Ultimate Guide On How To Create A Wedding Seating Chart (Plus Seating Chart Designs)

Many parts of planning a wedding can cause stress and anxiety, but creating a wedding seating chart doesn’t have to be one. So, to help you out, we’ve come up with the ultimate guide to creating it that can be fun. Of course, having a wedding seating plan isn’t mandatory, but most couples find that it makes things a little easier and more enjoyable for the guests. 

We get it! Deciding on where your wedding guests sit can seem overwhelming at first. And there are many things to consider when piecing it together – like Uncle Bob and Auntie Phyllis aren’t on speaking terms, guests with disabilities, and elderly guests may not want to sit close to the DJ or band. 

Why Create A Wedding Seating Plan?

Assigned seats make things easier at any sit-down dining event, including your wedding reception. It first guarantees that every table will be fully occupied. Additionally, things can quickly become complicated for employees without designated seating, particularly for plated dinner service. In reality, a lot of wedding reception locations need assigned seating.

We’ve created the best guide to organizing your wedding seating chart to get the two of you started.

How To Create A Wedding Seating Chart

Make sure to get a head start while making the perfect seating plan. The seating plan is created after the guest list for your wedding has been finalized. This may seem complicated, but if you follow a few simple instructions, you can finish it quickly. Consider the numerous groups attending your reception and the available space. To make a seating chart for a wedding, follow these instructions:

1. Get The Floor Plan

The first part of creating your wedding seating chart is to determine how to layout the tables. Work with your venue to figure out the best way to place the DJ or band, food stations, and dancefloor then you can get to work on deciding on the table floor plan. Round tables are traditional and encourage mingling but a mix of tables can be unique and make the reception interesting. 

Creating your wedding seating floor plan will help you understand how many tables you need and then make placing each of your guests easier.

2. Organize Your Guest List In Advance

Before you can even think about where to seat your guests, you have to finalize your wedding guest list. Once you do, you’ll have to send your save the dates and invitations and collect all of your RSVPs. Then you can begin the game of placing guests at each table. And if you’re stressing about managing your RSVPs (because let’s face it, that’s a big task), you should use a wedding website that offers wedding RSVPs online services. Doing this will make managing your RSVPs a breeze. 

3. Choose Table Shape

You’ll have to do one more thing before you can start placing your guests at each table. Determine the shape and type of tables that you’ll have at your reception. This can be fun for couples because it allows you to infuse your likes and creativity to create a table setup that’s not only functional but also fun. 

The size and shape will determine how many tables you need because each table will only seat a certain number of people. There are normally four conventional possibilities for reception layout and table shapes: round, rectangular, oval, and square. There are advantages to various table configurations: 

The number of people who can sit around rectangular tables increases and conversations between guests are made simpler. On the other side, round tables are the most common choice and give your guests more area to move around.

4. Make A Digital Seating Chart

Creating a seating plan online is relatively simple, thanks to websites like WeddingWire, AllSeated, and Wedding Mapper. These websites include drag-and-drop seating options, which make it quite easy to organize (and alter) the seats in any way you choose. Additionally, you can adjust the templates and experiment with other table configurations. 

5. Start With The Newlywed Seating

The best place to start your wedding seating chart is with the happy couple. First, determine where you want to sit in the reception area by selecting a prime location your guests can easily see. You’ll also have to decide if you want a private sweetheart table for just the two of you or if you want a bridal party table. But always start your wedding seating plan here. 

6. Keep Your Friends Close To The Newlyweds

Your closest friends will probably be part of the bridal party, and if you choose to skip the sweetheart table, they’ll already be seated with you. But, if you opt for an intimate sweetheart table, seat your best friends at the tables closest to you. 

7. Give VIPs Special Treatment

At this part of your wedding table plan, it’s time to seat your VIPs which are your extended family members. This is where you’ll select tables for your parents, grandparents, and close family members to sit. 

Where Should You Put Your Parents On The Seating Chart? 

Typically, the grandparents, siblings, and both sets of parents sit next to each other. Along with family members from their side of the family, you can also sit with your parents. If your table for immediate family becomes too crowded, it could be simpler to divide the group into smaller groups rather than trying to fit everyone at one table.

Where you place divorced parents on your wedding seating chart can be an important decision because you don’t want to cause any uncomfortable feelings. A great idea is to choose a rectangular table and seat divorced parents far from each other. That way, they won’t feel less important because of their table (since they’re both at the same one), and they’ll be far enough away from each other to keep the peace (hopefully).

8. Involve Parents In Choosing Seats For Their Friends 

Once you place your parent’s friends on your wedding table plan, we have one suggestion: ask your parents. Definitely ask your parents for their recommendations on where to seat them. 

9. Mix It Up

When it comes to singles and married couples, age-old traditions usually separate them at different tables. But now, today, it’s no longer necessary. The best way to tackle your seating chart is to place guests with similar likes; it doesn’t matter if they’re single or married. 

10. Organize guests in groups 

Once you have finalized your wedding guest list, a great tip for planning your wedding seating plan is to group your guests by how you know them. For example, you can group them by family, childhood friends, college friends, co-workers, etc. 

This doesn’t mean you have to seat them by group, but who is already acquainted and gets along will become clear. You can divide your wedding guests into groups based on how well you know them and on age, interests, and histories. By placing a mixture of recognizable faces and unfamiliar ones at each table, you can make everyone feel at ease. 

11. Consider The Dynamics Of Your Guests

Sort people into groups according to common traits and interests first. For instance, your college mates can sit together because they’ll love catching up and reminiscing with one another. And remember, while it’s great if everyone at the table knows each other, this can also be a great time to meet new people. 

While weddings are a terrific opportunity to meet new people, it’s nice if everyone at the table already knows each other. You can seat your cousins alongside your childhood friends if you know they’ll get along because you know the characters of the relatives and friends on your guest list.

Similarly, you might wish to set up a singles table and act as a matchmaker, but your visitors might find it awkward to be singled out. 

12. Seat Younger Guests By The Dance Floor

It’s no secret that younger guests can tend to be the ones on the dance floor first, so it’s always a great idea to seat them somewhere close to it. And sometimes, they can be a little loud, so being close to the dance floor can protect other guests from added noise and commotion. 

13. More Than 10 Children? Have A Kids’ Table

Designating a kid’s table may be a good idea if you allow children at your wedding. And while sticking them in the furthest corner, away from the other guests, may sound like a good idea..you may want to keep them close to their parents. Younger children may feel a little anxious if they can’t see their parents, and older children just may get too crazy. So the eyesight of their parents may be a good thing. 

14. Leave Extra Space For Wheelchairs

If you have any guests that are disabled or in a wheelchair, you’ll need to pay special attention to where you seat them. When organizing your wedding seating plan, you should choose tables close to the room’s edges, the entrance, or the dancefloor to allow extra space for them to move around. 

The worst thing you can do is seat a guest in a wheelchair with another table directly behind them because it’ll make moving the wheelchair around very difficult due to how close the tables and chairs are. It may take a little extra thought to plan where your disabled guest will sit on your wedding seating chart, but they’ll appreciate the extra time spent. 

15. Prepare For Last Minute Changes

Another great tip is to learn to roll with it. Wedding days are hardly perfect, so if you can know early in the planning stages, your stress level will be much lower. And when it comes to organizing your wedding seating plan, last-minute changes can happen. But don’t stress about it! If you’re using a digital seating chart tool, it’ll be easy to make the necessary changes. 

16. Share Seating Plan With Caterers & Venue Staff

One of the main reasons for creating the wedding table plan is to make serving dinner more organized and enjoyable. So, you’ll want to share your seating chart with the catering team and venue staff in advance. But, not too early because there may be last-minute changes. So, a week before your event, share it with them, but make sure to update them if something changes at the last minute. 

17. Finalize Wedding Seating Chart

Once you’ve “finalized” your wedding seating plan, you should share it with a few people just to get their thoughts and suggestions. Doing this is also a good double-check system to ensure you didn’t forget someone (because that happens). You can share it with your parents, your maid of honor, or your wedding planner…extra eyes are always a good idea to make sure your wedding table plan is perfect or as perfect as it can be. 

Wedding Seating Chart Design Ideas

Ok, phew! Now that you’ve gotten the wedding seating plan nice and neatly organized, it’s time to figure out how you’ll communicate it to your guests. This can be the best part!

Chic Gold And Acrylic Sign

This oversized chic gold and acrylic seating chart sign adds a glamorous and decorative touch. We love how each table is separated with vintage paper and gold seals. It’s just beautiful.

Take A Shot And Take Your Seat 

If you’re a fun-loving type of couple, this may be your favorite wedding seating chart display. A large wall with shelves with shot glasses for each of your guests. What a great way to kick off your party!

Painted Acrylic Seating Chart

Your wedding guests will be in awe of this magnificent acrylic seating chart you’ve hand-painted and inscribed. The painted background is the ideal, original method to show your guests’ seating arrangements and include the rest of your stunning decor.

Find Your Face To Find Your Place

What a cute and unique idea for your seating chart display. We love how this couple had large polaroid-type photos of each of their guests. All they had to do was find their face and their seat. 

90’s Cassette Tapes

Another creative idea, perfect for music lovers is this great DIY wedding seat chart! Your guests will fall in love with this idea. And you’ll surely get some Insta-worthy shots.

Frame It

Your wedding decor and signage should fit your theme and personal style. So, if you love a vintage vibe, here’s another DIY seating chart idea. It’s a large frame with smaller vintage mix-matched frames, with one representing a different table. It’s a beautiful display and a fantastic photo backdrop.

Do The Math

WOW! What a fantastic wedding seating chart! Creative and unique, but you’ll have to put your thinking cap on for this one. If you’re looking for a unique seating chart, this is it!

Where In The World Are You Sitting?

For the travel fanatics, why not create a travel-themed seating chart? This is really cool. Where in the World Are You Sitting? is an excellent title for this seating diagram. It’s enjoyable and will provide conversation starters for your visitors during cocktail hour.

Life Would Succ Without You All

This is one of our all-time favorite seating charts. A cupcake wall with a little succulent seating chart, yes, please! And the title “Life Would Succ Without You All” is just genius. 

Windowpane Seating Chart

This beautiful seating chart made out of a window pane is chic and inventive reuse of an old window pane. The visitors assigned to each table are listed in each glass window’s list of numbered table numbers.

It’s Time To Put The Puzzle Pieces Together

Making a seating chart is similar to attempting to assemble a huge collection of puzzle pieces that don’t quite fit. From friends to family, co-workers, and plus ones, we know finding a seat for every guest at your wedding can take some planning. Using a combination of modern seating trends and traditional wedding etiquette, this guide will help you ensure everyone has a place at the table.