Seating Chart Horror Stories

I actually think it would be really helpful for you to have the seating chart done as far in advance as possible. It was the most stressful part of wedding planning for me because MIL wanted all 18 of her family members to be at the same table (we had tables for 8) and my mom demanded that my sister not sit near her or my grandparents. I finally told MIL that we had tables for 8 and had her figure out where her family members should sit, but when I asked her to send me the arrangements, she kept telling me that it was too early to do it--12 days before the wedding! If you have it done already, you can just tell people that it's all taken care of. I think it's a bad idea to put yourself in the situation of letting guests make requests.

I agree with kahlcara. Don't let guests start planning their own seating. Just tell them it's already complete (and hopefully they'll all be adults and not call you anyway).

I also agree you should do it in advance if possible. the only seating request I've received so far is that FH wants both of our parents at the same table. my grandmother said she doesn't want to be seated with my cousin. cousin has disabilities and frequent outbursts. I'm not even sure her parents are bringing her but I was like well thanks grandma, go ahead and be mean about it!

Please do not let your guests dictate your wedding. They will sit where you put them. If they don't like their seat, they are free to get up once they're finished with dinner.

As long as you don't add guests last minute you should be fine.

I did it about 3 weeks in advance. It was totally fine. I did have to move the table numbers around a lot because the venue kept telling me a different plan for the table set up.

Can you have the guest names printed and then you add the the table number closer to the wedding date?

Here is the horror of bride brain..lol I made it about a month prior.

I put an imaginary couple on the chart (too many Manuels on my list! Lol being Portuguese I swear) and I put someone twice, triple check the chart!

MIL asking to sit this person with these people and vice versa. It was a nightmare for sure.

I actually did my preliminary chart once we had the venue and guest list figured out. I had always heard that the seating chart is one of the hardest tasks (for me it actually wasn't that hard at all). I used the WW guest list and seating chart to do it. That being said, I had some people tell me the week of the wedding that they couldn't attend (the worst part, 8 of them were family members) so I did some quick re-arranging (including asking my father where he wanted to sit as the majority were his family whom I was going to sit with him). My escort cards were included with my wedding package at the venue so they had our names engraved on them but I added the guest name and table numbers (which I didn't do until 2 days before the wedding). I was glad that I didn't add the names and table numbers sooner as there were changes the week of the wedding. (But not once did anyone ask to sit or not sit with someone else. Everyone just sat where they were "placed").

My life is a seating chart horror story right now.

I have been seating people as the RSVP's come in. So far no one has said anything about not wanting to sit near people. Also I'm printing the escort cards at home to save money!

Here's an easy way to do a seating chart:

Get small sticky notes (like the page marker kind) and put each guest's name on one. So one sticky=one guest. Then grab one index card for each table you will have. One index card=one table. Then place the stickies on the index card and see what works. This gives you a great visual of where your guests will be. That way, if someone won't work with someone else, just move the stickies until you get the right combination. I did this when I sent out my invites. As I've gotten RSVPs back, I just throw away the stickies (aka people) who can't make it and re-work the index cards. This is an ongoing process. I don't think there is ever a first and final draft of a seating chart.

I also like this method because you can literally put the cards on your kitchen table in the arrangement of your venue to see just how everything will look.

On that note also, we are not doing assigned seats, just assigned tables! I think it's a lot easier and it saves you the cash for the cards!

It's fine to get the cards printed with names, but leave table numbers blank. Even if people aren't fussy about where they sit, inevitably you'll have some last-minute cancellations, so you should write in the table assignments week-of.

The cost to fix the ones we have to change at the last minute is what I am really concerned about. FMIL's family has so much hate in it, and FH gives in to any of FMIL's demands. But I will be the one paying for any changes, not FH. I did not want to have handwritten numbers on the card, I want it all to be printed, but I have a really good color laser printer at home, I don't think it's necessary to have the printer make them just so that they can have the exact same font at the invitations. I don't think anyone will notice that.

Don't let them have a choice- it just complicates things for you!