Seating chart vs No seating chart

Yes I vote for seating chart too. It makes things so much easier. At least it did in our case. My family was like 10% of the guest list so if we didn't do a seating chart, they probably wouldn't have gotten to sit together. At least assign tables, not necessarily seats. You want people to feel comfortable at your wedding and it will help if you seat them with people they know.

I personally prefer seating charts because I'm awkward and wouldn't know where I should sit without one lol...I think assigning tables (not necessarily seats) could help make a smoother transition into dinner!

ETA: WW has a great seating chart tool if you decide to do one!

I would assign guests to a table at least, if you don't want to assign them individual seats.

Great idea

Thank you everyone else for all the helpful comments

Please have a seating plan.

Do assigned seating. Seriously.

Do assigned seating. Seriously.

Definitely assign tables. I've been to weddings where there were no seating charts, and I remember how frantic all the guests were to find seats. It's much less confusing if you have a seating chart because it guarantees couples and families will have seats together. Usually, a seating chart means that guests are also going to sit at a table with other couples and families they know, too.

I've also been to a wedding where a seating chart existed, but had mistakes. The BP's table was left off the chart. The husbands and kids of two BMs were supposed to sit at that table, but no one had mentioned this to them. It was also impossible to figure out because there weren't even seats placed at that table for the kids! Save your guests the trouble and do assigned tables...and include everyone on the chart!

I really hate going to weddings where they don't at least assign tables. I feel like I'm back in school on the first day where I don't know anyone and have to try to find a table to sit at and hope I don't accidentally pick the wrong one. Plus you then have to have around 20% more tables because few will end up full since groups will want to sit together and it just won't work out that way. It may be a headache to make a seating arrangement but it makes the day of the wedding much smoother and more enjoyable for everyone.

I have only been to one wedding where there was no chart on what table to sit at and it was chaotic going to different tables asking if seats were taken for me and my SO. You got auntie sitting here, but she's over there talking to your cousin and then decides she would rather sit over there while you and your SO are trying to find a place for you two to sit together. We will have a chart that assigns people to a table. For one it will allow people to mingle with others they may not know yet which provides for more fun and dancing. Also it helps with people being able to sit with their dates.

Please, if you do a seating chart, make 'legible' a higher priorty than 'unique'. One wedding I went to recently had all our names on bags of seeds-- then we had to wander around and find the 'corn' table (it was in a barn, so this made sense). Another had numbered tables (Yay!) but the chart was written on glass that looked great in the sun but was practically impossible to read when they brought it inside the venue. And annoyance that you can find your table is hardly a great way to start a celebratory meal.

Last thought: seating charts are really important if your venue is filled to capacity and you can't afford empty seats, because families and couples will have to split up to find spots. Our venue held 100 and we only had 60, so we had plenty of room-- a couple of empty chairs at a table was not going to make any difference.

I am pro assigned seating. We only had 6 tables with 8 guests each, but we knew who should sit with who and which friends should be at tables next to each other and what families put together would make a table of 8. Instead of a seating chart or place cards, we had signs on easels on the tables with last names like "Smith / Jones / Baker". Worked out great.

Definitely assigned seating. My FH and I went to a wedding back in September at an old friends that didn't have a seating chart...we didn't know ANYONE except for the parents and some of the girls I had met at the bachelorette but they all took up one table. FH and I ended up sitting at a table by ourselves and it was so awkward...eventually the photographer sat with us but there was nowhere else for us to sit except at a family table! I think it's just comforting for the crowd. WW has a nice little app but honestly I'm having a lot of fun using pop-up stickies and moving everyone around on a post-it! We're not doing place cards though...we're just doing something like Kelli and having a big board with names listed alphabetically and having table numbers assigned to each name.

FH and I have also decided to forego the seating chart, we are expecting 75 guests at max. I have never been to a wedding where there were assigned seats. For the most part our wedding is going to be pretty laid back (hopefully!). We, too, will have the traditional wedding party table and the reserved parents' tables. Everyone else will be free to sit wherever and with whomever. The children will be in the room next to us separated by a partition wall so there should be no issues there either.

I would do a seating chart with that many people you don't want mass confusion or people not having enough seats to sit with their spouses etc.