open seating plan??

[blkladylaw]

I expect about 40-50 people so far. I don't plan to do it. I just think it is more unnecessary work for me to do. I'll let folks sit where they want though of course I'd like my very closest people next to us....but we'll deal with it at the time and I don't expect any drama. Also the reception will be on a yacht so it will be a lil different atmosphere anyway.

[MoonPalacePookie]

I will have about 55 guests and will be doing a assigned seating. The main reason is family tension, we will have ex- and current spouses and people who plain dont' like each other. It is quite an exercise in logistics trying to keep these people separated, especially since we're having an open bar.

[seasidebride]

We just got back and had 28 guests. We opted not to do a seating plan because of the count of guests. It was very easy for everyone, they just all went to a table. No one was confused or wondering where to go. I think I did tell a few people ahead of time.

But with 30 people total and tables of 8, there really couldn't be much drama.

 

I think if it was more, I would have gone ahead and done seating charts and place cards.

 

One of my friends was actually bummed because that is what she wanted to give me as a shower gift, placecards for everyone. But it all worked out in the end.

[PoeticJustice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kr3611 I would say if there aren't that many guests it's fine, but I recently went to a mid size wedding with no seating chart. I didn't like it, because we picked a table with a few people that we knew but then were asked to move when a family of 8 wanted to sit together - we ended up sitting w/ a bunch of people we didn't know. Not quite as fun. At least with assigned seating you can keep those that know each other or would get along together. And those that don't get along as far away from each other as possible.

This is exactly why I am having escort cards made. Each guest will be assigned to a TABLE but once they get to their assigned table they can sit wherever they like

[EricaG]

For our AHR we will probably do table numbers and have seating according to that, so people can sit in whichever chair they would like at their table. At the DW, I think we will just have the open seating, since the only possible situation we may have with guests, is FI parents, but if they both end up coming, I will personally talk to some guests from his side and have a verbal arrangement made so that neither one will feel out of place. For instance, if FI FSIL can sit with his mom, and a family friend that is probably coming could sit with his dad. If there are more family from FI side going, we can make sure that one parent isn't going to feel left out by the others. I can't see it being a problem, but it will jsut cover our bases.

[foxytv]

We had about 40 people and I didn't do a seating chart. I wanted people to sit with whomever they liked and I figured after being together for 3 days ... everyone would know everyone and it would be fine. It was. No issues. Everyone mixed it up pretty much ... I only had to stipulate to my parents and to my brother and SIL to separate themselves b/c they would have all sat together and w/ my nephews it would have been an entire table. I have to force my family to socialize sometimes, lol. But it worked out perfect.

 

I've been to weddings both ways and really I prefer no seating chart. The last one we went to didn't have one, so Tom and I looked for the most fun people and asked to sit with them. They ended up becoming good friends!

[EricaG]

Sometimes I don't think that sitting with people you don't know is a bad thing, but of course it depends on how social the people are.

[Samantha S]

I have to bump this because I came up with a question. After reading through this thread, I've decided to go without a seating chart. We are only having about 31 guests. But, I've notice that A LOT of girls on the forum have name cards for people and through more internet searching, I came upon the term 'escort cards'. Can some one clarify the difference? Can you do these if you are not having a seating chart? I just think they look neat. :-) Do people take them with them to their table and then that means they are glued to that seat all night? Is it a way to 'claim' their seat? Will it confuse them if there is no table number on it? So many questions!!

[JBinjour]

fyi, i was married august 2007 in ocho rios, jamaica. i had over 150 (90 from USA and 60+ from JA) guests at my wedding. the only table that had assigned seating were the first three tables that were directly in front of the head table. these table were reserved for our parents and very important guests. the other tables were open seating. i couldn't bother with figuring out the dynamics of everyone's relationship with each other. there was so much drama and politics that came with our destination wedding. i decided that this was one thing that i couldn't stress about. these were adults that attended our wedding. they should be able to sort the situation out on their own and they did. i believe that assign seating can make a very comfortable situation very awkward.

[JamaicaBride2009]

FI and I are hoping to get buy without assigned seating at the reception. We are having approximately 60 guests, so we figured it was one less thing to deal with... after all, we went with a destination wedding so it would be easy.

 

I do like the idea of having a table reserved for parents though. We might consider that!