No seating chart - good idea?

I opting on a seating chart, even though it is tsk tsked upon. But you can do it any way you want to.

I think it's fine. We'll have 100 guests, mostly family, and no seating chart. I'd rather they sit with who they are going to have fun with then tell them where to sit.

Yeah, I figure they can seat themselves! I don't know who his aunt xyz wants to sit with!

Every wedding I have ever been to has a seating chart. Our guest list is about 120ish and I am doing NO seating chart. It just matches our casual feel better. May feel strange to some people but Hey its Our Wedding!

I forgot to mention.. we are having a buffet food serving style, so it seems like people will be moving around anyway!

IMO people need direction, the bigger than group, the more direction required. I can just imagine people milling around unwilling to commit to a seat, or worse, sitting and then finding out that a family of 5 has to be split up because there aren't 5 seats together. What do you do split them up, or rearrange people who are already sitting so all 5 can sit together.

You know your guests best, but I'm assigning guests to tables to avoid the potential chaos. After dinner people are free to sit wherever and I imagine there will be some shiting.

I also prefer escort /seating cards to seating charts.

I say don't bother with one if the whole atmosphere is going to be casual, let em sit where they want. We are doing a casual wedding and are planning on about 100 guests and we are not doing a seating chart. Personally I have only been to one wedding where there was a seating chart and I ended up getting split up from my party and sitting at a table where I knew NO ONE. I don't know if the bride realized she did this or did it on purpose in an effort to "get people to know one another." I think open seating has a way of working itself out and it allows people to sit with who they want.

It doesn't matter what feel the wedding has. It doesn't matter how food is served. Seating charts reduce chaos, and increase the chances of people having a good time.

You're having people from very different walks of life. You can make a better guess at who will have a decent time with whom, and not have your ultra conservative aunt Millie listen to your college roomate's stories about belly piercing. Chances of people being split up are much higher is there isn't a chart.

It's not so difficult, people, really.

We are having a wedding with just close friends and family, and we have opted not to have a seating chart. We chose to keep it casual.

Yeah.. I don't want there to be choas either! Ugh don't know what to do!

Lisa, just assign tables. How many do you have?

I just did a tentative chart. It comes out to about 6-7 people per table to make 9 tables. I seated them by family. However, at family parties, the adults always sit together and the kids sit seperately. I don't know which way would be better which is why I originally was thinking no seating assignments lol

I'm having the same problem with this. In our area, no one does seating charts. I've never been to a wedding with a seating chart. When we met with our reception hall in the very beginning, we looked at the hall while they were set-up for a wedding. She had a seating chart. The hall coordinator made a comment about she just doesn't understand why she did that...she felt like the bride was being a control freak (because they just aren't done here). They were set up for almost 300 people (I understand why she did it). My family will probably think it's odd. I'm sure his family will. But, I want people to be able to sit with people that they know (especially because the tables). are round, and 8 at a table (not the 6" tables that are all together...that makes things different). I don't want people to get stuck with people that they don't know.

If they're all family, I would sit families (husband wife children) at the same table.

How old are the children? Old enough to sit at a table without adults and be OK? I wouldn't do that with our guests...the whole family will sit at the same table...parents with their children.

We are assigning table #s, but not seats,,,they can arrange themselves at their table how they like.

I'm am worried about doing our seating chart as well, my big concern is not wanting to offend anyone that ends up at the tables farthest from the bridal party table and dance floor....:/

I am not a fan at all of seating charts. We had around 90 people and did not do a seating chart. I say do what is right for you and your guests and don't feel like you are obligated to do a something you don't feel is needed. I disagree that guests won't be organized, we had not one single issue without one.

No seating chart here. It's a wedding, not a 1st grade classroom!!

Lol... I guess that is exactly how FH's family will see it!

How do you guys feel about labeling off "brides family", "grooms family" on the tables and let friends pick the other tables? There would be 1 brides family table, 2-3 grooms family tables, and 3-4 non-marked tables for friends. Bad idea?

You need a seating chart! Ive seen this kind of post so many times. Without a seating chart your just asking for trouble. Especcially for friends who dont know the whole family.

I would just hate to have to worry about getting and saving a seat with my friends or family at a wedding.... thats anxiety. or what if someone gets left out cuz some random person sits at the family table... or people sit with chairs between them... or crazy aunt sue insists on sitting next to you the entire night when you just wanna be near your parents and FH.... idk I just think its a bad idea.

I realize that its "casual" but its a wedding... and unless its literally a BBQ with picnic tables, I really dont think open seating is appropriate.

You should know the people your inviting well enough to seat them... and if YOU cant figure out where to sit them, how are THEY supposed to know where to sit!