Wedding Seating Chart Tips

Imagine this……. You’ve just walked into a room and you don’t recognize a face in the crowd. You have nowhere to sit and no one to talk to. How do you feel? You probably feel invisible right? You wouldn’t want your wedding guests to feel this way would you? Probably not, that’s why we have a seating chart.

Although a seating chart can take a little extra effort it’s well worth it A seating chart will help ease some of the tensions your guests first arrive with and will immediately make them feel more comfortable and ready to have a good time.

Here are some tips to help create your wedding reception seating chart.

Start Early: Most couples will wait to start their seating charts as soon as all of the RSVPs come in. Unfortunately, you’ll quickly realize the most RSVPs don’t ever make it back on time or even make it back at all. This can leave you frustrated and confused. The best thing to do is begin your seating chart with the people you already will be attending (Ex: Parents, Siblings, etc). Feel free to call close friends and family members early and confirm their attendance.

Draw up an Outline:  You’ll want to begin by charting out a graph and pencil in where all of your VIPs will be sitting. Wedding reception VIPs include the bride, groom, parents, grandparents, siblings, wedding party and important relatives.

Who’s at your Head Table?  In Chicago, the traditional head table will include the Bride and Groom at the center of the table and the bridesmaids on the left side and the groomsmen are on the right. On occasion some couples will waive the traditional seating and allow their bridesmaids and groomsmen to sit amongst the guests with their spouses or significant others. This leaves the newlyweds to their own private table and can be somewhat romantic. The decision will be yours and what you prefer.

Ask for Guests Help:  If you’re not sure where to place certain guests just ask them. For example, if you’re not sure where you should put certain children ask their parents. See where their kids will be most comfortable and arrange from there.

Only Assign Tables and Avoid Seat Numbers:  This is an obvious tip, but I’ve still been to some receptions where the bride and groom like to micro-manage every detail. You shouldn’t worry about putting people next to each other and hope they get along. Let the table decide for itself.

Order the Place Cards:  Once you’ve managed to complete your seating charts its now time to organize the place cards in a systematic order. The most traditional way of doing this is to number the tables in your reception hall and then write the table number on to the guest’s place card. You’ll want to remember to keep your immediate family members at the tables with lower numbers (Ex: Brides Parents=table 1, Grooms Parents=table 2). This may seem kind of dumb, but your parents might not be happy that they are sitting at table number 24 as opposed to number 2. It wont even matter if table 24 is closer to the front. Be sure to inform your reception hall and make sure they give the tables in the front a lower number.

Be Creative:  Using a seating chart and place cards is a great way to be creative and spin your own twist as a couple. I’ve been to a wedding in the past where the couple were musicians and gave each table a name of a musician. For example instead of the table 2 there was the Beatles table. I’ve been to another wedding where the couple were law enforcement agents and each table was given a police code. It was quite funny and very unique, but since most guests were of law enforcement background they all got the joke. Be creative and add your own twist.

As you can see with a little pre-event planning you can avoid some sticky confrontations and let your guests relax and enjoy the night.

If you have any additional comments or ideas on this article please share them below…