Buffet Weddings

If you don't want to have a seating chart, I would plan on getting a few extra tables and chairs. People do not seat themselves efficiently when it's open seating, and will sometimes leave 1-2 chairs open at each table. The last people to go through the buffet line and grab a seat might end up getting separated from their dates/friends/family due to the only spots available are scattered around at different tables, and they may end up sitting with people they don't know. By having extra tables and chairs, people should be able to find space to sit by who they want without worrying about being separated.

I have attended one. I didn't do that for my wedding though. The only thing I'll say about it is I was attending a wedding out of town and the only person I knew at the wedding was the bride. So, it made it kinda awkward for me to find a table. The people I sat with were great... but still kinda awkward. When I think back on that wedding... that's what I remember.

We have attended several. Only one wasn’t a chaotic mess because they had extra tables and chairs. Anytime guests are sitting down to eat and there is no seating arrangement, it always triggers PTSD of the high school cafeteria because no one seats themselves efficiently.


Assign guests to a table via escort cards and let them choose their chair. Escort cards are easiest on everyone than a seating chart/poster/mirror. They are easier for you to switch up one or two additional cards in case of someone needing to be moved or a typo rather than expensive reprints from scratch. It’s easier on guests because they are easy to read, they don’t cause traffic jams and guests don’t forget where they are assigned.

Hi I think that you should do a seating chart my reason the we did one. Because we didn't want everyone up making lines long and if you have servers it will have a better flow. Now I have been to wedding where the line can be long as numbers of your guest increases lol. So we just did a seating chart so all of our guest has seating for buffet style and for the cocktail hour you mingle this where you know where date is or family member is

Assign tables with a seating chart or escort cards but you don’t need to assign seats at the table.

Definitely at least assign tables. No seating arrangement means you could have people dragging around chairs to sit with certain people they want and leaving the other tables with too few chairs. Or even people sitting at the tables closest to you when your parents or immediate family wanted to be the ones to sit near you. If a seating chart feels expensive, you can always print little escort cards with the person’s name and their table number/name that they need to be at.