I’m loving the For Brides series and all of the amazing vendors who are lending their expertise to answer questions! Today’s question is from Katherine who is getting married this July and asked:

“Has anyone not done a seating chart? We wanted to keep it casual by letting people choose their seat but we are worried about it being chaotic.”

Such a good question! I’ve enlisted my friend Jessica of the Wedding Co. of Williamsburg to answer this and her feedback is SO informational!

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Jessica: About 5 years ago, I nearly never saw open seating. But lately, it is an upward trend that if done right works just fine and even has some benefits vs. assigned seating. In Williamsburg, VA we do not have many venues that can hold larger weddings. Once you hit a guest count of 150+, your options as far as seating for everyone begins to dwindle, especially if you are on a budget. When this happens, I start recommending to couples something called reception style seating. This style allows some seating for guests but lounge seating and cocktail tables take the bulk of the reception seating. As much as a fan I am of assigned seating because it keeps things orderly, organized and as a planner it allows me to keep an eye on the important guest throughout the evening, I absolutely love the look of reception style seating only. If you are on the fence, I’d love to share a few of the pros and cons of open seating vs. assigned seating:

– Open seating allows for a more casual feel, while assigned seating can be more formal.

– Open seating allows for a larger guest count in a venue that would normally only seat 150 guests with assigned seating.

– Open seating has an amazing look and makes the reception look more like an event rather than a wedding.

– Centerpiece costs are typically lower because many of the tables are smaller.

– It can make it harder to keep guests attention spans. Because the whole night feels like a party, having and keeping order can be difficult if not done correctly.

– The cost can be pricier overall because couples need to find ways to keep their guests entertained throughout the whole evening.

– If you have a lot of older guests, this style reception is not conducive to them.

 

If you are a type A bride and want order and for all your guests to have a seat, open seating with reception style is not the way to go. However, if you want to do open seating with seating for everyone, you can still have a reception with no chaos. We suggest assigning tables or reserving tables for your family members and your bridal party so they feel accommodated and leaving the other tables available to your guests. If you want to have fun with it, bring in couches, high cocktail tables with bar stools and round tables with seats for some of your guests. If you go this route, make sure you reserve a couple tables for those who are older/handicapped and of course for you two and immediate family!

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Jess, thank you so much for tackling Katherine’s question! Creating a seating chart can be very daunting and I’m so happy you were able to share insight into an alternative option! For more wedding planning posts, browse through the For Brides category and come back next week to see more of your questions answered!