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Do you really need a reception seating chart?

Dialogue: Do You Really Need Arranged Seating?

Where should Sally sit? Jack and Jill just divorced, where do we place them? Oh, the many questions you will ask when you are working on your seating arrangement. It is just unnecessary stress to add to your already stressful planning.

Wedding Wire has a free tool you can use for seating charts HERE

I recently came across this question and answer forum on theknot.com that I disagreed with. The question was whether or not to have a seating arrangement for a buffet style reception. The answer was that arrangements are a must unless it is a tiny (under 50 people) reception or a backyard barbecue. Uh, I felt insulted by this. My reception was large, over 150 people, buffet style and no arrangement. It was in a nice, beautiful building and people didn't dress in t-shirts and jeans. Far from a barbecue if you ask me. It also wasn't a crazed free for all, so not having assigned seats didn't kill anyone.

I believe you can still be formal without adding the stress seating charts can put on you. I don't believe you really need it, not even for a sit down dinner. I think it is just up to you and what you want and what you dreamed of for your wedding.

There is one thing I do believe should be arranged and that should be seating for your family and close friends. There were so many people at our wedding that didn't even know me or my groom! There was no way I was going to have my family and close friends take a back seat to people I didn't know.

Now, you see all those cute name card ideas in magazines. I love those! If you don't want to do a seating chart but still want to do those cute name cards, go ahead and make them. Your guests can take theirs and use it to save their seat and keep as a wedding favor if it is really elaborate! Why not kill two birds with one stone?

Photo Credit: Martha Stewart Weddings

Comment by Christine Dyer on January 13, 2011 at 11:00am: Thanks for sharing this! I'm tweeting it now.

Comment by Melina Wedding Pickle on January 13, 2011 at 11:24am: Thank you!

Comment by Adam Leyton on January 14, 2011 at 3:22am: Definitely, I couldn't agree with you more. There's certainly no 'requirement' to have a seating chart whatever the size of your reception.

As you quite rightly point out though, if you're not having a seating chart do reserve some tables near the front for your close family and friends.

I've been involved in wedding seating for some years (as owner of Toptableplanner) and have heard a number of horror stories where people haven't had seating charts and perhaps should have - e.g. the Groom's mother having to sit right at the back! If you don't want a full seating chart, reserving just a few tables near the front is a perfect compromise.