July 2013 Weddings

Seating Chart aka The Bane of My Existence

so I'm such a slacker, I just started the seating chart tonight...and I am already fed up!! I have about 75 guests who have RSVP'd so far, and have to fit them at 8 ten-person tables. This should work, right? RIGHT?!!? I wish it were that easy!! Unfortunately, FI's family is full of feuding cousins and aunts who need to be separated, so I can't just have ONE "FI's extended family" table, I have to divide it into THREE. which means I have to separate others who should probably sit together! I would just add another table and keep them together, but there isn't enough space in the room, and I only rented enough tables for 80 guests. Ugh!! I didn't realize this was going to be such a nightmare. I am thinking I will probably just seat at least two of the feuding families at the same table and hope that they can be grown up enough to make is through one meal. thanks for letting me vent!! anyone else finding this to be the most terrible task so far?
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Re: Seating Chart aka The Bane of My Existence

  • Have you thought about doing open seating? We're doing long family style tables with extra seats for open seating (about 100 guests). I just don't want to go through all the hassle and figure out who wants to sit with whom. 
  • drg424drg424 member
    5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper

    We are also doing open seating...and I'm glad to not have to make the chart :\

    Our reception is in the evening and we're not doing a plated dinner, so open seating made sense. Not sure if that would work in your case, but it would sure save you a lot of headache!

  • I feel you. I just finished my seating chart and it was NOT easy!! My brain seriously ached afterwards. 
  • I have seen opening seating turn into a disaster, so I kep this in mind when doing my seating chart. I continued to tell myself the less chaos the better. It was hard because so many people can with more than one guest. But I got it done, thank goodness. Good luck to you, I'm sure you will be happy when it's done
  • I am still working on mine. It is the most tedious task yet. Will have to get on it this weekend though. So I feel your pain.
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  • July 5 bride... and I havent even started it! .. Planning on doing it tomorrow! (my RSVP deadline is tomorrow)
  • dem068dem068 member
    5 Love Its First Comment First Anniversary
    ug, I am so not looking forward to it.  We are waiting for 7 more RSVPs before starting (we unfortunately are on the edge of 18 or 19 tables, so those last few people really make a difference at this point)
  • edited June 2013
    Wow. I'm really a slacker. I'm getting married 7/6 and I don't plan on doing it until the week before. I'm waiting on a few people to RSVP depending on work schedules. Hopefully it won't be too difficult.
  • I'm doing a seating chart BC of feuding. Open seating would be a recipe for disaster! Start with the easy tables and and work your way out. It's tough at first but it come together eventually, walk away and give it some time to settle, don't do it all at once.
    July 3rd - all done except one couple and a sudden family of 5 that the parents just decided to rsvp for thier 3 teenage kids who weren't invited *sigh*
    :kiss: ~xoxo~ :kiss:

  • I am July 6 too, and it was difficult for me but it took 2 days. Now I am working on the escort cards. I think that even if you have a few names start seating the RSVPs you do have. 16 more days!
  • me, Fi, and FIs sister knocked it out in 1.5 hours last night! she was soo shocked! hers took a week! I think it helped to have her there, especially since she just did a seating chart a year ago!
  • I knocked mine out in 20 minutes this morning. It's not final yet though because I am playing phone tag with 8 families who have yet to respond, even though our reply date was 6/10!
  • It's past midnight and I'm up working on ours. It really is a pain but I think open seating would be a disaster. I want people to feel comfortable at the table they are sitting at and that conversation won't be an issue.
  • We had issues as well with people who couldn't be seated together, on top of a ton of people who would only know a few other people at the wedding, so we took a blind dating approach to seating charts. We tried to do all the tables with two groups of people who knew each other, and who were the right age / level of sociability so they might like each other, and who spoke a common language. This way, everyone is sitting with at least 3 other people that they know, and the rest of the people at the table might be a good match for them. 
  • dem068dem068 member
    5 Love Its First Comment First Anniversary
    We sat down last night and did ours.  Definitely stressful (186 people), but I am so glad it is done!  We have pretty big tables (they seat 8-12), so when we didn't have a full group of 12 that knew each other, we sat people in 4s that knew each other (since there is no way you can realistically talk to all 11 other people at the tabel)
  • So ours is all done and my FMIL is making me a little crazy in this area.  First she was all - please don't worry about us or our guests...So I made the puzzle of our seating arrangement and sent it to her.  Then, she was all this person needs to be with these people and this person should be here.  Now she has 2 guests who can't come (8 days out) and 1 who may not come becuz the other two aren't, AND she wants me to call to adjust her guests seating...SO not happening.  I submitted the rental requests for tables and chairs and we're rolling like it was...Empty spots and all.  No more stress and worrying!  
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  • drg424drg424 member
    5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper
    @McRogol good for you! There comes a point where done is done!
  •  Don't stress about the seating chart!  Just put people...If they cannot act like adults for 6 hours then that is unfortunate.

    We had about 10 people who RSVPd yes not show up! So you will most likely have empty seats.
  • drg424drg424 member
    5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper

    I'm definitely nervous about no-shows. We have about 125 confirmed - which is perfect; however, of those, how many are going to just not show up?

    Was there an average no-show rate for you 2012 brides?

  • I'm at 6 days, final count went in Monday and I've already had 2 cancel this week. There will be no shows, just try not to let it get to you :-)
    :kiss: ~xoxo~ :kiss:

  • I read somewhere that about 10-25% of your guests will be no shows? 
  • We'll just invade everyone right LM? ;)  We had 1 no show. I was shocked.  And I knew days before that she wasn't coming.

    I think LM is right, about 10% won't show up.  As important as the day is to us, it's just another day to a lot of people and they forget that they have it going on that weekend.
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  • edited June 2013
    1 no show would be awesome! I hope I'm that lucky, people don't realize how much it costs for each person :-)
    :kiss: ~xoxo~ :kiss:

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