Tables and seating - kind of etiquette related I guess!

Re: Tables and seating - kind of etiquette related I guess!

• morvanferguson2013 member

  

  June 2013

  I would find a pretty board and just list out the names and table numbers, kind of like a menu. There are lots of inspiration photos of stuff like this on Pinterest. If you wanted to take it further, you could also put the actual escort cards at each plate, using the board to give people a starting point.
  
  The board can be hung on a wall, or you could set it up on an easel if you have the room.
  

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• aurianna member

  

  June 2013 edited June 2013

  Firstly, how many people does each table seat? Hopefully each one seats more than 12.5 people.
  But if it's close to that (13-16) you might even want to consider assigning specific seats. Normally it's better just to assign tables and let them seat themselves, but with longer tables you run more of a risk of breaking up parties. Because unlike a round table where you can talk to pretty much anyone at the table no matter where they are seated, long tables aren't the same.
  
  We also had long tables this is what we did:
  
  We named each table.
  We had a poster at the front door that listed everyone's name in alphabetical order, and next to their name was their table. (It was very pretty and now we have it framed in our house)
  And then at the tables themselves we had placecards that had their names and their meal choice.
  

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• AllyIdo member

  

  June 2013

  The tables seat 14, 14, 12, 10... I do like the idea of place cards (I need to do something with all the wine corks I've saved up for a project!) but two of the tables have 1 side banquettes. I thought that would be a PITA for people to have to slide into looking for their name.
  

  

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• Kate61487 member

  

  June 2013

  If the parents will be there first so they can stake out their tables and you have sufficient seating for a few empty I might not do table assignments.  You could even mark off one or two chairs at each table (depending on step parent situation) and do a cute "MOB", "FOB", "MOG", "FOG" on each table; then guests can pick their seats around them.

  If you do want to assign tables and don't have space for escort cards you can do a list of who's at which table; takes up way less space.  Like one of these:

   

   or this: (though these aren't alphabetical - I would do them alphabetically within the table group)

  

  And since you only have 4 you could even just put the list right on the table at the end closest to the door.

  

   
  

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• morvanferguson2013 member

  

  June 2013

  If thats the case, you could always diagram the room out on the board and tell people exactly where to go that way. Im doing something similar to actually arrange my seating chart, but in your case it might work to draw out the tables and write each name at their corresponding seat.
  

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• AllyIdo member

  

  June 2013 edited June 2013

  Kate61487 said:

  
  

  And since you only have 4 you could even just put the list right on the table at the end closest to the door.

  This is brilliant! It wouldn't be too big... could put it in a pretty frame...
  
  So long tables.. do I need place cards too? Better for conversation?
  
  Thanks everyone!
  

  

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• Jen4948 member

  

  June 2013

  Except for seats for the couple, immediate family members, and perhaps bridal party members, the officiant, grandparents, and anyone with a mobility issue, and the SOs of these, I wouldn't assign seats.
  
  For the above people, you could just put "Reserved" signs at their seats.
  

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• Kate61487 member

  

  June 2013

  allyscud said:

  Kate61487 said:

  And since you only have 4 you could even just put the list right on the table at the end closest to the door.

  This is brilliant! It wouldn't be too big... could put it in a pretty frame...
  
  So long tables.. do I need place cards too? Better for conversation?
  
  Thanks everyone!
  

  If you really feel like you need to assign seats you could; but a table for 14 is only 7 on each side (or 6 if you have end seats) - that's really not that large (smaller than my typical family holiday).  People should be able to easily converse with more than half the table; and they'll likely walk in with who they would want to chat with anyway, making them more likely to group as appropriate.  I'd just assign table and let them take it from there.

  

   
  

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• aurianna member

  

  June 2013

  We had tables that seated 28 and were generally sitting 2-4 social groups per table, so we had to break the chart up more than just by table. But 10-14 you're probably fine if everyone at each table is just one or two different social groups.
  Personally I just like to avoid awkward situations where groups get split up and either have to sit apart, ask people to move, or have to tell other people that seats are saved when other guests try to sit in them. But you know your guest list dynamics so you should be able to judge if it would be an issue pretty easily.
  

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