We are having 150-175 guests and we have a bit of a seating issue. The hall that we are doing the ceremony in will put chairs in the middle of the room and make an isle. The other seats are gallery/theater seating along the side walls of the room. So first, we need to make sure that our immediate family is seated in the featured chairs on the floor. This is where ushers would come in, but having such a large family, our ushers will not be familiar with every guest to know if they are immediate family or not. Both of our ushers are from his side of the family since there is no one on my side that is of the right age.
Then there is the reception dinner. Since seating will be tight I am worried that a family of 4 will come in and only be able to find 2 seats at one table, one at another, etc. The only way to prevent this is assigned seating, which is a little crazy (with place cards) with that many people. We will probably have about 22 table with 7-8ppl at each.
I thought about having flags or something for each guest. They could be color coded and numbered. So the guest would check in, and be given a purple flag with a number on it and someone else, in a different party would be given a white numbered flag. If the flag was purple the usher would seat them in the floor seats, if white they'd be seated in the gallery seats (purple and white are the wedding colors). Then they would use the number on the flag to sit at the like numbered table.
This would require people holding on to something during the duration of the ceremony and it would require everyone to check in. I'm wondering if anything can think of a different way of doing this or even a better idea then a flag?? Help!!