To Seat, or NOT to Seat?

ladylulu · February 2010

Of the 125 invitations, I'd say we have got about 13 RSVP's. I have been estimating anywhere from 250-300 people... (I rahter be over on stuff than be short.)

But my FI & were talking about seating arrangements... and I said for this crowd its going to be hard & time consuming! And he said its a 'must'...

I don't mind putting in the time to arrange it all if I know all who are coming, but what if I dont get responses from everyone (even after calls, txt, e-mail...etc...)?

Is this possible?? What to do?

ladylulu · February 2010

PS. And how soon do you ladies think I can start harrassing people that haven't replied, to RSVP?

hischiquita! · February 2010

I have the same dilemma, with about the same number of people. I figured I would do either:
Reserved for ______ family on tables, and just reserve for super important people like grandparents and such.

Or so assigned tables, not so much seating.

mrs.payne2010 · February 2010

if you dont assign it saves on place cards...just a thought! i agree, maybe just assign the "important people"(family) and leave the rest of the tables open seating. thats less hassel.

Sydney11 · February 2010

i would start harrassing a few days after you asked to get the rsvps by! my mindset is that you probably dont want to be stressing about that a few days before the wedding. i hope you get rsvps back soon!

amberg321 · February 2010

We gave people a little under a week after the RSVP date before we started calling and emailing.

As far as seating....we were originally going to do assigned seating until multiple guests starting saying things like "Is this person going? If so, dont seat me by them". So what we did was reserved the tables close to our sweetheart table for family/bridal party and let everyone else choose their seats at the open tables. It was so easy and we didnt have to spend time and money trying to make everyone else happy. I swear no matter what you do there is always going to be at least 1 person that doesnt understand that the day is for the bride and groom and not their personal drama.

goldilockslovespolkadots · February 2010

I TOTALLY AGREE WITH AMBER! Have preferred seating for the important people (...yes of course you are important too, darling...but you wouldn't rsvp!...:) and let everyone else pick their own tables. No matter how hard you try and how much time yo spend on it-you will still have unhappy people because they had to sit here instead of there, and next to so-in-so-I-can't-believe-I-had-to-sit-next-to-her...Then you don't have to stress over it-and you have just finished another important step in your wedding planning and you can move on!:)
Michelle

jojochanti · February 2010

Amber's preferred seating is a good idea. I did seating for over 200 guests and I knew it would be something that I would be doing up until the last minute, the Friday before even.. because people were adding on, realizing them couldn't come, etc. So just keep that in mind. I had my Mom ask people immediately after the response date (I think she was so curious about costs, she even started hinting around before but not blatantly asking).
Another thing is we actually let our parents see the seating chart before and that was a good and bad thing. They rearranged some and gave me more of a headache, but it was also a good thing because I had no idea which friends/family of theirs got along well with others.
Overall, regardless of the hassle, I was glad I did it.

jojochanti · February 2010

Plus, you want to make people comfortable and have fun at your wedding and not be stuck at a table with people they might be uncomfortable with, because the seating at their friends tables filled up. Just something to keep in mind.

amberg321 · February 2010

I have been to 3 weddings now where at least 1 guest picked up their chair and moved it because they did not like where they were seated. At one wedding (it was very pricy and formal wedding) there was a woman that REFUSED to move, to the point that the coordinator had to get involved and talk everyone down. I personally thought it was funny but people get really hung up on this stuff.

emilypeach · February 2010

i think its really nice to let people mingle around and sit where they want, but at the same time, you dont want a random co-worker or somthing up front and grandma cant see, so the priority or reserved seating tables are a great idea! and we'll probably do this too. just make sure you indicate to those people that they should/could sit there but, i wouldnt make them sit there either. the reason i say this is beacuse at a cousins wedding i was so confused, i was thinking, im family so should i sit there or not because im extended family blah blah, and then i really wanted to sit with my date also but he wasnt supposed to sit there so he would have been awkward.

ultimately, i think the seating thing should be about making a comfortable and fun envrionment, but that just my take

Kasi80 · February 2010

I did assigned seating. I sat everyone with people I knew they knew as well. it was a little tricky but it worked out well. People ended up moving anyway so it wasn't a big deal. I started hounding people right after the RSVP date. I was paying per person so I had to make sure I had everyone accounted for. If people did RSVP and showed up I didn't care, they would have to find a seat...their fault (I don't think anyone did though...I hounded enough until I got an answer).

And no matter which way you choose ther ewill be someone who is going to complain. I assigned seats to my ILs and they complained that they were too far from us and I sat them far because they had kids. WTH? If they looked around they would have noticed there were quite a few kids there....weirdos!

SarahB0427 · February 2010

I am doing assigned tables not assigned seating. Once everyone RSVP'd then i will start the seating chart. I have heard to us the post it flags with peoples names on them that way you can move them around. Im going to try my best and thats what they will have to put up with...You have to remember the day is about you and Fi not really anyone else :-)

As far as RSVP's go..Im going to split up the list and have all of my bridesmaids call and see if people are coming or not a couple days after I said I needed the RSVP's in by. Especially because I provided everyone with pre stamped envelopes and a website they could RSVP on as well. It couldnt be any easier.

ladylulu · February 2010

I like all the ideas... Thank you ladies for all the imput!!!

Amber, I do like the "preffered seating" arrangement idea, & Sarah's idea of assigning tables instead of seats...

This will definately relive many of the headaches!

)

To Seat, or NOT to Seat?

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