Arranged Seating at Rehearsal Dinner?

meaghan803

Are table assignments common/required for the rehearsal dinner, or is this something that would depend on the venue? FMIL mentioned to FI that she had started planning out tables for the RD, but I would like to avoid this if possible due to some complicated family issues (my grandparents are divorced and don't get along well).  TIA!

nurse.misty

I've never had assigned seating at a rehearsal dinner, but I guess it would depend on how formal the RD is. We've just always done rehearsal then a restaurant so people just sat wherever.

mica178

We had assigned tables at our RD.  That was my ILs' decision, since they were hosting.  The nice thing about assigning tables is that you can seat warring family members at tables far apart frmo each other.

JessAndTrav

I would say that depends on the venue, perhaps. But if you're having arranged seating at the reception, I'd maybe try to avoid it for the RD

[Deleted User]

We didn't have assigned seating for the RD nor the reception. (For the reception, we assigned tables, not seats).

For the RD, people just took their seats as they arrived from the church rehearsal or wherever they were coming from if they did not attend the church rehearsal.

eholstia

I've been to two rehearsal dinners with assigned seats, but they were both on the formal side. The more casual rehearsal dinners I've been to have all had open seating. 

meaghan803

That's what I thought...ours is at a restaurant and definitely not super formal, so hopefully FMIL will agree and let people just sit whereever they feel comfortable.  Thanks everyone

Summer2011Bride

We're not doing assigned seating, but I've been to a more formal RD where we had RSVP'd with our meal choices and everything and they did reserved seats to make it easier on the wait staff. If this isn't the case for you, I think no reserved seats is A-OK.

Karen's MOH

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_arranged-seating-rehearsal-dinner?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:eb58cdc4-b80a-4e97-9a91-5bde4a38cb49Post:27419542-a1b7-4943-a5dd-00999acab3e3">Re: Arranged Seating at Rehearsal Dinner?</a>:
[QUOTE]We had assigned tables at our RD.  That was my ILs' decision, since they were hosting.  The <strong>nice thing about assigning tables is that you can seat warring family members at tables far apart frmo each other</strong>.
Posted by mica178[/QUOTE]

This is what I was thinking. I've been to RD with and without assigned tables, and all have been in restaurants. If you don't do assigned, you'll need to make sure you have a few extra seats around, so it doesn't end upw ith a pair being split up or whatnot.