While organizing a seating chart may seem an unnecessary item to be added to your already long to-do list, many wedding industry professionals will suggest a seating chart to eliminate wedding day stress and confusion. Some of the top reasons to use a seating chart are 1) you wouldn’t want Grandmom & Grandad sitting somewhere they can’t see/hear 2) couples may be split up without a seating chart 3) it’s uncomfortable for all when the last few guests are wandering around looking for a seat. If you’re not convinced that a seating chart is for you yet, consider that unless you have fewer than 20 guests or there are more chairs than tables, it’s probably better that you conceive a seating chart ahead of time. You may (or may not) be surprised to hear that 84% of polled wedding guests prefer a wedding reception with a seating chart!

Now that you’re convinced to design a seating chart, you have two options. You may assign your guests to specific tables, or go a step beyond that and assign guests to specific seats at specific tables. When making your decision, go with whichever option will make your guests the most comfortable. 

Once you’ve decided where all your guests will be assigned, comes the fun part. You can either name each table (within a consistent theme- like places you & your fiance have visited, or favorite movies) or just number each table. You’ll need name place cards at each seat if you’ve assigned guests to specific seats at specific tables.

Don’t be intimated by the creation of a seating chart, there are numerous software programs available to ease the difficulty of this usually necessary task. Frustration isn’t something a seating chart should make you feel, either. You may as well accept that your seating chart will be the subject of many, many revisions, but the good news is you can start charting relatively early in your wedding planning, because you probably have a good idea of who from your guest list will and won’t attend.

You have a big task ahead of you, but you will be so glad you did it. Before you get started, here are just a few things to consider as you go about assigning tables/seats for your guests:

• Tables near the head table (or sweetheart table) should be reserved for your closest family and friends
• If you’re using round tables, you should generally assign males and females to alternating seats
• Don’t forget to use your guests’ ages and interests when assigning
• Grouping your guests into identifiable cliques (grooms college friends, work colleagues, friends of your parents, etc.) will make grouping guests together at specific tables easier
• Seat children under 8 years of age at the same table as their parents, but if you’re expecting a great deal of 8+ children to attend, you may consider creating a “kids-only” table
• Leave 2-3 tables empty for vendors during their breaks or for unexpected guests
• Have a large diagram of the completed seating chart on hand at the reception venue on your wedding day to solve any confusion

Remember that you only get once chance to get your seating chart right, so it’s definitely worth the time and effort it will take to pull it off!