Seating Chart Question

I would either make a chart or do escort cards that are put at the front of the reception hall in alphabetical order that include the guests’ names and table numbers. 150 people trying to walk around 15+ tables to find their name sounds very chaotic.

Agreed with PP - that's a lot of people to be walking around trying to find their seats at (basically) the same time. We did escort cards for about 100 people and it worked great!

View Quoted Comment I agree with this! Escort cards are my recommendation, since guests can then use the physical card as a placeholder for their seat at their table (in case they get up to go get a drink, chat with someone at another table, etc).

We did a seating chart, it was placed on a huge mirror that way guests wouldn't get stacked up trying to locate their seat. If you don't like the idea of guests potentially stacking up looking at the seating chart then I would suggest to do escort cards (like the pp have said).

We're assigning seating for our 100 guests - not just tables, but also the actual seats, because our guests speak a mix of languages and we don't want anyone sitting next to someone that doesn't speak their language. So we're doing a chart with place cards. I actually prefer escort cards to charts because it tends to get crowded when a lot of people try to read it at once, but I also don't like the idea of having two name cards per place. I'm considering going with a alphabetical chart, so people can find theirs names faster - has anyone tried that, is it a good idea?

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I've made quite a few and I personally prefer the alphabetical charts. It's easy for us to assume that each table makes sense because we made the chart, but the guests don't know. Looking for my name under the letter it corresponds to is quicker and easier than looking through table numbers. Whatever you do, just don't make a chart by table number and then proceed to not alphabetize names per table. Someone has requested that before and it just seems like a mess!

From a guest perspective, the easiest most convenient method is escort cards. These can be modified to fit a plated meal with solid colored card stock in a rainbow of colors to differentiate each meal choice. Easier for waitstaff to see from a distance who ordered what at each table. There are some vendors on Etsy who will write on these for you but you’re on your own if you last minute changes. Even that is a fraction of the price that printing and reprinting of posters will cost. Name on the outside, table assignment (not seats) on the inside, line them up alphabetically on a table near the entrance so guests can grab and go. Give the caterer the color code: for example, red for beef, pink for chicken, cream for vegan.


Seating posters (including glass frames, mirrors, etc) are difficult to read as a guest. They are very expensive and unlike cards cannot be recycled after. The fonts are easy to decipher and are often very small. This leads to traffic jams. If people get distracted by conversations on the way, then they don’t have a card to reference and go back to find their spot on the chart again.

Assigned seating (pick tables only and let them pick which chair) is needed no matter if you have 5 guests or 500. It alleviates the ptsd of the high school cafeteria and keeps couples and families together.

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I agree with both of Michelle's comments! Make things as easy and comfortable for your guests as you possibly can.