Assigned seating or reserved tables for reception

Assign tables. That's what I did and it really didn't even take that long to organize.

Well, you know how he thinks better than us. That being said:

1) Present it as a budget issue, like @karen said. This isn't necessarily always the case but in this situation, I don't think there's anything wrong with a white lie. Etiquette can be really hard to explain to someone who hasn't ever necessarily thought about it.

2) Explain how it will come off to those without an assigned table. It will make it appear like you and he only care about your immediate families and that everyone else doesn't matter. Huge social faux pas.

3) Make up a seating chart on your own and show him. If the work is already done, what does he have to complain about? You don't need one of those fancy plexi-glass seating charts or even place cards. A simple chart like the one below is perfect.

Im thinking of just have reserved seating for the family since mine does not see each other rarely. Other than that, i would not worry about the seating. If you have guests that would be ideal to have assigned tables, then go for it. If not, don't stress over the assigning tables

For that amount of guests i would say at least assign tables

Oh man, I'm going to be the unpopular opinion, but I wouldn't assign tables or seats. Let guests sit where they want. I'm doing that. I'm not forcing anyone to sit at any certain table, I'm not going to deal with that. I've been to a few weddings who have chose to also not have assigned anything. I liked it.

I'm doing assigned tables. It saves everyone a lot of work and makes your guests happy.

We will be doing assigned tables.

@Carolyn, That's nice, Lets hope couples/families don't have to be separated because you couldn't take the time to make sure they were at the same table.

I have NEVER been to a wedding that didn't assign tables. Its almost unfathomable to me. Seems like the ultimate laziness and not giving a shit about your guests.

Definitely assign tables. I have the same feelings you do when I go to a wedding where it's open seating. It's nerve-wracking to have to approach tables where people are already sitting that you don't know and ask if you can sit there. It's also difficult when you're there with an SO or your family and you need to find a table with enough open seats to fit both or all of you. If you do open seating, you actually need to have extra tables set up (pay for extra tables, chairs, linens, place settings) to account for the fact that your guests won't divide themselves up nicely at tables and you'll have several tables with one empty seat. You need the extra tables so those last few couples and families that come into the reception space don't have to divide themselves up between those single open chairs if you only provided the exact number of seats as the number of guests you have.

It didn't take long for DH and I to divide our guests into groupings for tables. It took about ten minutes to group 75 guests into tables.

If you're worried about having to do the work last minute to do a display chart, you can do escort cards instead. I filled out a tented card with each guest's name as they RSVP'd, but left the table number blank. A little over a week before the wedding, DH and I sat down and decided who would sit at which table. The week of the wedding, I filled in the table numbers on all the cards (I waited to ensure no guests contacted us last minute to change their RSVP, in case it meant we had to tweak our table assignments).

Assign tables for all guests. All weddings I've been to were assigned tables, except one. and it was very frustrating to come back after getting dessert to see our table had been overtaken by other people.

Assign tables. Seats are a lot of work. Amusing story-I went to a black tie wedding once with assigned seats. One of the people at my table (a co-worker) threw a temper tantrum about her seat assignment. It was ridiculous and embarrassing. She tried to move strangers and didn't give up until someone switched with her.

Tell him you'll do the work. If you look on Pinterest there's plenty of ideas with sticky notes and what not for assigned seating just tell him you'll be bugging him to the ends of the earth on what family of his can sit together and what can't.

Tables

We had 225 at our reception and it took my wife and I about 30 minutes to assign tables and that includes making the sign and printing out the cards. Not a lot of work at all.