Seating chart- do or don't- need advice

JenniferW2015

I am considering doing a seating chart for our wedding next september. Our wedding is going to be roughly around 300 people. What are your thought on this? Would it be too stressful? Mother-in-law thinks it would but I kinda want to so that the people we are closest to don't get stuck in the back corner. Any advice would be appreciated. I understand that some people would be upset with where they are placed but I figured I have been to so many wedding that have done this so why shouldn't I?

banana468

What is the norm for your social circle?

I've never attended a wedding with open seating and we have always had at least assigned tables.   

blueobsidian

Most of the weddings I've been to have had open seating, but they've also mostly been small (40 to 60 people), so there's never been any issues with finding a table.  That said, I think that with 300 people, assigning tables would be pretty important.  

If you decide not to assign tables, you'll want to have about 10% extra seating to account for empty seats at tables.  That could be a pricey addition with so many guests.

JoanE2012

Assign tables, not seats.  I hate attending a wedding and trying to find the people I know only to find the table full already and end up sitting with random strangers.  Or worse yet, not really knowing anyone and walking around asking, "are these seats taken?" only to find they're being held for other family members.  Be kind to your guests and at least assign them tables.  My mom did our family, DH's mom did his family and my DH and I did our friends.  It wasn't as hard as it seemed.

AJuliaNJ

I like assigned tables. The bride and groom usually take great care to seat families, friends, and like-minded people together.

Here is an example that came up when I was putting together the tables. If the tables seat 10 and you are a group of 11, the bride and groom will know to split you into 2 groups so no one is the only person alone. If you had open seating, if you are the last person in the room, your 10 friends may have taken all the seats, leaving you to sit with people you don't know. 

clg1213

I totally panic if there aren't table assignments (I don't think seat assignments are needed).  It brings back flashbacks of standing in the school cafeteria and looking for a place to sit!!!

Start with the "close" folks. You can ask each set of parents to pick their tablemates as a start. 

It would prob be tough w/ 300 but when I did my first wedding, I put each name (or each couple) or a card and then moved them around to get sets of 8 (or however many will fill a table). It really helped me to do it physically, despite normally being a computer user for storing info and making many charts and lists!!

JenniferW2015

My first marrige I didn't do it an wish I had because some of my close family got stuck towards the back. I don't want that to happen again.
Most of my family weddings have been open seating but the majority of my friends has done assigned tables.

MairePoppy

I've never been upset with my table assignment. But I would be unhappy if my party had to break up because there were only two empty seats here, one there and three at another table. Table assignments are the norm for my family and friends. 

[Deleted User]

We did table assignments. It allowed to make sure that close family members sat near us. Also we were able to pair people up who would have things in common. This way the 80 some year old couple didn't end up at a table of 30 some year olds who were all about dancing and drinking and vice versa.

The trick I did to make it easier was poster board & post it tabs that you can write on. I drew lots of very large circles on the poster board. As I got responses back I wrote out names on the post it tabs for the people who were coming. For people that were obvious to me, I put them together on circles as it made sense. The people I didn't know, I waited for MIL help as they were her friends/family. Having the names on the tabs made it easy to move people around on the chart. Once we had the groupings done, then we assigned table numbers.

sonthirathb

For 300 people please do a seating chart!  People will sit where you tell them.  Even if they are not impressed where you assigned them I don't think they will say anything to you.  After dinner most people would mingle and visit with others they know anyway.