Table Seating/Seating Chart

I am doing a seating chart..8 per table but i will only have 80 guests tops!

I'm a fan of assigned tables, period. However especially when it is a large wedding.

While yes, its another thing to do, it just makes everything so much smoother and more organized. You are absolutely correct that if tables aren't assigned, each table will not fill up correctly. You'll run the risk of groups of people who would normally prefer to sit together having to separate. If there are any guests that don't know other people at the wedding, then it will be awkward for them to choose a table/people to sit with rather than if you just assigned them somewhere.

Yeah, I have 20 tables **rips hair out** LOL! I'm just thinking we are all grown enough to pick a seat and fill the tables up correctly! I was thinking about just making a sign saying something about it and just have ones that are meant for family "reserved"

Go thinking MrsO! I already bought the table numbers and name cards as well, too late to return them too. Atleast I got a while to decide!

Seating chart for sure - with 200 people, if you don't assign tables I would think it would be a royal cluster and also you would have to spend more money on extra tables, chairs, centerpieces and place settings. And IMO it makes things easier for guests. You can sit grandma away from the speakers, Uncle Ernie away from the bar, the pregnant lady close to the washrooms, your shxtstarting cousins away from each other, etc. Otherwise, families of 6 might stress about finding seats together, people might be moving chairs around, rushing in to save seats, people who don't know anyone will be standing there like it's the cafeteria on the first day of school feeling awkward....I would assign tables.

We had 135 guests and didn't have an exactly even number of people at each table. Some tables had 7, some had 10. Maybe have a preliminary list now and be ready to change it up when you finally have all the RSVPs. It takes some time but it's so worth it IMO.

Yeah I'm gonna have to a rough draft at who is sitting at what table. For all the people who were by them selves "single" I added a "plus one" with them just incase. I think doing this assigned tables is something I have been dreading most! LOL

I am on the fence about assigning tables. FH doesn't want to do it, he thinks it is too much extra work & stress, and I kinda agree.

However, the last wedding I went to did not have assigned tables. The cocktail hour was in the reception room (I don't think I have ever been to a wedding where the cocktail hour was somewhere seperate). During that time, a lot of people stood around and didn't find tables, some people found tables and sat down, some people found table, but were still up moving around and socializing. Then it was suddenly dinner time and everyone had to find a seat. It was chaotic trying to figure out if a seat was taken and what not. Added to the chaos was the fact that there were no extra seats - some people were standing at the cocktail tables eatin their dinner. Not sure if extra people showed up or what. During that moment I was convinced to do a seating chart.

Have you tried the ww seating chart?.

Yeah, it might be annoying but I think it's worth it.

The really annoying part is if you have people on your guest list who are high maintenance about it. My FIL was that way. First he wanted to sit here, then he wanted to sit here, then he never said that and he wanted to sit somewhere else and why didn't we just do that in the first place? So annoying but better to deal with it up front than have someone be pissier than necessary on the actual day.

Also I found it was helpful logistically - we caught an error in our guest list b/c when I got the table requests back from the ILs I saw a couple at one table that they NEVER told us they wanted to invite, but they had verbally invited. Thank god, b/c otherwise we wouldn't have had the food or chairs for them. How embarrassing. And then it was helpful for the catering staff and DOC - I knew in advance where the highchair had to go, where the people with special meals or allergies were sitting, etc, so the service was better.

Agree with kris..a pain in the butt but worth it.

Well we are having buffet style dinner, and no children except for the ones in the wedding party. I have yet to use the WW seating chart because I just haven't felt like dealing with any of it LOL. FI and I will be taking care of who is sitting where. If a IL doesn't like the seat well you can either not come or stand outside. They aren't help paying and haven't offered any help so they can sit wherever at whatever table I put them at! (Sorry if I sound snappy, but I don't get along with my FMIL very well) I guess I will try this out in the next couple of weeks!

I am having one, I have everyone assigned to tables as my very rough draft because some of those people aren't going to come but at least I have an idea so when the time comes its just rearranging some tables and then printing out the escort cards

I don't blame you for sounding snappy. With the seating chart I feel the same way you do, we just knew certain people would cause a big ruckus at the wedding if they didn't get seated where they wanted so we acquiesced just to shut them up b/c it made our lives easier. We had to pick our battles.

We'll have 125-150 (depends on the venue we go with) and we're planning on having them seat themselves wherever they want (same with the ceremony). We're combining our lives together, so we feel we should have our families combined. I know most people will sit with people they know, but both of our families are out going. No children under 11, either.

His mom, my dad, our grandparents and adults/uncles will be seated at 'close family' tables.

We ended up with 130 guests and did assigned tables, but not necessary assigned seats. We had 17 tables, with between 7-8 people at each table. It worked out fine. When you start to make tables up, people will naturally just fit in with other people. You'll go...."Oh, this is a table for FH's family, or this is all my work friends, etc, etc". The best advice is to try to put people with similar interests, etc together especially when you get down towards the end and you have groups of 2-4 people. Even if the interest is as simple as they live in the same city, are similar ages, etc.

I have a seating chart only because there is a bunch of kids and a bunch of elders who dont want to deal with kids or left their kids at home to enjoy the night. So therefore half of room is no kids, separated by dance floor then other half of room is people w/ kids and a kids activity table. I know this may seem somewhat crazy (or rude) but honestly, I would feel the same if I didn't bring my kids, but had to sit behind someones screaming toddler during dinner! And I only have 84 guests at 6-8 a table. So this leaves a nice big dance floor with extra room for kids activity table, dj, and photo booth.

I took paper plates and sticky notes. I wrote each guests name that was invited on a sticky note and placed them at tables even before we sent invites out. Now i have that figured out so all i have to do is remove a sticky when someone cant make it and shuffle people around to fill in the voids. Unless you have a lot of family issues where people cant sit in the same room together without fighting then assigned tables shouldn't be that hard. They will be sitting there for dinner and then hopefully dancing the rest of the night. If Aunt Sue doesn't feel like talking to Uncle Joe then when dinner is over they can shuffle around and chat with whoever they want.

Looks like I'm in the minority! We are having 175 guests and no seating chart! We will have several reserved tables for family but everyone else can seat themselves. I'd rather worry about another thing!

I agree, Jill. I'm with you lol

Katie - LOVE the idea for paperplates and sticky notes! I'm definitely going to keep that idea in mind!!

Thanks everyone of the advice and tips. It's all wonderful!