Where To Sit?

Last night I went to bed a little after 11. I wasn't so much tired but it was bedtime... so I decided to try to get some sleep.

About an hour later I reach up and knocked on the bedroom wall (this is what I do to get Jacob's attention when I'm in bed, since the wall behind my head is the wall he shares with his computer, and, quite often, that's where he is). So, I knocked on the wall, he came in and I said, kind of pitifully, "I can't sleep" *big, sad puppy dog face goes here*.

The loving, caring, fiance that his is knelt down, gave me a kiss and said, "Why? What are you thinking about?"

My response?

"I'm thinking about whether or not we should have table numbers and assign seats!"

Seriously... it's nine months+ before the wedding and I'm losing sleep over seating options?? lol That wasn't it though! I was also running the time line through my head and questioning whether we should have the wedding earlier!

Here are my two dilemmas (and the thoughts that kept me up last night).

1) "Assigned" seating. If you were to ask me last month if I wanted to figure out a seating chart and assign our guests specific tables, I would have said, "No, that can sit wherever they want... I'm not that controlling!" (This actually happened... lol... ask my MOH what my response was when SHE asked me! lol). However, after attending two weeks over the last couple months, both of which had free-for-all seating, I'm starting to question this.

The first wedding I went to had a LOT of space. It was an outdoor reception with probably about 25% MORE seats that needed. Free-for-all seating worked just fine here. However, the second wedding I went to had less space (it was held indoors), and only enough seats for guests (maybe even a little less). People were wandering around not really sure where to sit and it was kind of a big, crowded mess.

Jacob and I are having an indoor reception, and, chances are, we won't have a lot of extra seats. So, what was filling my head last night was that a family of four and a family of three would sit down at a table, leaving one empty seat... which would have at a number of tables... and finally a family of four would be looking for somewhere to sit and not be able to find a place together! This thought was really upsetting me! lol

2) Time of the Ceremony. Jacob and I have been figuring that our ceremony would happen at 6 PM with dinner being served directly afterward at the reception. However, here is the problem that I'm seeing. If the ceremony starts at 6, lasts about 30 minutes, and then we have a half hour or so to take pictures (I am dead set NOT to do first look shots... I'm not an overly traditional bride, but I want to retain this one), Jacob and I won't arrive at the reception site until a little past 7. I worry that with a buffet style meal for 100 people that this may be a little too late to serve food. (I'm not worried about my guests being there for half an hour before us, as we'll have a bartender up there... so I don't foresee any problems! lol).

Jacob and I talked about this and we came up with a few options:

a) We can have the food be ready at 6:30 and guests just start lining up/eating when they get there (though this means that the bride and groom will probably eat last, and I don't know that I like this idea),

b) We can move the ceremony to 5 or 5:30... but something else that we're worried about is the lighting on the beach and how sucky it's going to be for photos that early (not that 6 is ALL that better).

c) We could have food served at 7:00 whether we are there or not (in order to get the line moving) and then Jacob and I could just cut in line when we get there.

I think I like option b or c.

So... what do you guys think?? Seating chart?? Timeline?? Help! lol