How To Design The Perfect Wedding Seating Charts

Congrats! You’ve got the scary part out of the way. You’ve walked down the aisle, signed your name on the dotted line, the tears have been shed. You’re officially married! Now you get to enjoy the best party of your life… onto the ceremony!

Before you can get into it though, you need to decide how you want your wedding venue layout to look. Wedding seating charts might make us groan in frustration or downright agony when it comes to planning them. All the family politics, tricky relationships and decades of interpersonal history to navigate can have you putting off table arrangements to the last minute.

And how are you even supposed to organise a wedding seating chart anyway?

In this blog, we’ll give you the answers. Our dedicated team of party, event and wedding planners have seen it all, and we’re here to help provide the tips you need to make your wedding table arrangements easy and…dare we say it… fun? Read on for our wedding seating chart and table arrangement tips. 

The All-Important Bridal Table – Is It Really That Important?

The concept of the bridal table in a traditional Western wedding seating layout is where the bridal party sit in a straight line with specific individual placements, all facing the guests. This provides a focal point and can make it easier to direct speeches. However, there’s an increasing shift towards a more relaxed approach to bridal table seating arrangements. 

Instead, consider a circular table in the middle of your venue, where guests can easily approach and see you. Or, do away with a bridal table altogether. Place your bridal party as you would any other guest, and save a couple of seats at each table, so you and your partner can meander between them as you please.

You can also look at seating arrangements in other cultures for inspiration. For example, at traditional Chinese weddings, the bride sits with the groom’s family, while the bride’s family sits separately, incorporating principles of feng shui into the arrangement. In Japanese culture, the bride and groom’s family often sit furthest away from the centre of the room to demonstrate humility by offering the ‘best seats’ to other guests.

Consider Traffic Flow & Access Points

An often overlooked seating arrangement factor to consider is the flow of human traffic in your space. Your wedding reception should feel like a relaxed affair, not a squeezed-in bunch of people struggling to move between tables. Try to avoid having guests boxed in a corner or shoved against the wall, needing to say ‘excuse me’ to fifteen people before they can leave their seats and access other areas such as the toilet or bar.

Also consider how your wait staff will be able to serve your guests, especially if you’re planning a sit down meal. If you’re planning a buffet, make sure you leave enough floor space around the food so your guests can easily access all the tasty dishes prepared, whilst avoiding lengthy queues and congestion.

Ensure clear pathways for entrances and exits, the bar and toilets, and clearly signed (and easily accessible) emergency exits. Whilst it might be tempting to skip this detail as ‘it’s only for one day’, you’re better safe than sorry.

Make Space For Dancing!

Whatever seating arrangement you opt for, you’ll want to have enough room in your venue for entertainment! Whether you’ve got live music or a DJ, make space for a stage for music equipment, and a dancefloor for your guests to celebrate you tying the knot! If you’re not choosing to have a traditional bridal table layout, this dance area can double up as the centrepoint for your guests to gather for speeches. 

Choose somewhere with ample space for speakers, lighting and other props you might want to bring onto your dancefloor. Equally, don’t make your dancing space too large and overbearing that your guests feel intimidated to fill it!

Wedding Seating Charts

If you’re wondering how to do a wedding seating chart for your ceremony, there’s no tried and true technique, but there are a couple of methods you can follow. 

If you want to keep certain individuals apart, such as separated parents or very different friendship groups, start with them. Place them on different tables or sides of the room and arrange your seating plan from there. Alternatively, assign people to tables, but not specific seats. This gives your guests the freedom to choose who they want to sit next to, but saves the larger hassle of a complete free-for-all.

It’s also a nice idea to mix up different groups to give your guests a chance to interact with each other. For example, you don’t need to contain your families to designated tables or have friendship groups clearly segregated. On the other hand, avoid peppering individuals into well-defined groups. Consider splitting your tables into 50/50 bride and groom-invited guests, and for those friends or colleagues who don’t know the majority of guests, try to seat them with people you know are more outgoing and likely to help them feel welcome.

Avoid mixing clashing personalities, such as those with strong opposing political views, introverts and extroverts, or those you just simply don’t see gelling. It’s not worth risking it on your special day, so if in doubt, opt for a different seating arrangement.

Singles & Kid’s Tables

The concept of a ‘single’s table’ has become pretty outdated, and can have your single guests feeling shoved into an identity with people they might have nothing in common with. Seat your single brother with other family members, your single childhood friend with some people from work who might also not know too many guests. There are creative ways to place those who come alone without making them feel isolated.

On the other hand, some couples opt for a kid’s table to keep the smaller guests ‘rounded up’ and occupied. If you plan to have many children at your wedding, a table lower off the ground with activities such as drawing or even a magician can be a nice touch to keep them entertained (and allow parents an opportunity to relax as well!)

Speak To Friends & Family

Whilst you and your partner know your wedding guests the best, lean on your bridal party and family for help and inspiration too. Those who know the complex dynamics between your guests might be able to offer suggestions to avoid awkward placements . Even if it’s just for a second opinion, speaking with trusted loved ones can ease some of the pressure.

Keep in mind that your first seating plan will almost definitely not end up being your last, so don’t get disheartened if you feel like you just can’t work it out. Like a jigsaw puzzle, it will come together in the end!

The Perfect Wedding Seating Arrangement: What You Want It To Be

We’ve explored the different tips and methods for planning and arranging your wedding seating chart, but ultimately how you plan your ceremony floor layout is up to you. Whilst you want to please everyone, remember that as long as your guests can see you enjoying yourself, they should be happy with their placement.

The best starting point is to choose a venue that doesn’t lock you into rigid arrangements.

At Canvas House, our furniture and amenities are all flexible and adaptable, meaning we can move them round to suit your needs with ease. Just speak to the team and we’ll be happy to offer advice, or work out how to facilitate your seating plan.

For enquiries about renting our beautiful wedding venue space, or just to get more insight on doling out your wedding seating placement, speak to Nash or Aaron on 0478 056 390. Alternatively send us a quick enquiry online, and we’ll get right back to you.