Open seating plan vs. Assigned tables

I always vote for seating chart. It may be messy and hard to put together but it will messier and more difficult not to have one.

I have heard horror stories about people trying to cram too many chairs into one table, which is a nightmare from a service standpoint and just sounds uncomfortable. This could definitely be the case if you have people that don't get along.

ETA: to add to that, open seating is a mess because people don't know where to go, and it will likely take longer for people to find a seat because of the awkward seating dance.

I rarely suggest this, but maybe instead of just assigning people to tables you assign them to specific seats. It's a little old fashioned, but at least if people who hate each other end up at the same table they will be on opposite sides.

I hate open seating at events. It leads to chaos and awkwardness.

ETA - if you have that may people who don't get along or need to stay away from each other, that's all the more reason to have a seating chart. Imagine all your guests in the room trying to avoid each other while trying to find open seats. If it's difficult for you to organize, it definitely won't happen by chance if you just leave people to seat themselves.

Another vote AGAINST open seating. Bad personal experience. People usually get up and move around once dinner ends so can they stand sitting at the same table for just an hour?

I agree- my cousin got married last summer and had no seating plan. Her additional seating outside fell through after it rained and it was a bunch of chaos with elderly people having to stand to eat dinner and people sitting on windowsills during speeches. While it's stressful and time consuming to make a seating chart, I think it's worth the effort to prevent potential disaster!

Another vote for assigned tables! We only had 6 guest tables and still did assigned tables because we knew who was best together and which families would fill a table of 8 (ex. family of 5 and family of 3 together).

Open seating really never works except for very short cocktail parties. Assign them to tables. They can suck it up for a few hours, and really, at a round table for 10, you can only talk to the two people on each side....

I would definitely do assigned tables. Keep working on it. I'm sure you can figure something out. Plus, they really only need to sit there long enough to eat anyway.

Thanks for the opinons, I was wondering that myself. The more I read the more I learn - who knew.

Assigned seating

I'll be the voice of opposition. I have never been to a wedding where seats or tables are assigned and it was never chaotic. You read the phrase "they are grown adults" on here frequently, but apparently grown adults can't find a seat and sit down on their own without chaos ensuing? I've sat at tables with complete strangers due to seat availability and lived to tell the tale, as well as with people I didn't like. I've been to more than a dozen weddings of varied formalities and never saw any sort of seat assignment. I am in the minority in this mindset on here and people will tell you not to listen..but really...never chaos once. Maybe it is a regional thing *shrug*

I dislike open seating myself. I don't know how close to the bride and groom I'm supposed to be and I worry I'm taking Grandma's table etc.

I also feel that it's true, tables don't get filled because all of a sudden there's 1 empty seat at a bunch of table and a couple have no where to sit.

I have a difficult family too where I'm trying to be conscious of everyone's relationships. It may be hard and you'll never get it quite perfect, but I still say at the very least assign tables (if you don't want to assign seats).

I am going to assign tables to help ease awkwardness of family drama as much as possible.

The last wedding I went to that had dinner being served did not have assigned seating and it was super awkward because we felt like we had to run to a table so we could sit next to the only other couple we knew at the wedding. Then tables weren't called for the buffet so the line was SUPER long and took forever!

All the other weddings I have been to were LDS so they were "cake and punch" receptions with open seating which worked nice because the whole thing was very quick and people came and left so quickly there was always somewhere to sit.

I vote to try and figure out the seating chart. It will be less chaotic.

I've been to weddings with assigned seating and nobody say where they were supposed to. Personally I'm not a fan of assigned tables, let people sit where they want cause they'll probably bounce around from table to table to socialize

I am also part of the minority! I have never been to a wedding where there was assigned seating and there was no chaos. Family members know who gets along and who doesnt and adjust according. If Aunt Beth and Aunt Barb hate each other, I promise you they will not sit at the same table. And I promise you other family members will make room/move if it looks like it might happen. I promise.

I don't like open seating. I think that it is very awkward. You try to sit somewhere only to have people tell you that they are saving those seats, or you wind up at a table with people and then other friends of theirs come up and then I feel like I should give them the seats. I say just assign them. You may have to seat people with "the lesser of the evils" lol. And why do so many of your guests have problems with each other??? I hope they don't drink too much or you may have some crazy things happen!

If adults can go to a movie theater and be told that seats are saved or other people know people in the theater, they can survive a wedding.

Another example would be the bridal shower or engagement party or rehearsal dinner. If in most social situations adult can handle seats being reserved or guests not knowing other people at their table, they will be fine for one dinner at a wedding.

But to each their own! I definitely see the pros in creating a seating chart

I've never been to a wedding with open seating, but even at formal events that have this, it is chaos.

Another downside of open seating, what happens if you and your S/O are one of the last ones in the room and the only 2 seats left are completely on the opposite side of the room? Trust me, you would NOT like that!

And the moving the seats to "accommodate" more people can just be awkward and uncomfortable.

open seating to me just feels like H.S. drama all over again...ugh.

Just assign seats, its easier on everyone.

I've only attended one wedding in my life, with open seating. We got stuck at a table with 2 (uninvited) kids. They were extremely spoiled (wouldn't eat the kids meal the caterer managed to provide), and babbled about Harry Potter, all night. I never hit an open bar so much, in my life.