Open Seating

300 guests and open seating? That sounds more like a food court than a wedding....

Almost every wedding I've ever been to has been open seating. I've never had any problems finding a seat. We will be having open seating as well.

My FMIL has ZERO say in our wedding plans. I'm done even trying to include her in anything because she is so negative. Our wedding...our plans. Good luck!

Most weddings I've been to are open seating. I said I was going to do a seating chart at dinner with extended family and they all threw a fit that I would do that. My mom said "we're not the Kennedy's you don't need a seating plan". Our guest list is 280 and not buffet yes, we do need one. Not sure who's going to win this one yet.

If you would like to come to Ohio to judge my large, open seat wedding, then by golly be my guest, but until then your rude comments are not appreciated, especially from someone who is a "vendor"

I have only gone to events with assigned table seating, not necessarily assigned seats. You can certainly choose who you want to sit next to at your assigned table, but it makes for more order than chaos. We are planning a semi-formal wedding in June, 120 - 150 guests, 1 third family, the rest a large circle of friends. With no children on the guest list and no surprises, the evening should run smoothly. We are having a buffet with matching buffet tables in on opposite sides of the tent for easy semi-self service. Cocktails and hor'derves for 45 min to an hour between the outdoor ceremony and reception under a tent. We have provided extra floor space for added comfort in the tent as well as extra floor space for a dance floor. I know that all my guests will appreciate sharing the occasion with us, that is most important, as it will be well planned and orderly. Details are what counts.

Were doing open seating. People will want to sit by who they want to. Idk. I'm not wasting time with it.

Eta: we invited 100ish people, expecting about 50 to come.

Depends on your guest list. Are your guests accustomed to assigned tables or open seating? In my area, most events are open seating. My guests are used to seating themselves, it's not a big deal.

We did open seating for 120 people and it worked perfectly. But if our guests would've expected assigned seats, I would have assigned them.

Do what will work best for your guests.

Shut it Heather. Don't go attacking people when they tell you that what you are planning sounds like a logistical challenge.

TBH: It does sound like a giant game of musical chairs.

Sorry you were offended Heather With The Rings, Not Original Heather, but being a "vendor" (I don't understand the quotes, since I also happen to have more reviews than you have guests.....) means I see more weddings in a month than most people see in a lifetime.

Based on my unscientific observations, t's exactly like that; a giant herd of guests looking for two seats together. It's uncomfortable, unpleasant, and it never works out even. Your people will wander around and rarely sort themselves into neat groups of 10. Unless you have 60 people it won't work, and even with an intimate group, it's dicey.

It has nothing to do with judgement, it has to do with human nature and logistics.

Don't do this. It'll be a mess.

We originally thought we would just reserve tables for immediate family but we decided to assign tables instead. This way there is a little less craziness, hopefully.

Mehhh I like the whole "assigned tables, open seating" for weddings. If you have more guests, it will be more chaotic, and I wouldn't have enough faith in adults to be seated promptly without any issues. With reserved tables, you'll find your table quickly, plus you can decide where to sit. Win-win.

@Celia - The Heather who was rude to you is not the Heather who started this thread.

I think it must be regional as all of the weddings I've been to in the Chicago area always have assigned tables. Most showers have assigned tables as well.

My husband and I went to a wedding in Wisconsin that was open seating and it was a nightmare. I left my shrug at a table and it got moved and I was never able to find it. My husband and I were not able to sit together. I know everyone is saying that I had open seating and there were no issues but I doubt the bride at this wedding knew how miserable it was for us.

Assigning tables for family and close friends only would make me feel like a second-tier guest.

So many Heathers, so little time....I wondered why her avatar was back to rings......

Sorry Original Heather! I fixed my post ;-)

Everyone hates doing seating charts. Everyone. However, they are a necessary evil for a large party. If you go the open seating route, you'll have people standing around scoping out the room trying to find seats with people they know. They'll be uncomfortable. You'll also end up with empty chairs at some tables or people moving chairs to squeeze in at another table. Really, your guests will appreciate assigned tables.

I think it depends on what your guests are used to. Me, personally, I am used to assigned seating and when I attend an open seating wedding I have a mini heart attack thinking about where I'm going to sit and get stuck and I end up walking WAY too fast in my heels to get an "advantage".

My family, FH's family, and many of my friends are used to escort cards and being told where to sit. So that's what I'll be doing to avoid chaos and over-spending on centerpieces and place settings. Also, I fully believe that if you put some actual thought into the seating chart instead of just placing people at a seat, most people end up sitting near who they want to anyway so in my mind, that argument is null.

Thanks everyone for your opinions. I think that I will go with my original thought which was to assign tables. I'll have to explain to my FMIL why I would rather do that. No offense to anyone, but I wouldn't always assume that the bride gets to make every decision. Things can be complicated. Thanks!

I would never consider open seating. Say your aunt and uncle come with their 3 children and they are the last ones to arrive. There are only 1 or 2 seats at each table, so now they can't even sit next to each other. I would feel horrible that they couldn't even sit together.

I attended a New Year's Eve wedding a few years ago with a massive guest list, open seating, and about half the seating for everyone...and it actually worked well. While half of the guests were in line for drinks/buffet, the other half were seated, and vice versa. I'm honestly kind of surprised it worked out as well as it did.

We'll be taking the assigned-tables route, but it could work in the right space and with the right crowd!