Assigned Table vs. Assigned Seat

We're doing assigned tables for similar reasons above (feeling slightly micro-managing, doing buffet style, people may change their seats anyways). We plan to do two of the same seating chart to avoid crowding at the door. Hopefully it will look something like the picture

Assigned tables is by far the most popular choice unless you are going with plated meals. The only thing that sometimes gets difficult is if you have people coming solo seated with a table full of couples that gets singled out. This happened at a friend's wedding over the weekend. In the end it worked out, but she got table shuffled because she was stag. So just be careful with placements like this when thinking out your seating chart.

Assigned seats -- we have to since our dinner is plated. Also, I've been to weddings were I didn't know the other people at the table, and we were only assigned table numbers, and the late comers were very aggressive in asking those already to seated to move around --- so I'd like to avoid that.

We are doing assigned seats because the favors are handmade (by me) napkin holders and there will be call calligraphy name cards too.

Since we are doing buffet we decided to only assign tables to Bride and Groom parents and grandparents, and then another table for wedding party significant others. Everyone else is on their own.

We'll be assigning tables only... they can sit next to whomever they wish (we once went to a wedding where they sat us next to people we didn't particularly like and our close friends were on the opposite side of a huge table so we couldn't talk to them, that's why we chose it this way)

We are doing assigned tables

Assigned tables

Tables

I wanted to do assigned tables for all the reasons listed above... but my venue requires me to assign seats for a plated dinner... so I'm still trying to decide if I'm going to put place cards on the table, or if I want to do escort cards. My coordinator mentioned that people may not make it to the table with their escort card though because they may wander around cocktail hour with it or whatever and end up forgetting it somewhere. I don't know if this is really something that happens or if she's just over thinking it... because I would much rather give people escort cards than tell them exactly where to sit. As a guest I like to have a little flexibility and choose who I sit by

I'm doing assigned seats only because I made little tiles place cards. People can swap seats if they want.

Assigning tables. Haven't really figured out the details, but will probably do escort cards.

@asta, I seriously have no idea why they would! Haha that's what she told me and the more I thought about it the more I thought that sounded a little over the top. I mean the cocktail hour area is pretty close to the reception area(it's all outdoors, and you can see each location from the other), but I feel like I could put it far enough away that people wouldn't go look at the cards until It was time to sit down. I'm definitely someone who worries about the details, but I feel like people can handle carrying a card to their table....

Suzanne so only the wedding couple and VIP's get an assigned table. The rest of the guests fend for themselves? That sounds kind of rude, aren't all your guests important?