Being in the industry for years, I have often been asked if a seating plan is necessary and my answer is always a confident YES! There is no need for individual place cards, but table allocation is a must.
I understand how time-consuming it is to go through the process of determining which guests to seat together but on the day, this allows for a smooth entrance into the reception area. Let’s take a quick look at some of the pros and cons.
Without a seating plan:
- Guests tend to take longer to find a seat
- Guests start moving chairs to tables to sit with family
- Couples and families can get split up
With a seating plan:
- Order when entering the reception area.
- If you have 150 guests and more, have two seating plans on the side of the entrance. This will prevent all your guests gathering at one point looking for their names.
- It allows staff to coordinate a meal service with specific requirements
You donāt have to spend hours adjusting your seating plan. Allocate a single day/evening to compile and re-look at it in a few days to finaliseš
Good luck!
