seating arrangment with buffet style?

ksheel

Im having a buffet style reception, should I have a seating arrangment?Thanks so much!

Lasairiona

Guests will be sitting down to eat so yes you need to at least assign tables. There isn't any reason it would be any different than if you served a plated meal. The only time you can get away with not having a seating arrangement is if you are having desserts or appetizers only as those are mingling receptions where people don't usually sit down the whole time.

Mrs.B6302007

Absolutely.  Don't make your guests wander and search for seats; do it for them so they can sit and enjoy their dinner.

faith194

We had a buffet style reception. . .We assigned tables. It worked out perfectly. I would not want my guests trying to figure out where to sit. Granted, a few switched seats, but it wasn't a huge deal.

lyndausvi

This is really a social circle question. I've always attended wedding that had assigned seats regardless if there was a buffet or sit-down.  It's what my social circle expects.  Your might be different.  

Lasairiona

It has nothing to do with social circles. It depends if you want your guests to be split up from each other because they aren't in the first group to find a place to sit at the reception and possibly have to sit on the floor because there is no place else to go.

lyndausvi

no, it's a nice way of saying there is more than one way to do something.  While I would never have open seating, there are some social circles who fnd assigned tables rude.  I do not get their reasoning againist assigning tables.  But some people are very passionate against them.

brandyleighxx

We thought long and hard about it and I decided a seating chart would be too much stress. We had buffet style and did not have a seating chart and it went fine.

Leah&Christian09

We didn't assign tables for our buffet.  We'd planned on it, but it just got cut at the last minute.  We had seats for 120 and about 100 guests, so there was plenty of space for everyone to sit with their group.If you don't assign seats for a meal, you should make sure you have plenty of extra seating so groups don't get divided.

gottahavashorti

We went to one reception where seating wasn't assigned, but the church members or staff who worked the reception asked how many were in our group and escorted us to a table.  It worked out well.  I agree with PPs to have plenty of extra seats if you don't do table assignments.