Seating charts: yay or nay?

Absolutely do a seating chart. It's so much easier for guests and only an extra hour or so of work for you and your FS. Not to mention, assigning tables will save you money in the long run. Without a seating chart, you'll need to provide (on average) 20% more tables, chairs, place settings, etc. since guests don't seat themselves efficiently.

I would check with your caterer but I’ve never seen there be plated meals at a wedding where you weren’t required to assign tables. We had a plated meals and assigned everyone to a table with an escort card that had a sticker indicating meal choice. The waiter would glance at the sticker in front of their plate and set down the correct meal. It took us maybe an hour to make a seating chart for 160 guests.

View Quoted Comment I didn’t even think about the fact that no seating chart could result in more cost!

View Quoted Comment I know that we are required to have some kind of indication for which meal they choose but they didn’t specify any assigned seating. I’ll definitely check with them!

At the very least I would assign tables and then they can find their own seats

I agree with PP. it’s so much easier with assigned tables and seats especially if you are having a plated dinner. It’s really not that difficult to do.

I actually just attended a wedding this weekend that did not have a seating arrangement and I do not recommend it! We got stuck sitting far away from family and friends that we would have rather been by and it was kind of chaotic. People were still trying to figure out seating when the wedding party was arriving and being introduced and speeches were starting! Also, they had a buffet style but members of the family who normally should be served first were some of the last to eat because of where they ended up sitting. You could see the bride was concerned about this instead of enjoying her day. I would recommend just taking the time to do a seating chart, I think the little bit of time it will take now will save you some stress later on! Good luck!

We are doing on long table (for 60-70 guests) and FH and I don’t necessarily agree on this. I want to assign seating for the reception so we can be sure our family sits closest to us, but FH feels that doing so will make the people at the end of the table feel like they aren’t important. Either way we have to provide name cards which indicate a food choice.

I highly recommend a seating chart! Not only will it save you money in the end. But it also forces your guest to mingle. I’ve been to a few weddings and guest will pull chairs from random tables to sit together if they have a seating chart they tend to be more respectful.

100% seating chart always. A little stress on you making one is worth taking the stress off your guests trying to find a seat like in a high school cafeteria.

It would be okay if it was buffet style but with that many people would be chaos for the kitchen staff. Most guests switch seats later to socialize so it will be better with assigned seats just for dinner.

Initially I thought it would be silly to have a seating chart, but the ladies on here converted me to team seating chart! I agree with everything PP's have said for the seating charts, I made mine in less than ten minutes (tentative of course, we haven't sent invites and gotten RSVP's yet).

I went to a wedding that did not have a seating chart either and it was chaos when it came time to eat. You don't have to assign exact seats, but i think at least tables would be a good idea.

I would at the very least assign tables! You can then put a sticker of a different color on an escort card for the different meals (red for steak, blue for chicken, green for vegetarian, etc.). Good luck!

If you have a plated dinner, you typically have to have a seating chart down to each individual seat for the caterer unless everyone gets the same meal. Our seating chart took us a few hours to make for 125 guests. They really aren't that hard.

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This is exactly why a seating chart is so important!! At least assign tables, then give each person an escort card with their meal choice on it.

Seating charts are a big hassle. I am actually doing my best not to stress about mine. The only way I am making it easier on myself is to tell them which table and they can sit where they want at that table. Some people actually say "Table One Seat 6" for example. I am not. Good luck.

I am always team seating chart

I am for sure going to be making a seating chart. I'm positive it would be a mess if I didn't, at the very least, assign a table for each guest. You can buy a template on Etsy for cheap and plug in everyone's name and have it printed out. Easy Peasy!

FH and I have about the same count on our guest list as well and we decided to do escort cards instead of seating chart.