularly when you have a larger guest list. At Waipuna, once guest numbers reach a certain point, trestle tables are the best way for us to use the reception space efficiently and comfortably.

Visually, they can also look incredible and create a more modern, contemporary feel.

Long rows of candles, bud vases, flowers or greenery running down the centre of the table can create a beautiful effect without every part of the table needing to be heavily styled.

And if you love that long-table, dinner-party style you see in wedding photographs, trestles are probably going to appeal to you.

Styling trestle tables

Photo Credit: Libby Ellmers Photography

One of the most common mistakes we see when couples are planning their wedding reception tables is forgetting that guests actually need to use them!

Those gorgeous Pinterest tables covered in flowers, candles and décor can look amazing in a photograph, but your guests still need somewhere to put their wine glass, water glass, plate and cutlery.

If you're having shared platters or family-style food, you'll need even more space.

We love styling that adds atmosphere without overwhelming the table. Bud vases, smaller floral arrangements and candles can be really effective, particularly when they're repeated along the length of a trestle table.

Also think about height. Guests should be able to comfortably see and talk to the person sitting opposite them without having to peer around a floral arrangement.

The downside of trestle tables

Trestle tables aren't perfect for every wedding either.

Once you've added plates, glassware, stationery, flowers and candles, the table can fill up surprisingly quickly. If you're planning shared platters or family-style dining, this is particularly important to think about when you're choosing your styling.

Your seating plan also deserves some thought. Conversation will generally happen with the guests immediately beside and opposite each other, so consider the individual seats rather than simply deciding which group of people will sit at each table.

Do round tables feel more formal?

Not necessarily.

Rounds are often associated with more traditional or formal weddings, while trestles tend to be associated with relaxed or rustic weddings, but the tables themselves don't determine the style of your wedding.

Linen, florals, stationery, tableware, candles and the rest of your wedding styling will have a much bigger impact.

We've seen beautifully elegant trestle-table weddings and wonderfully relaxed weddings using rounds.

The same table can look completely different depending on how you style it.

So, which wedding table layout should you choose?

Start with your guest numbers.

For a smaller wedding, you may have more flexibility to choose between round and trestle tables depending on the look and atmosphere you prefer.

As guest numbers increase, trestle tables become the more practical option for our reception space and allow us to accommodate everyone comfortably.

From there, think about the feeling you want to create.

Do you love the classic look of smaller groups gathered around round tables? Or can you picture everyone sitting at long tables filled with candles and flowers?

Think about your seating plan, your food service, how much styling you want on the tables and, most importantly, what will work for your guests.

Because while your wedding tables need to look beautiful, they also need to work.

Planning your wedding reception at Waipuna

Photo Credit: Colour of Shades Creative Media

Both our round and trestle tables are included when you hold your wedding at Waipuna Estate, along with your chairs, so you don't need to organise furniture hire separately.

When we're planning your wedding with you, we'll look at your final guest numbers, your seating plan and how you'd like the reception to feel, and help you work out the table configuration that makes the most sense for your wedding.

Find out more about our wedding packages here.