Table Seating

[Jenn3878]

Hi all.....If you are having approx 30 people do you need to have table seating or can your guests just sit wherever they like? Did everyone do this? Thanks for any help

[fogdog]

If there will be more than one table, you may want to specify, especially if there is someone you want to be sure you sit next to (or your parents want to sit with, etc).

I went to a larger wedding before without assigned seats or tables and it was really awkward. We ended up standing up at the bar - not sure if they didn't have enough seats or if people who were "saving" seats didn't end up using them.

[Saraha]

I am having around the same group of people and didnt think I would need one, but the wedding coordinator suggested that I did because she said it would be easier for the servers to know which food belongs to who. Does that make sense?

[-Kate-]

I have been to weddings of all sizes where there are no seating charts and I never like it. (No offense - I know lots of people on here did it). I just always feel like people "run" to claim a table so they can sit with people they know which is kinda un-fun. Also, I've often been stuck at a table half full of people I don't know - random bride/groom family members like old aunt Mable. Not that I don't like meeting new people, but we usually have to travel a long way to these weddings and I want to sit with people I know that I don't see much.

 

That said - if you know everyone who will be there knows each other/has had a meal together before then don't worry about the chart.

[Jackie]

We are having about the same number of people (28 I think), I am on the fence about this but I think we are having one long table with only a designated see for me and fiance.

 

Honestly I dont want to be the one to decide who gets to sit at the very ends of the table. Like which guests are the least important to us. Yikes forget it, I'll just let them decide where they are sitting.

[1elephant]

we're going back and forth with this also...do we have one long table for 30 and let people decide where they are sitting? we COULD designate places for ourselves, parents, AND the bridal party.....and let others figure out where they're going...

 

OR do we do a few smaller tables and arrange a chart so people can sit with others they know...

 

i'm actually leaning towards one long table (now, ask me again in 5 min and i may change my mind...) b/c 1) it's not a large crowd - no one will be saving seats and not using them... and 2) with only 30 people, it shouldn't be awkward, esp. considering that we're having a welcome dinner and etc. etc.

 

i dont think i helped at all...

[TATrisha]

I am having right around 30 people as well and I plan on doing one long table. I will be doing assigned seating (I think, ask me again in 5 minutes... I'm just like you ) Anyway, I'm doing assigned seating because of divorced parents. I don't want there to be any issues or uncomfortable situations and with such a few amount of people I think it'll work just fine

[cheese_diva]

We had 40 guests that by the time the wedding happened on Sunday had already gotten to know each other via our welcome dinner, or hanging by the pool. A majority of our guests were long time friends so for us the seating chart was more a pain than anything. I didn't want to stress about people being unhappy about where they were sitting and knowing my friends, they'd pick up their stuff and move it wherever they wanted anyhow! lol We had 5 tables of 8 and Matt and I had our own small table. Familys stuck together on their own and mixed with friends here and there. The majority of time was spent on the dance floor.

 

For food service, we used either blue or brown ribbon on our starfish to denote their food choice to make things easier on the waiters. We did have to collect food choices and keep track, but I needed to give the resort food counts anyhow.

[starchild]

We had no assigned seating and 35 guests. I briefly considered it, but if I was going to seat the wedding party close to me I would have to seat their guests with them....that means someone I don't know would be sitting close to me and family would be further off. No big deal, but I didn't want to make that call.

 

We had one long table and one smaller one off to the side and there was no scramble, everyone was very civil and left the seats closest to us for parents/siblings/etc. It worked quite well and with a group that small we were able to see everyone down to the end of the table. Plus the party really starts after dinner so I wouldn't worry too much about it )

[DanielleNDerek]

My friend had 48 people at her DW and there was about 6 round tables with no assigned seats. It was very casual which I liked. Everyone was pretty much table hopping the whole time anyway. So it worked in her situation.