- 1). As soon as you even start thinking about your wedding dress, start thinking about your guest list and which groups of people are best suited to one another. It might feel like your wedding is months away (and it is), but thinking about this little and often can help make sure you get it right on the big day.
- 2). When you're visiting your reception venue, do sketch out what it looks like or ask your contact there for a set of room plans including a table layout.
- 3). As soon as your wedding invitations are stamped and mailed, it's a good idea to actually get down to the physical work of drawing up a wedding seating chart. Of course, it will only be for your use only.
- 4). Using your large sheet of heavyweight or construction paper and a pencil, sketch out every table and chair as it will appear on the night. Now, if you're like me and lacking in the artwork department, just use a set of circles for the table and small squares to represent the chairs. Do make sure to draw in any exits, dj, stage and dancefloor.
- 5). Keeping things orderly is the name of the game... so come up with a numbering or naming pattern for your tables. If you're having a garden party theme for your nuptials, you could name each table after a different type of flower (e.g. Dahlia, Lily, etc.) Make sure your chosen names are clearly written on each table appearing on your plan.
- 6). Using a spreadsheet or even pen and paper, make a list of each of the table names and the number of seats available with each. You might need to doublecheck this with your contact at the wedding venue.
- 7). Now, with your RSVPs all in, it's time to sort and classify your guests. I prefer to use sticky-back notes (post-its) in different colors. Easy ways to group include: immediate family, distant family (by last name if you have large family units), friends from work, high school friends, friends of the family. You should do this by Doing this will allow you to group people appropriately. Doing it this way can simplify things and allow you to quickly (and visually) spot what relationships there are. Post-it notes are perfect for this as they mean you can change your mind many times over.
- 8). Start by seating those with special needs first. Elderly guests will appreciate being away from a noisy DJ, close to facilities and - for the most part - away from young chidren. Likewise, disabled guests will benefit from seating close to ramps, exit points and disabled rest rooms.
- 9). Family's where most wedding friction stems from, so their seating should be treated as a priority. Do make every effort to seat family as close to the head table as possible. Once their seating is in place you can work on placing friends.
- 10
If you're allowing children at your wedding, it's worth considering a kids table. This table should be relatively close to the dancefloor so they can burn up some energy. But, do remember that devoting a whole table to children could be a risky. To play it safe, keep children under 8 seated with their parents. - 11
Aim for equal numbers of men and women at each table. This will create a feeling of balance and avoid anyone feeling outnumbered. - 12
A nice mix of singles and couples will ensure that no singles will think they're being set-up or marginalised by being stuck at the "singles table". - 13
Better safe than sorry, I say. So, always keep at least two tables free at the back of the room. One should be reserved for those working at your wedding (e.g. photographers, band, DJs, performers). The other should be kept available for anyone who failed to RSVP and anyone who accepts at the last minute. - 14
A day or two before the wedding is the best time to create the final version of your seating chart. This should be neatly laid out and clearly show the layout of seating assignments. Taking this to your wedding venue will help prevent any problems on your big day. - 15
Remember your table names (or numbers)? Well, it's time to design the signs which feature those. Some wedding planners will make these themselves - but if you're looking to keep wedding costs low - get crafty. Whichever way you do it, please do make sure your caterer fully understands which table signs should appear where. You could always photocopy your 'official' wedding table plan(created in step 14). - 16
Now it's time to finally write up the placecards. While you have the time, why not show your guests how special they are to you? A little drawing or even a short note (e.g. Thanks for sharing our special day with us) can add a nice personal touch. - 17
Once the ink's dried, place the cards in alphabetical order by last name. This will make it easier for guests to spot them on the big day. Do make sure you ask your catered to lay out the cards in this order.
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