Seating chart.... hasn't technology solved this yet?

jenijoyk

We're starting in on our seating chart. I'm using excel to move people around. It's driving me insane and I feel like I'm doing some ridiculous LSAT logic game puzzle. We have 12 tables of 12 and 4 tables of 10. The tables of 10 are in an alcove and our coordinator warned us that they are a tighter fit and we should avoid seating people with strollers or high chairs at those tables (we have about 10 babies coming). The alcove tables are also further from the heat lamps (we have some older people that might prefer heat lamps). We have two family branches that allegedly cannot be sat with or even near each other (per FMIL). There are certain people my parents would really like to sit with. There are a handful of people who only know one or two other guests and should be seated with those specific people. Why isn't there a website that does this for you? I mean, I feel like I should be able to type in all these rules and hit "Go" and COMPUTERZ/SZIENCE/TECHNOLOGIES should just divine my optimal seating chart for me. Does this exist? Why doesn't this exist? How did everyone else do this? I really don't want to go home and write down 180 names of people and babies on miniature postits and move them around a posterboard.

JennyColada

jenijoyk said:

I really don't want to go home and write down 180 names of people and babies on miniature postits and move them around a posterboard.

Well, you could always just print out the boxes from Excel and then cut them out and move those pieces of paper around. Buuuuut, I think that that general idea is probably the best/easiest.

But I've always loved playing "house" with things like that, so I kind of find the idea to be a bit fun! Maybe I should have a larger wedding just so I get to mess with seating charts.

Knottie41058249

Eventbrite has a new feature for this. You can plan the whole thing and don't have to use Eventbrite ever again. Try it out!

beethery

I've been using this site to play with layouts. (CLICK)

Apparently their site is down, it'll probably be back up soon enough. I used it a few days ago.

JoanE2012

jenijoyk said:

We're starting in on our seating chart. I'm using excel to move people around. It's driving me insane and I feel like I'm doing some ridiculous LSAT logic game puzzle. We have 12 tables of 12 and 4 tables of 10. The tables of 10 are in an alcove and our coordinator warned us that they are a tighter fit and we should avoid seating people with strollers or high chairs at those tables (we have about 10 babies coming). The alcove tables are also further from the heat lamps (we have some older people that might prefer heat lamps). We have two family branches that allegedly cannot be sat with or even near each other (per FMIL). There are certain people my parents would really like to sit with. There are a handful of people who only know one or two other guests and should be seated with those specific people. Why isn't there a website that does this for you? I mean, I feel like I should be able to type in all these rules and hit "Go" and COMPUTERZ/SZIENCE/TECHNOLOGIES should just divine my optimal seating chart for me. Does this exist? Why doesn't this exist? How did everyone else do this? I really don't want to go home and write down 180 names of people and babies on miniature postits and move them around a posterboard.

I just used the RSVP cards and put them in piles.  It was easy to see and move people around.

And to the bolded, I'm not "old", yet I would appreciate being near a heat lamp if this is outdoors and it's chilly.  I hate being cold.  

jenijoyk

I realize the heat lamps are preferable for everyone. But someone (and by someone I mean about 30 someones) has to sit under the alcoves where you can't place the heat lamps. So we're having to prioritize. Grandmas and great aunts and uncles aren't getting alcove seats.

jenijoyk

Also, given that it's still in the triple digits here, I'm guess the likelihood of it being a problem is not high.

MandyMost

I would first just assign everyone to groups of 10-12, and THEN worry about which table to put where, and then see if you need to switch anyone up from who's at a 10-top vs. who's at a 12-top based on teh alcove limitations. 

As an aside...tables of 12? Are they huge tables!? That just seems like a lot of people at a table...people will likely only be able to talk to the people on their immediate sides, instead of having a whole table conversation. 

wandajune6

I'm working on the same thing and it's hard. So far, I've been using Excel and moving people around that way. It works, more or less.

I used to be a big fan of the Solver plugin and keep asking my Excel modeling geek buddies if they can make it work for me

jenijoyk

MandyMost said:

I would first just assign everyone to groups of 10-12, and THEN worry about which table to put where, and then see if you need to switch anyone up from who's at a 10-top vs. who's at a 12-top based on teh alcove limitations. 

As an aside...tables of 12? Are they huge tables!? That just seems like a lot of people at a table...people will likely only be able to talk to the people on their immediate sides, instead of having a whole table conversation. 

Yes. The 12-seat tables are big, wooden, rectangular, family style tables. Four seats on each long side, two seats on each shorter side. Everyone will still be able to talk to the people across the table from them - they'll be closer to the people across from them then they would be at a circular table for 8 or 10.

jenijoyk

These are the 12-seat tables. The 10 seat tables in the alcoves will only have one seat on each end instead of 2.

MandyMost

jenijoyk said:

MandyMost said:

I would first just assign everyone to groups of 10-12, and THEN worry about which table to put where, and then see if you need to switch anyone up from who's at a 10-top vs. who's at a 12-top based on teh alcove limitations. 

As an aside...tables of 12? Are they huge tables!? That just seems like a lot of people at a table...people will likely only be able to talk to the people on their immediate sides, instead of having a whole table conversation. 

Yes. The 12-seat tables are big, wooden, rectangular, family style tables. Four seats on each long side, two seats on each shorter side. Everyone will still be able to talk to the people across the table from them - they'll be closer to the people across from them then they would be at a circular table for 8 or 10.

Cool! You never know what people are planning on these boards...I was horrified that you were going to try to fit 12 people at at 60" or 72" round table. 

I have to admit, enough space both at the tables and between the tables is one of my biggest pet peeves at events. This is an awesome blog post on the topic in case anyone is interested: http://apracticalwedding.com/2013/08/wedding-seating-chart-tips/. You seem to have this aspect covered, though!

theartistformerlyknownas

Gurl I hear you. I had divorced parents, recovering alcoholics, sloppy drunks, ex BF/GFs, and one friend who slept with another friend's wife to deal with. You'll get it figured out. Or if you don't, just send it to me and I'll randomly assign people to sit with strangers.

wandajune6

lolo883 said:

Gurl I hear you. I had divorced parents, recovering alcoholics, sloppy drunks, ex BF/GFs, and one friend who slept with another friend's wife to deal with. You'll get it figured out. Or if you don't, just send it to me and I'll randomly assign people to sit with strangers.

I kinda want you to do that for me.... My side isn't so bad but FI's is like a brain-teaser: too many people asking to sit together and too many who need to be kept apart! Throw in a few non-English speakers and we have a cluster.

gingerbride26

Yea - my family fits at 1 table - no brainer.  My friends were a little more difficult - 11 sorority sisters said yes and tables of 10, coworkers 15-20 years older than high school friends... His side was a nightmare.  That one cousin no one wants to sit with... Ended up doing it with theKnot's built in tool - projected it on the big tv and all sat around for 4.5 hours fighting.  It just sucked when you moved everything and decided 2 plans ago was better and couldn't remember what you did.

MissKittyDanger

I am legit dreading seating plans.

80 people you think wouldn't be much, that's 8 people to tables of 10. Any one who doesn't get along would suck it up for the wedding - this I already know.

What i'm doing is basically saying "you 8 people at X table - find your own seat" as a way of avoidance and easier cuz idgaf about where they sit as long as it's at the table haha

badbnagdway

Ugh. I hate to think about seating plans. For one thing, my family doesn't divide easily because my parents are divorced and remarried and we will have tables of 8. 

FI's mother and step mother apparently cannot be in the same hemisphere. (FI's mother tried to convince FI not to invite his step mom, because she crazy). 

Yuck. 

rcher912

My sister found a quote somewhere online that said seating charts is like playing tetris but with people's emotions, lawl. That's forever how I'll see it.

[Deleted User]

JennyColada said:

jenijoyk said:

I really don't want to go home and write down 180 names of people and babies on miniature postits and move them around a posterboard.

Well, you could always just print out the boxes from Excel and then cut them out and move those pieces of paper around. Buuuuut, I think that that general idea is probably the best/easiest.

But I've always loved playing "house" with things like that, so I kind of find the idea to be a bit fun! Maybe I should have a larger wedding just so I get to mess with seating charts.

</block

@JennyColada‌, you should start a business since you like to do this! Cha ching!

MandyMost

What made our seating arrangements easier was not forcing ourselves into the even number of people per table. I think we had 60" round tables, which they say fit 8-10 people. We aimed to sit 7-9 people per table. Yes, we had to make sure the space was big enough (not an issue...our venue could have fit 200+ people, we had 150), and yes we had to rent some extra tables and linens. But it was worth it to us to have everyone seated comfortable without being squished at the tables, and to give ourselves the leeway of putting more or less than planned at each table.