One of the most common problems many couples face when planning their wedding is seating guests at the wedding reception. Some people might even think that creating a seating chart is not important at all. However, if you have over 50 names on your guest list, it is important to make sure that every guest knows where to sit. Here are some useful tips on how to seat guests properly.
Tip 1: Seat people with similar interests together
Before starting making a seating chart, it will be helpful to look through the guest list and divide people into interest groups. Experience shows that guests like to sit with people they like or already know or more likely to have common interests to be able to sustain a pleasant conversation.
Tip 2: Choose the right table shape
Choosing the right shape for your tables is extremely important while creating a seating chart. Rectangular-shaped tables, for example, help guests to keep the conversation, while round tables are easier for you to sort. A good alternative between a round and rectangular table might be a square table. The only downside of this table shape is that it cannot fit more than eight people.
Tip 3: Fit the guests at a table comfortably
Even though it is your wedding and your day, the comfort of your guests is one of the top priorities. Thus, while working on your seating chart, do not try to squeeze as many guests at one table as possible. Remember that each person should have enough space to both comfortable seat and dine. A good rule of thumb is to provide at least 150 square cm of a table space per each guest.
Tip 4: Avoid the table of singles
If you have a lot of single friends, it might be tempting to throw them all into one table, hoping that they might match up. However, it can be very embarrassing for your single guests when they realize which category on your seating chart they belong to.
Tip 4: Prepare place cards for your guests
When seating arrangements are determined, do not forget to create cards for your guests. A place card is a piece of paper with a guest’s name and a table number indicating where he or she is assigned to sit. You might think you do not need place cards, but if you have a big wedding, place cards will be very helpful by easily directing guests to their seats.
Tip 5: Be prepared for unplanned changes
No matter how hard you worked on your seating chart, there are always some unpredictable last-minute changes, such as a sudden cancelation or additional guests for example. Therefore, it is good to be ready to edit your seating chart any minute and think how it might be changed in case something happens. But do not stress out too much: just be ready and accept the fact that some changes are inevitable.
Seating guests at the wedding might be a challenge, especially for those who have never done it before. We hope that our tips will help you to turn this task into a pleasure and make your wedding the happiest day of your life.
