We’ve all seen the movies where brides-to-be (and usually their mothers) are stressing out in front of huge poster boards with little moveable chairs or name tags. Popular culture makes trying to decide where to seat people at your wedding look like a nightmare. But don’t let that fictionalized representation of seating charts scare you away from the whole thing. We’ve helped run a lot of weddings here at Legacy Stables and Events, and we’re here to tell you that having assigned seats for your reception is the way to go.
Save Time and Money
The most obvious reason to give people direction on where to sit with a seating chart is that it saves time. There is always some milling around to be expected, especially during that time between the ceremony and the reception when the bridal party is taking pictures. But people eventually want to find a seat. Having a chart helps them know exactly where to go, rather than waiting around to see where others will sit first.
The other benefits might not be so obvious. Having assigned seats can end up saving you money on the overall costs of the reception. Why? Because when there aren’t seat assignments, people will choose seats based on who is at the table already, sometimes leaving a place or two empty. For that reason, we always plan an extra table for events that don’t have assigned seating. You’re paying for China, glassware, flatware, and linens for at least 10 people that don’t even get used.
Stress-Free Assigned Seating
We’ve provided a few tips on how to go about creating an assigned seating chart for your wedding.
- Ask for a layout of the space that will be used for the reservation. Being able to work with a model will help you have a better understanding of where the tables will be and how close people are to each other.
- Make sure the list you’re using has your final RSVPs.
- Put all the parents together at tables close to the head table. Of course, there are many bridal couples dealing with parents who are divorced and possibly remarried. If there are family members who don’t always get along, it might be a good idea to have multiple tables and put some space between the exes who would rather not be in the same room as each other.
- Group the guest accordingly. Once you’ve got all the parents in place, it’s time to think about where to put others. Start grouping guests by category (based on how they know you) or by interests. Having something in common with each other helps give them something to talk about during the reception.
- Consider assigning tables, not seats. This allows guests to have more control in the process because they can sit next to whoever they want at the table they’ve been assigned to.
Brides have a lot on their minds the day of the wedding. Creating a seating chart ahead of time helps alleviate some of the stress surrounding your wedding day.
As you begin planning your wedding, let Legacy Stables and Events help you. Our trained staff is very knowledgeable in wedding planning, and we can help guide you through all the steps, from getting the tools you need to assign seats to help find the right vendors to make your day special.
