Seating chart difficulties!

Majelin86

So I'm starting on my seating chart (we're waiting on a few more RSVPs, but I have all of my family and friend's back so I'm starting with them) and I'm already having trouble. What if you have a table of 8 but there are 10 people that you'd like to seat together? Do I just split them up 5 and 5 or 4 and 6 if they're couples? And my fiancé has a work buddy coming to our wedding but he won't really know anyone else (we gave him a +1), so who do we seat him and his date with? I also have a table with 7 (2 of my aunts, one uncle and their kids on my mom's side) but don't really know else to put there because that's it for my mom's side. Do I try to squeeze 9 into that table...but who would be the random 2 I put there? I don't want people to feel uncomfortable and awkward at dinner!

JoanE2012

Majelin86 said:

So I'm starting on my seating chart (we're waiting on a few more RSVPs, but I have all of my family and friend's back so I'm starting with them) and I'm already having trouble. What if you have a table of 8 but there are 10 people that you'd like to seat together? Do I just split them up 5 and 5 or 4 and 6 if they're couples? And my fiancé has a work buddy coming to our wedding but he won't really know anyone else (we gave him a +1), so who do we seat him and his date with? I also have a table with 7 (2 of my aunts, one uncle and their kids on my mom's side) but don't really know else to put there because that's it for my mom's side. Do I try to squeeze 9 into that table...but who would be the random 2 I put there? I don't want people to feel uncomfortable and awkward at dinner!

Can you see if your venue will accommodate tables of varying sizes?  We were able to have tables between 7-12 people, so this eliminated much of the trouble of figuring out who went where.  The venue had two different sized tables depending on how many people were going to be seated there so none of the tables looked too crowded or empty.

Majelin86

JoanE2012 said:

Majelin86 said:

So I'm starting on my seating chart (we're waiting on a few more RSVPs, but I have all of my family and friend's back so I'm starting with them) and I'm already having trouble. What if you have a table of 8 but there are 10 people that you'd like to seat together? Do I just split them up 5 and 5 or 4 and 6 if they're couples? And my fiancé has a work buddy coming to our wedding but he won't really know anyone else (we gave him a +1), so who do we seat him and his date with? I also have a table with 7 (2 of my aunts, one uncle and their kids on my mom's side) but don't really know else to put there because that's it for my mom's side. Do I try to squeeze 9 into that table...but who would be the random 2 I put there? I don't want people to feel uncomfortable and awkward at dinner!

Can you see if your venue will accommodate tables of varying sizes?  We were able to have tables between 7-12 people, so this eliminated much of the trouble of figuring out who went where.  The venue had two different sized tables depending on how many people were going to be seated there so none of the tables looked too crowded or empty.

They said tables of 8, they can squeeze a 9th if they need to.

clg1213

I'd start by putting the more obvious groups together.  Break them into smaller groups is needed (i.e. your 10 could be 6 and 4...putting them close would prob make them happy, but might kinda suck for the tablemates who might feel ignored or get tired of the volume b/w the two table).  After you have the bigger groups, you need to add in smaller groups "i.e. Uncle, Aunt, Adult Child) and then the individuals, sprinkle them in with people they have stuff in common with (age, sense of humor, career field)

iloveu4ever

Majelin86 said:

JoanE2012 said:

Majelin86 said:

So I'm starting on my seating chart (we're waiting on a few more RSVPs, but I have all of my family and friend's back so I'm starting with them) and I'm already having trouble. What if you have a table of 8 but there are 10 people that you'd like to seat together? Do I just split them up 5 and 5 or 4 and 6 if they're couples? And my fiancé has a work buddy coming to our wedding but he won't really know anyone else (we gave him a +1), so who do we seat him and his date with? I also have a table with 7 (2 of my aunts, one uncle and their kids on my mom's side) but don't really know else to put there because that's it for my mom's side. Do I try to squeeze 9 into that table...but who would be the random 2 I put there? I don't want people to feel uncomfortable and awkward at dinner!

Can you see if your venue will accommodate tables of varying sizes?  We were able to have tables between 7-12 people, so this eliminated much of the trouble of figuring out who went where.  The venue had two different sized tables depending on how many people were going to be seated there so none of the tables looked too crowded or empty.

They said tables of 8, they can squeeze a 9th if they need to.


I agree just try to squeeze a 9th person in. Just put people who they don't know together. I am putting my parents with 2 of my friends.

Majelin86

Thanks! Another question - I am doing the seating chart on a piece of Bristol board (decorating it nice) and I just wondered - do you title the seating chart, or just have it with just the tables & people's names on it with nothing else?

Jen4948

A well-prepared seating chart should be self-explanatory, but you can give it a title of "Seating" or something like that if you like.

MandyMost

You're assigning people to TABLES not SEATS, right? Assigned seating is overboard, and usually just causes a lot more trouble than it's worth. 

Since your venue has tables of 8, I'd aim to separate all your guests into groups of 7-9 people. Obviously you know to sit the established groups together, and it makes sense to break up a larger group in half instead of just taking a few people out and making them sit with strangers. 

You're obviously going to have to sit people with strangers, but try to put people together that you think will get along. Don't put your great aunts with your college buddies, for example. But perhaps your high school friends will get along will with your fiance's college friends, or something like that, and you can seat them together. If someone literally doesn't know anyone else, I'd make a special effort to put him/her at a table with particularly social and welcoming/outgoing guests. 

Majelin86

Yes, I'm assigning people to tables, not seats.