Five Tips for Seamless Seating Arrangements

With experience coordinating more than 100 weddings, I’ve become accustomed to the hiccups that can happen on the bride and groom’s big day. While the majority of weddings run smoothly, there are typically one or two to-do items that get overlooked. The biggest one I encounter is the seating arrangements—or lack thereof.

 

 

I hear the same reasoning over and over for brides not planning out this important item: “There is no way I have time to plan out table assignments.” Or, “I don’t even know where to begin with seating my family at the reception.” Or, “No one will even care if they don’t have an assigned table.” And lastly, “I don’t have any cute ideas to display the arrangements.”

 

 

The new trend at weddings today is to have what I call a “free-for-all,” which simply means there are no table assignments and guests can grab whichever seat they like. When it comes to seating, the biggest piece of advice I can give is that your guests really do care where they sit. They want to feel comfortable at dinner, even if they’re just sitting there to eat. 

 

 

What brides and grooms often don’t witness during this “free-for-all” are their guests asking catering staff, DJ’s and venue staff where they can find another chair for their table. Or, they want to know if they can move their table closer to their friends’ table because they haven’t seen them in 10 months. To avoid this mishap, here are my five tips for successful seating arrangements:

 

 

 

 

Planning seating assignments does not have to be as complicated as it looks. Start with your most immediate family and work towards your work friends and fourth cousins. If you are stuck on a group of family members or friends, think about who has the same interests or hobbies and plan to seat those guests together. 

 

Venue tip: Ask your coordinator if having different a number of chairs per table is okay. For example, can table 8 have six chairs and table 9 have 10 chairs? Sometimes it is difficult to place the same amount of people at tables as some families might have more guests in attendance than others.

 

 

It is extremely important to place your seating assignments close to the entrance of your reception hall so they are easily visible to your guests. Also, consider placing your assignments in an area where a traffic jam is less likely to occur while guests try to find their name and assignment. 

 

 

 

Display your assignments in alphabetical order with the guests’ last names rather than in table order. This will help your guests find their name quickly and efficiently. You will be surprised to find most tables will have the same last names anyway if you are seating family members with each other.

 

Venue tip: Try to arrive at your venue with your assignments already in order of how you would like them displayed so decorating time can be a breeze for you or a family member who has volunteered to decorate.

 

 

Try to make your display match with the theme of your wedding, or even try to bring out your personal style. Some popular rustic chic ideas for escort displays (see attached photos) are window panes with guest names and tables numbers written in white ink, exterior window shutters with guest names scrolled on kraft paper and pieces of wood siding painted in an eye-catching color with guest names penned on tags. 

 

Other popular ideas that can work well for any wedding include typed table numbers in small photo frames, noisemakers with hanging table number tags (a festive way for guests to make noise upon your grand entrance), pieces of fruit (apples, peaches) with fun tags tied to the stem and photos of the bride and groom at different ages that correspond with guest’s table numbers. Regardless of your style—chic, rustic, elegant or formal—there are so many ways to get creative with your escort displays. 

 

 

 

I cannot stress enough how important signage is at weddings—from menus to guest books to seating assignments. The sign for your table arrangements can say something as simple as “Please find your seat.” Guests at weddings like to be reassured they’re doing the right thing, such as being at the right place for cocktail hour. Remember, your guests have most likely never been to your venue before. Some guests may have never attended a wedding. Making sure they know where to go and what to do is very important.  

 

Venue tip: Ask your venue if they have seen any cute signs that match the space or if they have any you can rent. Most venues are starting to collect items that work well in the space to rent to couples for their wedding day.

 

Don’t let your escort displays fall to the back burner on your wedding list to-dos. Instead, use these simple tips to ensure your guests are comfortable and your mind is at ease. These ideas can be built upon to come up with a new idea that’s perfect for your big day. Just remember, you want the display cards to match your personality and style.