Wedding Reception Forum

When to put together seating chart?

Should I start as soon as we send invitations (knowing that it will probably change considerably) or wait till we get all our RSVPs?

Re: When to put together seating chart?

  • ei34ei34 member
    Knottie Warrior 2500 Comments 500 Love Its 5 Answers
    I waited until I had all of my RSVP's, the day before we went to our venue to hand in our seating chart (and the favors, some framed photos, etc.) and five days before our wedding.  It actually only took me around 30 minutes to create the seating chart, because our guests very easily fit into groups (my mom's siblings...DH's cousins...my co-workers, etc) that made who they'd sit with obvious.  If you think yours will be more complex, you could certainly start piecing things together when invites go out (just use pencil).
  • I waited until I had RSVPs but we had a huge guest list and a lot of OOT guests. It took us a while but only because we had small tables. It doesn't hurt to start now if you think it will be complicated knowing you might have to make substantial changes. 
  • Wait until you have your RSVPs. I believe I did mine the week before? 
  • lyndausvilyndausvi mod
    Moderator Knottie Warrior 10000 Comments 500 Love Its
    edited August 2016
    I did them as the RSVPs came in.     Actually, some like the parent tables and our tables were done before the invites even went out.

    I had an excel sheet with each column being a table.  I had prelim tables set up.  Ie.  My parents, his mom, all my aunts, cousins, dad's cousins.  

      As RSVPs came in I just plopped their names in the correct column.     By the time the RSVP date came it was pretty much done with only a few changes (mostly random people who didn't quite fit into a category).

    I rented all the tables so we had different sized tables. Some as small as 6, some as big as 12.   So it was easy for me to adjust tables accordingly to the "group" size.  It would have been harder to if every table had to be 8 or whatever people.









    What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
  • We did ours the Wednesday before the wedding.  I tried a couple of times to start them before we got all our RSVPs, but so many people we thought for sure were coming ending up declining that it was a lost cause.


    "And when they use our atoms to make new lives, they won’t just be able to take one, they’ll have to take two, one of you and one of me..."
    --Philip Pullman

  • I agree with @southernbelle0915 that it could be a good idea to write down lists of those that could sit with each other. If you've got complicated relationships between guests then there's no harm in just scribbling on a piece of paper circles that would be fine together. It doesn't matter if there's too many in one list or not enough on the other as it's just a rough guideline that you can put away then get out again as rsvps come in to remind you of what you thought and might make the whole thing easier.

    If you think your guest list would be fine and there's no awkward relationships to be aware of then I'd leave it until after all the rsvps come in and do a final draft like the week before.
  • I might be getting you confused with someone else, but I thought you were having a casual afternoon reception with snacks and things that isn't over a mealtime? I don't think you need a seating chart for this because the way you have described it before sounds like people will be mingling and snacking if they want. If they aren't all going to be sitting down at meal time I think it is overkill. 
  • We did it exactly as SouthernBelle described.
    What did you think would happen if you walked up to a group of internet strangers and told them to get shoehorned by their lady doc?~StageManager14
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  • edited August 2016
    I might be getting you confused with someone else, but I thought you were having a casual afternoon reception with snacks and things that isn't over a mealtime? I don't think you need a seating chart for this because the way you have described it before sounds like people will be mingling and snacking if they want. If they aren't all going to be sitting down at meal time I think it is overkill. 
    Yes and no. It is an afternoon reception with snacks, but it's also in a picnic pavilion. (I test-drove the picnic benches, and they can seat anyone comfortably, plus we'll have chairs at each end of each table.)

    ETA: I could be overthinking this a bit (as I often do).
  • I might be getting you confused with someone else, but I thought you were having a casual afternoon reception with snacks and things that isn't over a mealtime? I don't think you need a seating chart for this because the way you have described it before sounds like people will be mingling and snacking if they want. If they aren't all going to be sitting down at meal time I think it is overkill. 
    Yes and no. It is an afternoon reception with snacks, but it's also in a picnic pavilion. (I test-drove the picnic benches, and they can seat anyone comfortably, plus we'll have chairs at each end of each table.)

    ETA: I could be overthinking this a bit (as I often do).
    I just think a seating chart for a picnic pavilion wedding mid-afternoon where you aren't serving a meal is too much. Definitely have chairs and all, but I just am not picturing everyone all sitting down on the dot of three to together consume a snack of picnic items they picked up at a buffet. To me it would be kinda like offering valet parking- like sure, knock yourself out, it's not hurting anything but it's also not in keeping with the formality of the event. 
  • If you still want to have a seating chart, go ahead.

    I've got a rough plan of the venue with sticky note tables and then little post it notes with people's names on them. As soon as I get RSVPs, I'll start moving things around as needed.

    You'll probably have a rough idea of the individuals that go together in groups. Beyond that, I'd wait until I have more information.

  • I wouldn't worry about a seating chart since you aren't serving a meal. People can sit and talk then get up and move with their snacks.

  • I'm pretty sure I was doing the escort cards the day before the wedding. I had figured out who was at each table as soon as I got the RSVPS back, but didn't do table numbers until I actually got to see the tables set up so I knew which group to put where in the venue.  
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