How to Create a Seating Chart
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Creating seating arrangements for your wedding can seem overwhelming, but once you get going, thinking about your college roommate meeting your childhood best friend becomes a feat to look forward to. To help you along the way, we’ve created some simple rules to initiate the process, as well as a FREE seating chart download.
1. Get Organized
You know all of those RSVP cards? It’s time to use them! Record everyone who will be attending, and note those whom you are still missing.
If you haven’t already, create an excel sheet with the correct spelling of names, addresses and meal choices. This will come in handy later on when recording place cards and sending out Thank You notes.
This is the time to choose whether you want assigned seating, or just assigned tables.
Assigned Tables – Guests are assigned to a specific table, but can sit wherever they choose at said table.
Assigned Seating – Guests are assigned a specific seat at a specific table. This will require place cards set ahead of time, but gives you control on who sits next to each other.
2. Double Check Your Seating
Before you start assigning seats, double check with your venue as to the number of seats that will be at every table, and how many tables you will have.
3. Label Your Tables
Nowadays couples are more likely to name their tables rather than number them. Labeling a table after your favorite travel destination, a place in your hometown or with a song title gives a personal touch that guests can relate to. If you do decide to uniquely name your tables, also give them a number (even if you decide not to display it.) While you or your planner are managing your seating, it’s easier to figure out what numbered table goes where, rather than having to tell the caterer “the gentleman at the Boot, Scoot n’ Boogie table will be having the salmon.”
4. Choose a Seating Method
There are some who like to digitally categorize their tables while other like the old school feel of pen and paper. Below we’ve created a FREE Seating Chart Template from Paper Hat for you to download. There are spaces for who you will be placing at what table, as well as meal preferences if needed. Whether you digitally fill it out, or print it out, this is a useful tool to first choose who will sit together and where.
Be sure to download your FREE Seating Chart Template from Paper Hat. It has spaces for who you will be placing at what table, and their meal preference if needed.
Paper Hat Seating Chart
5. Start Seating!
First, we recommend sectioning off your guest list in chronological order based on the importance of your guests. For example:
Bridesmaids and their guests
Groomsmen and their guests
Bride’s immediate family
Bride’s extended family
Groom’s immediate family
Groom’s extended family
Bride’s childhood friends
Groom’s Childhood friends
Bride’s college friends
Groom’s college friends
Bride’s work friends
Groom’s work friends
This is just one example of how to begin your chart. You can also set an age range for different tables, which is useful if you have a number of your parent’s friends attending.
Seat people with similar interests together. Have a work colleague that is really into soccer? Seat him with your college friend who you know has been to the World Cup.
Think of people you would like to introduce to each other, but have never had the opportunity, and seat them together.
Still feeling unsure? Shoot your guest an email saying you seated them next to your childhood friend, you thought they would get along great and here’s what you both have in common.
6. Confirm with Your Coordinator
Once you have completed your list, work with your Day of Coordinator on your venue space layout for what tables will go where. Your final list should be sent in no less than 2 days before the wedding so your Coordinator can make sure you have the appropriate number of chairs at each table, as well as having your place cards set up if you’ve chosen assigned seats.
