How to make a wedding seating plan without the stress
Short answer
Start once most RSVPs are in. Draw your room, seat the top table and family first, then place guests in groups of people who know each other. Leave the awkward decisions for last, and finish about a week before the wedding, or by your venue's deadline.
Recommended tool: Wedding planner
Do it in this order
- Get the room from the venue. Ask for the floor plan, the table sizes and the number of seats at each.
- Group your guests. Split your list into groups such as family, school friends and colleagues. Write everyone on a list so nobody gets missed.
- Place the top table and family. Everything else falls into place around them.
- Fill tables with whole groups. Keep couples together, and move groups around before you move individuals.
- Handle the people who don't fit. Seat each one near someone with something in common, and tell them who to look out for.
- Check it as a guest would. Think about the distance to the music, the toilets and the exits.
The tables that need more thought
- Older guests: away from the speakers, close to the door and the toilets.
- Families with young children: near an exit, with other families if you can.
- People who don't get along: at separate tables and not in each other's direct line of sight.
- Divorced parents: talk to them early. Two separate family tables is a common solution.
Round or long tables?
Round tables let everyone talk to their whole group. Long tables fit more people into a narrow room and feel more like a shared dinner, but guests mostly talk to the people closest to them. Check the room plan before you choose.
Before you print anything
Allow for changes, because someone almost always cancels in the last week. Print your plan as late as you can, and give your venue and caterer the final version, with allergies marked by seat.
Common questions
When should we start our seating plan?
Start when most replies are in, often four to six weeks before the wedding. Earlier than that, you will end up redoing it.
Do we need a seating plan at all?
For a seated dinner, usually yes, because it avoids confusion and helps the caterer with dietary needs. For a standing reception, you can skip it.
How many people should sit at each table?
It depends on table size, so ask your venue. Eight to ten is common for round tables.
This guide offers general suggestions only. Costs, rules and timings vary, so check the details with your venue, vendors and local authorities.
Draw your room to scale and drag guests to a seat.See itBuy on Etsy