Assigned Seating: The Good and the Bad

Assigned seating at your wedding reception- yay or nay? Have you even thought about it? Either way, we’re about to make your life a whole lot easier by giving you the good and the bad on assigned seating. 

THE GOOD

Organization 

Assigned seating is great for your guests because there is no uncertainty of where they’re sitting, and no chaos of everyone trying to get a “good” table. It also gives your guests a nice home base for their purses, jackets, and even shoes if they’re busy dancing the night away. 

Formal

Assigned seating instantly makes your wedding feel more formal and put together. Adding place cards is a great way to let your guests know where they are sitting, and gives the table a polished and finished look. If you are having a plated dinner, it may even be a necessity. Most caterers will want a seating chart when serving different options to different guests. 

Control

A really great benefit of assigned seating is that you have control over who sits where. Most families have their fair share of family drama, and having a seating chart is a discreet way to keep those family members who don’t get along away from each other. Also, you probably have a good idea of who will want to sit together, and with assigned seating you can make sure they all get a table together and don’t have to split up. You especially don’t want couples to have to split up; without assigned seating a lot of tables will end up with only one empty seat. Another cool benefit is that you can put all the singles together! Assigned seating is a fun way to get your single guests interacting with others instead of feeling left out. 

THE BAD

Unexpected Guests

It is not unheard of to have an uninvited guest show up at your wedding. If you have open seating, it won’t be as noticeable that you weren’t expecting them. With assigned seating, it could be a bit awkward not having a table setting for them. A solution to this potential problem is having extra place settings on hand. Especially because it is not uncommon for a guest you invited as a single to show up with a plus one. 

More Planning

The only major drawback of assigned seating is that it creates more work for you! It can be a very frustrating and time consuming project, especially when your guests aren’t timely with their RSVP’s! Another thing to consider is the size of your guest list. The larger the guest list, the more difficult putting together a seating chart will be. On the other hand, a seating chart is more beneficial for larger weddings rather than small weddings where there will be plenty of room for people to sit where they want. 

For most weddings, assigned seating is the way to go. It really makes the reception flow smoothly and eliminates confusion for guests. You will have to do a little more work and planning, but you’ll definitely be glad you did! Will you have assigned seating at your wedding reception?

Recommended Posts

The Pros and Cons of an Open vs Cash Bar

Writing Your Own Wedding Vows

5 Things Not to Forget on Your Wedding Day