I'm having a birthday dinner party in a weeks and i am having serious problems with a seating plan! help?

Question

so far i have 15 people coming...

I want to sit toward the middle of the table

And i need to sit next to my boyfriend Tom.

I would like,

My best friend Badger to be sitting very near me, maybe opposite or next too, and she needs to sit next to the guy she likes, Ollie, who is Toms best friend so Tom and Ollie should be seated near each other too!

My half sister is coming too and is bringing her 2 half sisters with her, who are my friends Madz and Anna. These three will need to sit together as they will not know anyone else. I would like to sit near to madz because we are very good friends. I would also like my sister to be sitting on the same side as me, not opposite so she cant see me and my boyfriend the whole night!

My best friend since i was 4 is coming, Katie, she does not know the people there that well so she shouldnt be seated too far away from me but she does know Anya so these should be seated together.

Anya's best friend Phoebe is also coming so they should be together-ish! Alice another friend would proberly fit in best with Phoebe and Anya so they should also be together!

2 of my other very good friends are twins so they will want to sit near each other but not directly next to each other, maybe opposite?

I also have 2 others Charlie and Claudia.

Charli Badger and I are all best friends so she should not be too far away but maybe not next to me as she is also very good friends with the twins!

I know this is alot to ask but i have been working on this plan for ages and im not getting anywhere!

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated

Ellie

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Answer 1

Is this party supposed to be fun for everyone? Or is it a military operation? Skip the plan, let everyone sit where they choose. It´s only 15 people, not 150. Nobody will be too far away from you. And people won´t stay frozen to their chairs for the whole evening - they will move around talking to everybody. Have a nice party and don´t worry too much.

Answer 2

You are overthinking this plan. Let everyone sit where they want to sit and have fun instead of sitting where you want them to sit. Who knows, maybe someone will make a new friend........  

Answer 3

just tell everyone to sit next to who they like

Answer 4

I think you are overthinking this and causing extra stress for yourself.

It sounds like there are about 8 people that you want to sit right next to, but thats just not physically possible.  

Just keep the people that 'hate' each other not next to one another.  (Though honestly, inviting people who hate each other to the same party is asking for trouble if they can't just deal with being polite and pleasant for your sake).

Don't worry about keeping people right next to their twin or their half-sister or best friend.  They will be able to survive the dinner if they are 4 or 5 seats away from each other for the hour or two that the party will last.  And if they sit next to someone they don't really know, perhaps they will make a new friend.    

Keep in mind that presumably either before or after dinner there will be time for them to walk around and talk to anyone they want to talk to, so it isn't like sitting at the opposite ends of the table will isolate people from one another all night.

And usually the host or hostess (YOU) sits at the end of the table.  

Answer 5

Your questions sounds like one of those logic problems I used to have to do in math class!

Answer 6

I would abandon the plan and let everyone sit where they want.

Tie a birthday girl balloon on your chair and everyone will avoid it.