Seating plan for village-style setup?

mollykmac · February 2014

How do you do a seating chart and/or escort cards for village-style seating??

I am having a reception of 100-120 people, and we are going to do "village style seating" with two very long tables (er, two rows of banquet tables) taking up the full space. Our families haven't met before and I am integrating a lot of people who don't know each other, so assigned seating makes sense -- or at least putting people in vaguely the right areas with other people of mutual interest.

Here's the problem: when you tell people what table of 8 to sit at, that's easy to manage. But I am going to have 2 tables of about 50-60 people each. Should i put "zones" on the escort cards or seating chart? (corresponding to, say, 12 numbers spaced along the tables) -- or is there some other way to do this? I can't seem to find any ideas online!

Any advice is welcome... a picture is below showing basically the setup i'm envisioning, at the same venue.

Thank you!!

Maggie0829 · February 2014

I think with this style of seating place cards would work best. It is the easiest way to tell people where to sit that won't get confusing.

mollykmac · February 2014

Hmmm yeah, I know what you're saying. So would you just put the place cards on the table and then people walk around until they find their name? I wonder if there is some way to direct them to where their place card might be.

Jen4948 · February 2014

mollykmac said:

Hmmm yeah, I know what you're saying. So would you just put the place cards on the table and then people walk around until they find their name? I wonder if there is some way to direct them to where their place card might be.

Yes. It's called a seating chart.

mollykmac · February 2014

lol, thanks. But the point that prompted this post in the first place is that all of the seating charts I've seen are done by table. Trying to figure out another option for arranging the chart.

Maggie0829 · February 2014

You could still number each individual table. Like if you have 5 tables all connected you could still number them 1,2,3,4,5. And then on your escort card you could put the table number and then they could find their place card.

mollykmac · February 2014

Yeah... I think that sounds like the best option thus far. Thanks! Helps a lot just to "talk it through."

casey8784 · February 2014

My cousin got married in a medieval village in Tuscany last summer, and they had 2 long tables for the reception as well. Our escort cards told us which table we were at, and then we could sit anywhere at the table, as long as we sat *across* from each other, so we would 'meet' the people sitting on either side of us. It was fun.

JoanE2012 · February 2014

casey8784 said:

My cousin got married in a medieval village in Tuscany last summer, and they had 2 long tables for the reception as well. Our escort cards told us which table we were at, and then we could sit anywhere at the table, as long as we sat *across* from each other, so we would 'meet' the people sitting on either side of us. It was fun.

I wouldn't consider that fun. I don't go to weddings to meet people though. I'll chit chat with others at the table, but to force me to sit a certain way so I can meet others would be annoying. I'd much rather chat with my DH or other friends/family that I already know.

kmmssg · February 2014

JoanE2012 said:

casey8784 said:

My cousin got married in a medieval village in Tuscany last summer, and they had 2 long tables for the reception as well. Our escort cards told us which table we were at, and then we could sit anywhere at the table, as long as we sat *across* from each other, so we would 'meet' the people sitting on either side of us. It was fun.

I wouldn't consider that fun. I don't go to weddings to meet people though. I'll chit chat with others at the table, but to force me to sit a certain way so I can meet others would be annoying. I'd much rather chat with my DH or other friends/family that I already know.

Yeah - I don't give two rips about meeting "the other side" at someone's wedding. I would much rather get to sit with people I know and catch up with them. This would be especially unenjoyable if I couldn't move my chair after dinner. It doesn't sound like much of that will be able to happen at this reception.

mollykmac · February 2014

casey8784 said:

My cousin got married in a medieval village in Tuscany last summer, and they had 2 long tables for the reception as well. Our escort cards told us which table we were at, and then we could sit anywhere at the table, as long as we sat *across* from each other, so we would 'meet' the people sitting on either side of us. It was fun.

That's kind of a fun way to do it! I might want to control who sits next to others though just because we have SO many different groups coming together...but if it worked well maybe I should be more laissez faire about this whole thing.

PrettyGirlLost · February 2014

Maggie0829 said:

I think with this style of seating place cards would work best. It is the easiest way to tell people where to sit that won't get confusing.

This.

Either have escort cards that have the table number on them so that guests can go to the table and then look for their place card, or have a framed chart of names that lists which table guests should go to, and then again they just look for their place card.

PrettyGirlLost · February 2014

mollykmac said:

Hmmm yeah, I know what you're saying. So would you just put the place cards on the table and then people walk around until they find their name? Yes, that's typically how people do it even if there are multiple tables. I wonder if there is some way to direct them to where their place card might be. Escort cards or a seating chart.

PrettyGirlLost · February 2014

mollykmac said:

casey8784 said:

My cousin got married in a medieval village in Tuscany last summer, and they had 2 long tables for the reception as well. Our escort cards told us which table we were at, and then we could sit anywhere at the table, as long as we sat *across* from each other, so we would 'meet' the people sitting on either side of us. It was fun.

That's kind of a fun way to do it! I might want to control who sits next to others though just because we have SO many different groups coming together...but if it worked well maybe I should be more laissez faire about this whole thing.

Personally I would make an effort to seat people near other people they know, so that they can enjoy their meal and talk with each other naturally.

I'm an extrovert, but I find it annoying and tiring at weddings to try and make conversation with people I don't know and will never see again, especially if they are not interested in reciprocating the effort. In those situations I usually just talk with FI or anyone else I might know that i am seated with.

mollykmac · February 2014

PrettyGirlLost said:

Personally I would make an effort to seat people near other people they know, so that they can enjoy their meal and talk with each other naturally.

I'm an extrovert, but I find it annoying and tiring at weddings to try and make conversation with people I don't know and will never see again, especially if they are not interested in reciprocating the effort. In those situations I usually just talk with FI or anyone else I might know that i am seated with.

I agree... but want to strike a balance where our families get to know each other too -- something like one family on one side of the table, the other family on the other side, and match people sitting across wtih common interests. But some people will know almost NOBODY there and so I will have to put them somewhere good! I'm certainly not going to isolate anybody from people they know; otherwise people will just rebel and I'll have a revolt on my hands

I think I havea pretty good handle on who to seat with whom and how to do the actual seating arrangements... it's just the physical seating chart I'm going to have to play with. But I think my original question has been answered... thanks all!

Havana2014 · February 2014

Could you do a illustration of the two tables with peoples places indicated, rather than the traditional table plan that list the names. Then have the place cards on each place. That way people can have an idea of where they are heading rather than having to walk around a large, 60 person table.

casey8784 · February 2014

kmmssg said:

JoanE2012 said:

casey8784 said:

My cousin got married in a medieval village in Tuscany last summer, and they had 2 long tables for the reception as well. Our escort cards told us which table we were at, and then we could sit anywhere at the table, as long as we sat *across* from each other, so we would 'meet' the people sitting on either side of us. It was fun.

I wouldn't consider that fun. I don't go to weddings to meet people though. I'll chit chat with others at the table, but to force me to sit a certain way so I can meet others would be annoying. I'd much rather chat with my DH or other friends/family that I already know.

Yeah - I don't give two rips about meeting "the other side" at someone's wedding. I would much rather get to sit with people I know and catch up with them. This would be especially unenjoyable if I couldn't move my chair after dinner. It doesn't sound like much of that will be able to happen at this reception.

It was a small destination wedding in Italy. Maybe 50 people at the most. Almost everyone already knew each other, so there wasn't a "getting to know the other side" aspect. It just gave us the freedom to choose if we wanted to sit next to our parents or some cousins we hadn't seen in a while and catch up. And after the meal, people got up and wandered/danced/switched seats anyways. Yea, it would've been awkward if I was between 2 people I had never met before, but it wasn't this case at this particular wedding.

Usually when I see/hear about Tuscan style receptions, they usually have pretty small guest lists, and often its family and close friends, so I'd assume that most the guests already know each other...

Maggie0829 · February 2014

mollykmac said:

PrettyGirlLost said:

Personally I would make an effort to seat people near other people they know, so that they can enjoy their meal and talk with each other naturally.

I'm an extrovert, but I find it annoying and tiring at weddings to try and make conversation with people I don't know and will never see again, especially if they are not interested in reciprocating the effort. In those situations I usually just talk with FI or anyone else I might know that i am seated with.

I agree... but want to strike a balance where our families get to know each other too -- something like one family on one side of the table, the other family on the other side, and match people sitting across wtih common interests. But some people will know almost NOBODY there and so I will have to put them somewhere good! I'm certainly not going to isolate anybody from people they know; otherwise people will just rebel and I'll have a revolt on my hands

I think I havea pretty good handle on who to seat with whom and how to do the actual seating arrangements... it's just the physical seating chart I'm going to have to play with. But I think my original question has been answered... thanks all!

Just don't. Don't force people on each other. If people want to get to know others they will strike up a conversation. But honestly, what you want to do sounds like a form of speed dating. And it will also stress you out and drive you bonkers trying to match people up.

Each family does not have to get to know one another. They will if they want but pushing it on them is never a good idea.

PrettyGirlLost · February 2014

Maggie0829 said:

mollykmac said:

PrettyGirlLost said:

Personally I would make an effort to seat people near other people they know, so that they can enjoy their meal and talk with each other naturally.

I'm an extrovert, but I find it annoying and tiring at weddings to try and make conversation with people I don't know and will never see again, especially if they are not interested in reciprocating the effort. In those situations I usually just talk with FI or anyone else I might know that i am seated with.

I agree... but want to strike a balance where our families get to know each other too -- something like one family on one side of the table, the other family on the other side, and match people sitting across wtih common interests. But some people will know almost NOBODY there and so I will have to put them somewhere good! I'm certainly not going to isolate anybody from people they know; otherwise people will just rebel and I'll have a revolt on my hands

I think I havea pretty good handle on who to seat with whom and how to do the actual seating arrangements... it's just the physical seating chart I'm going to have to play with. But I think my original question has been answered... thanks all!

Just don't. Don't force people on each other. If people want to get to know others they will strike up a conversation. But honestly, what you want to do sounds like a form of speed dating. And it will also stress you out and drive you bonkers trying to match people up.

Each family does not have to get to know one another. They will if they want but pushing it on them is never a good idea.

Yeah, I don't get why your families have to get to know each other? They will mingle all on their own at your reception if they want to. I think you are overthinking this. Just seat people around people that they already know and would like to talk with during dinner.

My parents don't know any of FI's extended family, and they don't have to. They will meet at the wedding and then probably never see each other again.

MandyMost · February 2014

I think there's a balance where you can strike between people being able to catch up with old friends, and meet new people with common interests, and stay in their "comfort zone" of people they see and talk to all the time.

If I were you, I'd do place cards at the table with actual assigned seats. And then have a seating chart so people can find their seat easily. A seating chart is literally just a drawing of the room, with the names on it. So you'd have a piece of paper with 2 long rectangles (the tables) with a bunch of squares around them (the chairs) and a name on/near each square. I don't understand your comment that "seating charts are usually done by table".

Jen4948 · February 2014

Don't use your wedding reception to push the families into getting to know each other.

Very often, when attending a relative's wedding, guests are looking for their own relatives to catch up. Sometimes they are willing to meet new people, but it can be very hard to do at a wedding, especially if it feels forced because of seating arrangements. This is not to say that you shouldn't do assigned seating-I prefer that over open seating-just not to use them to force people to get acquainted.

mollykmac · May 2014

Mandy, I like your idea... having people identified by table/"zone" on a seating chart, and then have placecards at the actual seats. And YES, I am going for a happy medium in terms of people being with those they know AND meeting some new people.. wish me luck

Seating plan for village-style setup?

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