Seating chart - what if things change?

If you're planning on B-listing, you should probably go with escort cards so you can change them last minute.

We did escort cards. Mainly because we had a plated meal so they were necessary to indicate meal choices but also because it’s so much easier to change things last minute if we needed to.

I'm doing escort cards because I can print them off as people RSVP. And if they cancel last minute I can just chuck it.

View Quoted Comment

That is a good idea, actually that is what we originally planned on doing but our venue coordinator told us not to do escort cards because she said people get confused by that? Not sure I understand how that would happen lol but she was really adamantly against it for some reason and told us we should have a chart instead...

I use an excel document. That way I can delete and drag and drop any changes. Then, when I make my labels, I can use excel to input into the information into a Microsoft office label template (skills I learned from my dear friend google).

View Quoted Comment

Oh so are you just going to do your chart on the computer entirely and then just print it?

Yup. I'm doing the chart on my computer, and then printing out labels with their name and table number. The labels will look like the ones I made for our paper invites (just remove the address and place the table number):

Those labels will be placed on the tag for our favor/escort card:

View Quoted Comment

Those look so nice! Thank you for sharing. I'll look into Microsoft label template

View Quoted Comment

You're welcome. It's so much easier showing than trying to explain it. The main directions are here . I also wanted a tutorial on youtube since it was a bit confusing for me to figure it out just based on the directions. Good luck!

I've started my seating chart, but won't do the final work until after our rsvp date (5 weeks out). We bought a large picture frame at Michael's with string & clothespins, and we will have individual papers for each table. I'll probably print them, in case I need one printed to change it. We wanted to do a big mirror for ours, but I don't want to deal with cancellations or last minute RSVPs that way.

View Quoted Comment Oh that’s brilliant! What a great way to make it look nice but also easily changeable.

How big of a picture frame did you buy and how many tables are you expecting?

So I never thought of this and I have to put names on an easel with the table number. I know I am not planning to add anyone new so if for some reason someone cancels after rsvps it won't bother me that their name is up there. I can see where you are in a pickle working with your B list. Could you just tell your mom after a certain date you are not going to add anyone else even if there becomes an opening for purposes of not re-doing your seating chart? Or I guess just change to escort cards it seems is the easiest..

View Quoted Comment Theoretically I could but the only reason she would be adding people is if people cancel after we have given our final headcount. We’re not “B listing” in the sense of inviting someone new every time we get a decline. We invited everyone on our list and that’s that, but then our headcount is due 10 days before the wedding and we have to give a deposit to the venue 10 days before depending on how many people are coming. So like, if 100 people say “yes,” by the 10 day mark, we’re paying for 100 people, even if only 90 show up. My mom’s extra people would just be if people bail within the last 10 days, because we are already paying for those plates anyway! I’d rather have her add people and make some of her friends happy rather than pay for a plate that won’t get eaten.

I think we’ll just have to rethink the chart and do something that’s more easily changeable than paint on wood

View Quoted Comment We are doing the same! I’m attaching key bottle openers for the men, and beautiful chandelier crystal suncatchers for the ladies(we will have a cute poem about the love and light. The crystal colors is a thing of ours).
Im wondering if we need to explain the keys? Or will people understand? I know they are a thing in wedding land but not sure what everyone else in the world knows about them.

We didnanseating chart... we also had to indicate the meal for each guest like PP said since we had a played meal but we have our venue a list of names with the meal and the guest just told the server their name / meal..in your case though I would donescort cards

Can I say I prefer the escort card. They are kaid out alphabetically, so you don't have to look through 16 tables worth to see that you are on table 16.