We have several friends attending our reception, who don’t know our family and who may not know any of our guests. How should we seat them? Should we create a singles table?

Resist the urge to banish friends to a “singles” table, unless they all know each other. It makes more sense to put singles with trusted family members or persons that they’re familiar with. This would make them feel less self-aware and more included and at ease.

If your singles don’t know anyone at the event, and family members are not up to entertaining them on the day, mix them into your close circle of friends. You can accomplish this by splitting your friends into two or more groups and fitting these new faces into each group. Ask one friend to keep an eye on your “singles” to make sure they’re having fun.

Consider strategically placing “singles” amongst more outgoing and gregarious friends or guests, or persons they may have something in common with, or can warm up to.
Resist the urge to seat people together because you think they would be romantically compatible, unless you have the expressed permission of both parties beforehand. No one wants to be on a date they didn’t signed up for.