How are you handling guest seating for your reception?

We are setting the table cards out on a table for people to get themselves. Since they will be put out for the cocktail hour, I don't anticipate a rush to get the cards.

Having hostes is an interesting idea. If you are having many guests, you may consider giving some people the assignments early (like very close family and friends).

I decided to not to do assign anything. We will reserve some seats for the party and the parents and ushers, but that is about it.

I also have decided no assign seating. I will just reserve tables for parents, grandparents, and wedding party but that is it.

We are not having a cocktail hour so guests will be moving right into the reception area after the ceremony so a rush of 150 people going in one direction may bottleneck. I started to only assign the immediate family, wedding party and special guests and then just let the others sit where they want but because they have a menu selection, they still will need a table card so the waiters know whether to serve them chicken or fish.

Question Maria... is the ceremony at the same location as the reception?

It look like it from your profile.... any chance to give out the cards as they are being seated? The arrival will be much more spread out. If there is no cocktails hour, I think even with 3 hostesses... I think you will still get a delay and "bottlenecking"

Have the hostess there early with the ushers and be their greeters then? If you don't have your programs yet... have a spot on the back of the program "Table _______" "Circle: Chicken / Beef / Vegetarian" Just brainstorming here...

We had 100 people at our wedding and assigning tables what the best thing I ever did! IMO without the assinged seats your guests have whole looking for the seat in the cafe. on your first day of school. I think that if you spread the cards out on a table with their name on it already you can set up with different stations. I honestly think that having a hostest with a list might actually make things slower.

Hmmm this is a good question. Our venue gives us escort cards for free, but we thought we were going to do a board with all the tables listed so that people could look at it and not actually take anything. After my shower, my parents are a little concerned about no-shows (like 10 of FHs relatives just didn't show up), so my parents want to be able to know how many people came and didn't come. My mom and I found a really pretty picture frame and put a canvas inside covered with navy fabric and an ivory lace overlay, so we might still stick with that idea but just put the individual escort cards on it and have people pull theirs off, similar to the pictures below. In that case, we'll have to buy two more picture frames to fit everything.

I didn't have any cards... all of my guest just looked at a seating chart to know where they sat. I designed it on word... took it to kinkos and spray glued it to a foam board Total cost $5

Under reception (1/2 way down)

Seating chart template...

and you can put the menu in the center and surround it with the names... or a story of how you met to help explain the names for the tables.

http://weddings.shanbritedesigns.com/templates.htm

To make my day easier we are doing open seating... a table will be reserved for the wedding party but the rest will be open. we are having a buffet so it will make life easy for us!

Yes the ceremony and reception are in the same facility. After the ceremony they just walk to the back of the building to the reception hall. In between the reception hall and ceremony chapel is an open "reception area" where everyone will be able to get their table cards. I'm sure the venue will have some recommendations also. The good thing about the wedding wire guest list tool is when you print out the report for the reception, it's organized alphabetically where and lists the table number. I'm thinking giving each host this sheet. The guests will have 3 hosts available to check in with so all the host will have to do is find the person's name, table number and meal selection on the list. Take a table card that says either Chicken or Fish, write the table number on the back and hand it to the guest. I'm thinking this may be the fastest way than have the guests do it themselves from a board. I'd have to put all the guest names on the table cards which is more work.

We are doing place cards that are slices of a branch with the name and table number on it. then we will have a flower on each place card that is either silver, if they chose chicken, or purple, if they chose beef. there will be a little sign saying to keep these in front of them in view of the caterer.

Since we only have 60 guests(we hope), we are naming our tables for purely asthetic and entertainment reasons. We are having open seating. I will reserve a couple of tables for family. It goes with the laid back feel we would like our wedding to have. Since we have guests from different aspects of our life, and we will all be spending the weekend together, we want a free feeling get together.

I am letting people sit where ever they want. I know many ladies on here say how much they hate it but to be honest I just dont want the headache If grown people cant come in and find a table in a decent manner then thats their problem! I did try to figure out seating assignments and it was just too hard I dont want to make the decision of who will sit with who. I will have 3 reserved tables for our immediate family.

We're doing quasi-open seating. To stick to our sports theme we'll have assigned "sections" (ie: section 101, 203, etc etc) which will be groups of tables, with general admission within the section.

We're using a big print-out board like Hayley posted about to help people find their section.

>I'm hoping this will eliminate my Brother's in-laws from planting themselves at the family table like they did at the other brother's wedding (rude). But will free everyone else up to sit with whomever they want.

Jen C., that is such an adorable idea to go with a sports-themed reception!

I attended a wedding where as the guests entered the ceremony, they were told what table they would be seated at. Now, that does mean you have to remember that through the ceremony. Similar to you, the ceremony and reception were held at the same location.

As for us, we are having the usual escort card table. I'm making the escort cards myself and hope to indicate somehow the main entree choice (haven't fully figured that out yet).

I will be doing something similar to Elizabeth. when my guests rsvp at that time they will choose their meal types so their name cards would have some distinguishing mark to indicate to the server what their meal choice was

I'm reserving a few tables for family and the wedding party, but the rest is open seating.

We had open seating for the luncheon immediately after the ceremony. With only a dozen guests, it was all at one large table anyway.

For the at-home reception, we had one table designated as the "head" table. We sat there, and rustled up some friends to had been particularly helpful with preparing for the reception to sit with us. Everything else was open seating. However, almost everyone already knew each other. Also, because we had heavy hors d'oeuvres rather than a plated dinner, people were able to get up and go to a different table if they didn't like where they sat first.

We had assigned tables, but just put the escort cards out on a table in alphabetical ordre for the guests to pick up themselves, i never heard any complaints and when ive been to similar weddings, its worked well. i think it does help if the place where they pick up the cards or where the hosts are located is a little off to the side and not literally blocking the only entrance into the reception. that way, if some people want to head in first and grab a drink and then come back to check in with the host after some of the crowd has gone through they can.