PSA: Open seating SUCKS!

I agree, assign seats! I have been to wedding when I had to sit away from my fam. Not as fun. I am assigning tables, not seats. That way, everyone knows what table they are at, can choose a seat at the table.

Amen on that sister! I hate open seating too!

I was at a wedding with about 6 people to a table, and you were just assigned a table. So you picked up your place card and found your table and on the tale was a list of everyone at the table, so the first people at the table knew who couples were and left chairs together for them and the placecard allowed you to reserve your seat. That was a good experience.

Then there was the open seating wedding and I was the plus one. Oh yeah, open seating and being a plus one, not fun (there were more chairs than people, but that doesn't help when you don't know people and your SO is an introvert).

Also, big round tables for 12 suck!!!! You can't hear anyone on the other side of the table.

We had open seating, and it was fine. However, you really have to consider your situation:

1. How many people to a group? If almost everyone is coming as singles or couples, it's not that hard for people to find seats. But if you have a family of 6, and tables of 10, you don't want them to arrive and find only single seats available at 6 different tables.

2. Do you have extra seats? If you have seating for 75, and only 60 guests, it's unlikely that a couple will have trouble finding seats together. This becomes much more of an issue if you have only seating for exactly 60.

3. Are you inviting one cohesive group, or a lot of subgroups? We were mostly inviting local friends, and they pretty much all knew each other. However, if you want to keep the groom's frat brothers away from prissy Aunt Mathilde, you need assigned seating.

(cont.)

4. How easy is it to move around? We had heavy hors d'oeuvres served buffet style. Thus, if someone did not like the first seat s/he picked, s/he could swing by the buffet, pick up another plate of food, and sit down at another seat.

I agree. I have been to two weddings like that and have stood in the corner wondering where I should sit, especially when I didn't know anyone. It is way easier when you are at least given a table assignment. For my wedding, I am assigning people a table not an actual seat so they can choose who they sit next to they just know which table to go to. Much easier and less chaotic

@Analy do you think seating should be done with close family friends? i mean it's mostly FH family and a few of mine and i wasn't going to seating because of that and i only have 75-100 people. wat do you think? i've been thinking about this forever.