Two sheets worth printing
Both fit on one page. The first is the whole method, six steps, in the order you do them. The second compares the table shapes, with the point past which each one stops being comfortable. Print them, put them where you will see them, and stop reopening the same three articles.
Sheet one
The six-step seating method
Six steps, in order. Most of the trouble comes from doing step three before step one is finished.
- Start with your guest listSettle the room, the households and the keep-apart rules while replies come in. Only the last few seats and the caterer numbers need a final list.
- Choose your shapes and confirm the countPick a table shape, confirm the per-table capacity with the venue, then divide your guest count by it.
- Group by relationship, then place the tricky onesWork outward from the natural groups, and settle the people who cannot sit together before the room fills up.
- Sort your top tableTraditional, wedding party only, or just the two of you. Whoever sits there is in view for the whole meal.
- Turn it into something guests can readA plan board at the entrance, escort cards, or place cards, so nobody has to hunt for their name.
- Keep it flexible until the dayNumbers move. Keep the plan editable, build in a spare seat or two, and keep a few blank cards to hand.
The long version, with worked examples: thetableplan.com/blog/how-to-make-a-wedding-seating-plan
Sheet two
Table shapes, compared
The number in the second column is the point past which The Table Plan flags a table as crowded. It is a warning, never a block: if you want a fourteen-seat round you can have one. You just should not find out what it feels like on the day.
| Shape | Comfortable up to | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round | 12 seats | One conversation the whole table joins. Mixed groups, and rooms built around a central dance floor. | Above twelve, guests opposite each other cannot really talk. Below six it feels sparse. Half the table has its back to the speeches. |
| Long banquet | 20 seats | Seating a large family or friendship group in one run. Marquees, barns, and a relaxed, communal feel. | Conversation happens in pockets. A guest really talks to the three or four nearest them, so who sits next to whom matters more than on a round. |
| Square | 12 seats | The closeness of a round in a smaller footprint. A five-foot square seats eight, two a side, everyone in view. | Four sides of two is a different shape of conversation from a circle of eight, and the corners are the quietest seats. |
| Oval | 12 seats | A round stretched to fit a narrow room, keeping most of the across-the-table conversation. | The two seats at the far ends belong to a long table rather than a round. Do not put your shyest guest on one. |
| U-shape | 30 seats | One connected group, everybody facing in, with a clear view of the top table. | The inside of the arms stays empty unless you choose to seat it, and the two corners are awkward seats whatever you do. |
Seat counts match the ones The Table Plan uses: thetableplan.com
Or let the plan keep itself up to date
The sheets are yours either way. If you would rather not redo the whole thing every time an RSVP changes, that is the part the app does.
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