Seating Chart

We're doing one. I think it makes it easier to make sure certian people are separated and others can sit together. Less drama for the most part and I can keep people I don't necessarily like at the tables in the back lol

I did one. I'm always on team seating chart.

We did one. We've only been to one wedding that didn't have one, it was a SUPER casual wedding. I really think all weddings should have one unless the entire wedding is very casual and informal. If you have an out of town guest that doesn't know other guests, it's super awkward for them just to sit down at a random table. Plus, guests won't sit themselves efficiently so you'll have to plan for extra tables & seats. I think the seating chart sets the tone for the entire wedding, so having people sit by people they will get along with & are fun, is super important.

We skipped it. We were planning on about 130 guests, and ended up around 90, but either way we were going to skip it. It just wasn't something I wanted to mess with, and neither I nor my family has ever been to a wedding with a seating chart. I just don't think it's something people in my area do.

You have the same answer over and over here, but this is a forum so why not add my two cents in. YES on seating chart! As a guest, I personally can't stand open seating because it always picks our large family apart and it's kind of a "you snooze you lose" situation (if you can't tell by my tone, I am typically the loser). I'm at the bar having a grand ole time and by the time I enter the reception area every chair has a jacket on it and I'm 10 tables away from my group.

For my wedding I am doing assigned seating based on budget. I am not budgeting for one extra place setting, chair, or arrangement. I need everyone in the seat I paid for so I can fit it all together perfectly.

We are doing one, the only reason why we are is because I want certain people ( like our close family) to be closer to the head table. We only will have 7 tables or so and a few will be back farther then others.

FH is in charge of that one, but we are doing one. For sit down dinners, it is recommended. A buffet style wouldn't be as terrible, but you'd need extra space setup because folks aren't going to fill tables the way you'd like.

This was a really really hard one for me. I started out TOTALLY against a seating chart. I wanted people to be able to move around, sit with who they'd like and not feel pressured to sit with whoever I deemed fit. We also are doing a buffet setting so no need for assigned spots for serving reasons. It seemed like such an unnecessary stress. Then 2 things happened. One of my BMs moms said that seating charts can make or break a reception. If people are left to their own devices, they travel in cliques and people get mistakenly left out, and end up miserable and don't stay. I understood what she was saying, but didn't think it would really be an issue with MY friends/family. Then I saw pictures from a friends members wedding (from last year) and there were a ton of empty tables (people had pulled chairs to squeeze in at other tables) and all I could see was the waste of table decorations she spent so much on.

We are doing a seating chart now.

I uploaded our Zola guest list as an excel file to the website AllSeated. Worked great. Made a chart. Then used Canva to make a pretty poster and Vistaprint to print it out. Coupons for vistaprint and everything else was free 👌

I plan on doing escort cards to avoid any awkwardness amongst guests and empty seats.