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Wedding Seating Chart Ideas

We spend hours developing wedding seat chart ideas for our clients. Why?

Because in my opinion, great wedding seating chart ideas are the most cost-efficient way to create drama.

Follow my 8-step process to create an instant WOW moment.

I dive into my tried and true process in more detail inside the FREE Planning Session; How To Set Your Budget & Design a Day You Can Afford. Save your seat below.

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step one

Pull inspiration for your wedding seating chart ideas from your favorite restaurant.

When you walk in the front door of your favorite restaurant I bet you don’t see a room filled with identical round tables. A mix of shapes, sizes, and even heights feels much more natural and inviting.

step two

Take inventory of the size and number of tables, chairs, and linens your venue offers.

As you think of the total number of tables you’ll need I use the following as my guide:

- 60” round: 8-10 people

- 66” round: 9-10 people

- 72” round: 10-12 people

- 8’ banquet table: 8-10 people*

6’ banquet: 6-8 people*

* If you use long banquet tables I recommend ensuring they’re 42” wide to give guests seated across from each other ample space.

step three

Play with the placement of your bars when brainstorming your wedding seating chart ideas

Most of your guests will make multiple trips to the bar throughout the evening so it’s a great place to make an impact visually. Does your venue have a killer view to highlight? Do you have room for a 4-sided bar guests can mingle around? Do you have access to an outdoor space you’re trying to encourage guests to enjoy? Everyone will find the bar so strategically position it where you want people to move.

step four

Place your biggest tables first

If you love the look of long banquet tables, place these in your floor plan first. Don’t limit yourself to placing them completely linearly. Using them on an angle in a large space can create an inviting, intimate space.

As you place banquet tables in the space think through your linen needs. For a 42” wide table a custom linen is often needed which can get expensive. Work with your venue to determine if you can layer their existing house linens in a way that works, or explore a dining table that doesn’t need a linen at all.

step five

Dare to go high when brainstorming your wedding seating chart ideas

We love the couples who come to us and say they want their wedding to feel more like a great big party than a wedding. To create this atmosphere we often recommend using some bar height tables in the floor plan. Something about a table at this height makes guests feel less married to it and gets them on the dance floor pronto.

When placing higher tables we keep them to the sides and back of the room so as not to block guests’ view of the dance floor. Again, you’ll have to think through the linen on these tables, which may be a custom size.

step six

Fill in with round tables

step seven

Reflect on your overall wedding seating chart ideas

We like to make each table feel as special as possible. For tables further away from the dance floor action consider adding a taller centerpiece or creating a 2nd focal point. This will make everyone feel included and excited to celebrate you.

I know a wedding seating chart can feel like just a bunch of circles and squares on a page but it really helps set the energy for your celebration. Take a weekend and dream up 3 totally different wedding seating chart ideas before landing on THE ONE.

To get you started we’re giving you a glimpse into some of our favorite floor plans.