How to Make a Perfect Wedding Seating Chart

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Organizing a wedding seating chart for the very first time can be dreadful for the bride and groom. You thought you were done wringing your hand after sending an invite to your guest list. Moreover, it doesn’t stop here.

Your aunt and grandma do not get along, and they start quarreling over petty issues. Also, your parents are the brink of divorcing each other. Your hypersensitive friend does want to end up on the “singles” table, and your other friend speaks only French. Furthermore, your pregnant sister wants a seat close to the bathroom.

Now you have your RSVPs to your wedding invitation, and you don’t know how to fit all these people in one big frame.

That’s when a wedding seating plan comes into play. You just have to be a little courteous, considerate, and diplomatic in creating a wedding seating chart to make everyone happy.

When to Finalize a Wedding Seating Chart

For a couple, arranging a wedding seating chart can be stressful because your vendors want to know about your wedding seating plan in advance. Just thinking about it makes this process a little overwhelming. This demanding and exhausting situation begs the question: When should a couple finalize a wedding seating chart? And will it be possible to make last-minute changes?

According to several wedding planners, finalizing your wedding seating plan two weeks before your wedding is ideal. Moreover, it will be helpful for you if you want to make some modifications at the last minute.

Once you get your RSVPs, you and your fiancé should go through the wedding seating plan once last time. Make sure to ask each other these questions:

Are you happy with the seating arrangement?
Do the groom and bride’s parents’ sit together?
Are you content with where you seated everyone?
Are your most important people in the view of where you are going to sit?
Did you place the children where you want them to be on the table?

Take a look at the wedding seating plan thoroughly before handing it over to your vendor, and make sure to make a copy of your wedding seating chart for yourself.

How to Design a Wedding Seating Plan?

If you are interested in designing a wedding seating chart for your big day, continue reading for some stress-free tips.

1. Start Your Plan in Advance

Once you get all the RSVPs, design your wedding seating plan two to three weeks early. Therefore, it is essential if you set your RSVP deadline two to three weeks earlier, too. Moreover, your caterer will demand a headcount a week before your wedding date.

2. Use Spreadsheets to Save Your Life

Utilize a spreadsheet to track your RSVPs. You can insert a column into your RSVP spreadsheet to categorize and color-code all your guests by relationships.

3. Collect Details of Your Venue

Call your wedding venue to collect all the details of the layout, such as bathrooms, space dimensions, and electric outlet locations.

4. Place Your Party Add-ons at Appropriate Places

Ensure that you provide an appropriate space for a buffet and a band or a DJ. Also, keep in mind that locating a spot for an add-on is essential because nobody will feel like having your birthday cake if its stand is next to a bathroom.

5. Calculate the Number of Tables You Require

Go through your confirmed guest list and decide the number of tables you can fit into the given space.

6. Choose Table Size and Shape

Visualize realistically how many people can sit comfortably at each table. Round tables are the easiest table shape, and it enables people to socialize easily. Rectangular tables take a bit more planning.

7. Use a Software to Make a Wedding Seating Plan

Using sticky notes can be a bit tricky, and it can make things complicated. It is better to use software like Edraw Max to hasten things up.

8. Finalize the Table Layout

Start creating your layout and finalize it. You can also ask for help from your caterer to figure out the best table layout.

9. Allocate Seats

Now figure it out where you want to place each person. Write names on each chair according to your preference.

Choose Your Seat First

Since it’s the happy couple’s day and you and your spouse will be the center of attention. So seat yourself in the center and highly visible location.

Now, Place Your Parents

According to the wedding etiquette, you and your spouse’s parents should be seated at one table along with siblings and grandparents. However, if parents are divorced and want to sit separately, they can host a table with their close family and friends.

Assign Places to Remaining Guests

After placing your parents and close friends, now assign seats to the remaining guests.

10. Have a Separate Kid’s Table and a Space for Wheelchairs

If there are more ten children, it is better to provide them with a separate table. Moreover, you should give extra space for people who need assistance.

11. Make Sure Your Guests Find their Place Easily.

Now, as you have determined where everyone is going to sit, the last step is how you are going to tell your guests. You can print guests’ names and table numbers, or you can use large seating-assignment charts.