The pros and cons of assigned/open seating?

We are having open seating with 100 guests, but I will have someone making sure all seats at a table are full before moving to another table. I didn't want to fuss with the arrangement and who wanted to sit by whom... this also cuts down on folk that didn't RSVP getting seated over those that did.

I would just do assigned tables. It would eliminate the stress of making sure everybody had a seat and couples being slit up at tables.

I would talk to your caterer. Ours required we at least assign tables.

We had open seating and about 175 attendees. We had seating set up for about 220, so there was plenty of space for people to spread out and find seats near friends. If you have only just enough chairs for each person to sit, I would consider assigned tables. (ETA we also had a buffet, so no issues from a catering perspective)

Assigned seating

Pro: everyone gets a seat and they can do so in an organized way

Con: you actually have to sit down and do it

Open Seating

Pro: you don't have to plan anything

Con: it's a mess, people are trying to casually "save" seats, families broken up across tables, pulling in chairs from less populated table, etc.

Do you see where I'm going with this?

My DH and I sat together and pounded our seating chart out in an hour. It's worth it for the organization.

I've only been to one wedding where I was assigned a table and the rest were all open seating. I've been to a lot of weddings- 6 just this past summer ( record breaking ! Lol) and I didn't have a problem Finding a seat as a guest. Even when FH was a GM for two of the weddings, I was able to meet ppl that I knew and sat by them.

The last wedding I went to had a guest count of 400ish and the only chaos was when the planners were trying to call people out name by name to move from the cocktail area into the ballroom... took forever and no one paid attention to the name card table.

The wedding I went to where there was assigned seating, I and FH were seated next to my brother and some of my aunts in the back when I really wanted to sit next to my college friends ( it was my cousins wedding who also attended the same college as FH and I). In the end, everyone moved around after dinner .

So I guess it all depends on your crowd

Eta: spelling

No pros. Only cons. And that is it'll be like a high school cafeteria.

Assign tables.

I love going to weddings without assigned seating and everyone RACES to a table because nothing is assigned.

Assign tables. Your VIPS shouldn't have to sit in the back and your bridal party or parents shouldn't have to fight for a seat at the front of the reception.

I have friends of mine who were in their cousins wedding. They did open seating and ended up not having enough tables. My friends had to sit in another room!! That is absolutely crazy to me. While the ENTIRE wedding was in 1 room, a family of 5 (related to the groom) had to sit in another room, completely excluded from the wedding.

Cecely, so can you explain this to me? Is it that as people walk in, they are led to a table, and sit with the people they wallk in with?

I have to check with my venue (a restaurant), but I was not planning on doing any assigning unless they said it was the norm. My venue will be outside in a courtyard, unless it rains, then it will be brought inside. Would I have to create 2 different seating charts then? Sounds like a lot of work.

I have only gone to two weddings that had assigned seating and none of the open seating was a nightmare or anything like sitting for lunch in high school. People found seats, and sat down. If there wasn't enough room for their group, they found a new table or asked people to work with them in finding a way for it to work. We are doing open seating because that is very common in my area.

Assigned tables is much better! I would hazard a guess that at most weddings where there was open seating, somebody ended up not so happy, even though as a good wedding guest, maybe no on else realized that. If you really want your guests to be happy, please assign tables.