Name cards / Seating arrangements ??

[K&L]

So in magazines you see all these ideas for name cards, like tags with each guest''s name hanging from the branches of a tree. What are these for? Is this for the guests to pick up if you aren''t assigning seating?

And, why do some weddings have assigned seats for everyone? I''ve never been to a wedding that did this. Is it as common as it seems in the magazines?

Are you doing assigned seating?

 

[zoebartlett]

I think assigned seating is very common at receptions. There are potentially a lot of people who will be attendance and I think they''d look for some sort of guidance as to where they should sit for their meal, etc. I''ve never been to a wedding reception that didn''t have assigned seating. If it''s a small guest list, I wouldn''t necessarily worry about it, but with a larger crowd, it might be best not to let them fend for themselves.

The place cards (or escort cards) typcially have the person''s name and their assigned table. If they had to choose what meal they wanted to have, that would most likely be listed on the card. I''ve always taken these cards to my table and jsut left it in front of a particular place setting. That way when the wait staff is handing out meals, they know who is supposed to get what.

If you''re not doing assigned seating, I don''t see the need for place cards or escort cards.

We are doing assigned seating for the reason I mentioned above. Many people start by placing immediate family closest to the bride and groom, then friends and distant family branching out from there. We might do it this way but I''m not sure. Most of the receptions I''ve attended even have had a bride''s side and a groom''s side. I don''t know that we''ll do this. We might just mix everyone up. I like it that way.

 

[Independent Gal]

Please. Throw away the magazines. And do what YOU want to do, not what the magazines tell you you should be doing.

There are a few options.

1) You assign a table, but let them sit beside whomever they feel like... this is what we are doing. Advantages: you can make sure cousin Liz gets to sit with cousin joe, but that crazy uncle tom stays away from them.... you can engineer certain people meeting each other, who you think might like each other... you can ensure that guests who don''t know anyone else can sit with people who will be friendly and welcoming... BUT, people still have some freedom.

2) You assign specific seats at specific tables. Advantages above, but you can engineer things even MORE carefully, so that FI''s friend the architect sits next to your single friend the architect.

3) You let everyone do what they want.

There is no ''right way'' to do this. Each has advantages and disadvantages.

In terms of those cards, some are called escort cards. Those are the ones at the front that tell each person which table they are to sit at. If you are not assigning tables, you won''t be using these.

Some are called name cards or place cards. These are actually AT the person''s seat. You only use these if you are assigning seats, not just tables. You will also then need some kind of chart or escort card if it''s a big wedding, so that people know which table to go to to find their seat. Otherwise, they''re just wandering around and around... which can get annoying.

Hope that helps! Let me know if it''s unclear.

 

[zoebartlett]

Ah yes, assigned tables vs. assigned seats. We''re doing assigned tables but people can decide where to sit at those specific tables.

 

[Gwyn]

my venue requires assigned seating with place cards at each seat indicating (with anything from words to symbols to colors previously known) what the person will be having for dinner.


In most of LA, this is pretty common. So thay may be why you are seeing that trend alot in magazines.


Usually you have something at the enterance (the tree) for the guest to find their name and locate their table and then place cards at the table for each guest.

One thing to note, if people at a table want to move their seat, they could totally do so, they would just take their lil name card with dining option with them.

 

[Sabine]

We''re doing assigned tables with meal choices on the escort cards because we have to for our caterer.

I''ve only ever been to one wedding without assigned seats, and it made the cocktail hour a little awkward. Of course, this was teh wedding of my FI''s old friend from elementary school, so we barely knew anyone there. Our little group of 4 sat at a table...and ended up alone there all night and did not really get to know any of the other guests.

 

[Pandora II]

I''m doing assigned seating - I''m having lots of fun with the table plans.

We have a friend whose husband only ever talks about how much he earns, I have a cousin who is similarly ghastly so they are sitting next to each other and can try and score one up on each other all day rather than annoying everyone else!

I also have a friend who ran the Pro-European Conservative Party, and another who is a staunch member of UKIP (The United Kingdom Independence Party - who are very anti-European and want England to pull out of being involved with Europe). I can''t decide if it would be amusing or if they''d end up killing each other!

Table plans are soooo much fun!

 

[KimberlyH]

We had a small wedding/reception (28 guests total) and all sat at the same table, no need for seating arrangements. I have been to weddings with both and was comfortable in each setting. I think you should do what you''re most comfortable with, if your venue doesn''t require you create arrangements.

 

[laine]

If you don''t do assigned seats, be sure to reserve a few tables for family and the bridal party. Otherwise, you may get to the reception after taking pictures to find only scattered seats left.

 

[K&L]

Thanks for the responses. I do think it is funny that I''ve never been to a wedding that did this. One rehearsal dinner I went to had assigned seating, but the reception didn''t. Actually at the country club in my hometown, they advise having less seating than you have guests because it encourages people to move around more instead of feeling like they should stay in their seat.

I''m having around 300 people at my wedding, and I''m planning on reserving tables for family and the wedding party, but that''s all. Most of the tables are long, and I thought this would work better than round for groups of people to sit together.

It is tempting though, to be able choose who sits next to who.