How to plan your wedding seating
The seating plan is one of the last tasks and one of the most stressful, because it depends on who confirms. This method keeps it short: groups first, details later, and checks at the end.
1. Start with the confirmed list
Do the plan when most guests have replied, usually 3 to 4 weeks before. Before that you will redo it several times. Ask the venue how many tables there are, their shape and how many people fit at each.
2. Group before you seat
- Put every guest in a group: bride’s family, groom’s family, university friends, work…
- Keep each guest together with their plus-ones and children.
- Fill tables with whole groups; mix small groups that share age or interests.
3. The top table and the families
- The top table can be the couple alone, the couple with parents and godparents, or with the closest friends. Choose what makes you comfortable.
- Seat the immediate families close to the top table.
- Separate people who do not get along, without sending anyone to the back.
4. Children and older guests
- A kids’ table works from about 6 years old; younger children are better with their parents.
- Seat older guests away from the speakers and close to the exit and the toilets.
5. Final checks
- No table over its capacity, and nobody left without a seat.
- Allergies and special menus marked for the caterer, with each person’s table.
- Print table cards and a chart at the entrance so guests find their seat quickly.
Doing it in Ever After Planner
In the seating plan you drag guests or whole groups to each table, choose shape and capacity, and a table over its limit turns red. Guests who decline leave the plan by themselves, and the catering report shows each person’s table, dish and allergies.
Questions
When should you do the wedding seating plan?
When most guests have confirmed, usually 3 to 4 weeks before the wedding, and close it the last week.
How many people per table at a wedding?
It depends on the venue: round tables usually seat 8 to 12. Ask the venue for the exact shape and capacity of each table.
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