How many chairs to rent for 250 guest

hricheson1004 · July 2013

I've been told many different opinions on how many chairs/tables to get for 250 guest. Several people have told me to only rent 90% of my guest list so that I don't "over rent" on the number of chairs and waste money. They said that not everyone sits down at the same time and not everyone shows up. I am fine with under renting, but I don't want more to show up than planned or have that one in a million chances that everyone wants to sit down at the same time. Is there a event specialist out there that has a good idea of how many tables and chairs I should get that would help me on money AND provide enough seating? I just don't want a tent full of chairs if I don't have to have it that way...

NYCMercedes · July 2013

hricheson1004 said:

I've been told many different opinions on how many chairs/tables to get for 250 guest. Several people have told me to only rent 90% of my guest list so that I don't "over rent" on the number of chairs and waste money. They said that not everyone sits down at the same time and not everyone shows up. I am fine with under renting, but I don't want more to show up than planned or have that one in a million chances that everyone wants to sit down at the same time. Is there a event specialist out there that has a good idea of how many tables and chairs I should get that would help me on money AND provide enough seating? I just don't want a tent full of chairs if I don't have to have it that way...

More info, please. Is this a sit-down meal? Is it a buffet or non-meal? You should always have a chair for every butt. You shouldn't have to reserve the exact number of chairs and tables until two weeks minimum before your event date.

manateehugger · July 2013

hricheson1004 said:

I've been told many different opinions on how many chairs/tables to get for 250 guest. Several people have told me to only rent 90% of my guest list so that I don't "over rent" on the number of chairs and waste money. They said that not everyone sits down at the same time and not everyone shows up. I am fine with under renting, but I don't want more to show up than planned or have that one in a million chances that everyone wants to sit down at the same time. Is there a event specialist out there that has a good idea of how many tables and chairs I should get that would help me on money AND provide enough seating? I just don't want a tent full of chairs if I don't have to have it that way...

These people are liars and tempting you to be rude. You need a chair for every single butt that RSVP's yes. You need a table spot and a chair for every guest - no exceptions. No shows are rude - don't bank on your guests being rude. What happens if you have no no-shows? Are 10 people supposed to just stand during the meal?

Shop around with different vendors to compare chair costs. Don't stress if they aren't the prettiest things in the world - no one cares and no one takes pictures of empty chairs. Honestly the difference between 90% chairs and 100% chairs shouldn't make or break your budget or your space. If it does, you need to find a new venue or reorganize your budget.

QueerFemme · July 2013

A chair for every butt. You rent the # of chairs for the number of people that RSVP. if you INVITE 250 guests, you should talk to your rental company and tell them you will need 250 chairs, but may scale that number back 2-3 weeks before the wedding, based on your RSVP list.

Then, order enough chairs for every single person who RSVP'd "yes" to sit at the same time.

daria24 · July 2013

QueerFemme said:
A chair for every butt. You rent the # of chairs for the number of people that RSVP. if you INVITE 250 guests, you should talk to your rental company and tell them you will need 250 chairs, but may scale that number back 2-3 weeks before the wedding, based on your RSVP list.

Then, order enough chairs for every single person who RSVP'd "yes" to sit at the same time.

This. But I would add that if you aren't assigning seating at your reception, you should order about 10% extra. There is always that table with 10 place settings but only 9 people, you don't want people to have to split up in order to have a place to eat.