Why are seating charts a thing?

Seating chart makes sense to me. There is not the chaos of guests trying to find a table where their friends can be and loving several times incase someone else sits there. In addition, it's easier for the chef because he knows exactly where my guests sit that have special allergies or maybe a vegan.

I have never actually been to a wedding with a seating chart, and that seems to be the norm around here. One venue manager even said that they normally only have tables/chairs for about half the guests when they are doing buffet/stations (that is not the venue we are going with). Our venue manager/in house caterer said she only sees them probably in about 1 out of every 20 weddings.

I have been to dozens of weddings and I can honestly tell you that I have NEVER been to one that had a seating chart. Maybe we just do things differently in the U.P. of Michigan! Never ran into any issues at any of them either!

I love all the anti chart reasoning is "I just don't want to"

Lmao. Then don't invite people?? It's so rude to not have one.

I'm not doing a seating chart per say but I am assigning tables

I was never a huge believer in seating charts until I went to a wedding recently. They didn't have a searing chart and my FH and I ended up sitting down by ourselves, we knew no one at the wedding. People were really scattered and it would have been nice to sit with other people and got to make new friends.

Seating charts are a waste of time and energy I think at the end of the day are you really gonna kick someone out of your wedding if they're in the wrong seat?

Karmeka, no one would kick someone out of the wedding for being in the wrong seat. Seating charts show guests where to find their tables for dinner and ensure that families, friends, and couples are not broken up -- what on earth made you think people would kick guests out of their wedding for being in the wrong seat?

OP, make a seating chart. You don't have to assign seats, but definitely assign tables. It will take probably no more than a few hours of your time, and your guests will thank you.

@paige it was a joke lol but so what if family and friends are broken up a wedding is supposed to bring families together not keep them apart that just my opinion

Karmeka you're off to a great start here.

@Lindsey thanks I thought so too

I'm about to show huge ignorance...before I started wedding planning I didn't even know seating charts were necessary. I've been to some weddings but always a BM never a bride lol and a few that were sit wherever. Having a plated dinner...I get it now!

People look at me like I'm crazy here (upstate SC/southern NC) area when I say every wedding I've been to has a seating chart. My fiancé didn't even know they were a thing until we went to our first wedding together and I was bewildered to not have an assigned table.

So what I guess I'm saying is it's completely up to you, I prefer an assigned table just for the sake of order, but it's not the end of the world to skip it!

Allergies and dietary restrictions make it a must at our venue.

We also want friends and family to be able to sit with each other

A bunch of our guests are Trump supporters. We don't want our liberal friends stuck at a table with a Trump supporter, so we made a seating chart.

So you are saying it was no fun to sit with strangers so you are setting up a situation where your guests will without a doubt have to sit with strangers?

Introverted extrovert? Extroverted introvert? What does any of that have to do with guests who will attend your ceremony and then look for reception seating? It's not an exercise in psychology -- it's basic manners to let your guests know that you actually thought about where they're going to be seated while watching the spotlight moments (all eyes on the couple, after a few polite introductions to dinner partners). Then, there's some polite chit chat as your guests enjoy their adult beverages and place their dinner orders or wait to be called to a buffet. That's not a torturous thought, is it? It shouldn't be (not if you work a full-time job with people you actually can't stand).

After dinner, guess what happens? Everyone gets up, congregates, dances, sits down at another table with five empty seats (because the people assigned to those seats are congregating, dancing, or catching up with guests at another table).

Don't make this more complicated than it needs to be. Every formal event has assigned seating. Your wedding reception is a formal event, so provide formal seating. Please, don't visit upon them the real psychological nightmare of getting their tray and scanning the cafeteria for friends. End of story.

I'm not! I'm with you. The only strict seating I want is my future groom and I surrounded by our loved ones and not off at a table by ourselves. I plan to have a set space for the wedding party and their spouses/significant others, but so far, that's my only plan.

@wifeytobejuly17 I used to think that way... when a close cousin (we grew up together) got married she confided what a stress it was to put together their seating chart with her mom and her now MIL discussing back and forth and her MIL trying to take charge. So I told FH that maybe when our time came, we just better leave this stressful thing out... that was until we went to FH's cousin wedding two years ago and they didn't have one!!, it was chaos!!, since some parties were so big, they just started to join some tables so they could all be seated together (they had square tables), therefore loosing at least 4 seats every couple of tables, then were some tables with just one seat available (some even two) and people just didn't want to sit with strangers

Least to say, there were LOTS of people left without seats and it was extremely awkward to see people standing there while others were dinning!!, that changed our minds fast!, we're not assingning seats, only tables though

I think having a chart positively outweighs not having one. Just as previous posters have said about couples getting seperated, losing your seat, mobility issues, and odd seating. For me, that's an issue I've seen first hand. We hosted a surprise birthday party with PLENTY of seating and a section of family (over ten) all ending to sitting at a table meant for six. It left tables awkwardly empty and their table blocked others from sitting at surrounding tables due to space and lack of chairs.

You know your guests and should be able to figure out adequate temporary seating.