In this Article
- Why Do You Need To Make A Wedding Table Plan?
- Efficient Preparation: Start Early For A Successful Table Plan
- How To Make Table Planning For Your Wedding Easy
- Smart Tips For A Smooth and Efficient Wedding Table Planning
- Keep your committee to a minimum
- Be strategic in assigning seats
- First seat the guests that are most familiar to you
- Position the tables according to familiarity
- Use your creativity consistently
- Mix single guests with their natural groups
- Make your visitors feel comfortable
- Be mindful of seating guests with special needs
- Don't divulge your table plan before the wedding
- Finalise your plan before printing
- Final Thoughts
Not that you have to be daunted about it, but creating your wedding table plan can be a breeze. You just need to put a lot of time into the deed, employ your sensitivity, be considerate and make sure that all your guests and relaxed and comfortable. Most importantly, you have to work with the right professionals.
Why Do You Need To Make A Wedding Table Plan?
You have a choice whether or not to have a table plan for your wedding. It primarily depends on your resources and the nature of the occasion.
Small and informal weddings, for example, may go on without it, but for plenty of reasons, most couples consider having seating assignments for their attendees.
The main goal of a wedding table plan is to ensure the comfort and enjoyment of your guests. In the same way, you'll want to guarantee that each of them has seats.
A table plan sees to it that the event is balanced and well-organised where there aren't any crowded tables or half-empty ones. You'll want to assure that your VIP Guests, most especially, are seated where you want them to be and that nobody is out of place.
Another aspect is the dining requirements. With an efficient wedding table plan set in place, you can warrant that the food is served smoothly and properly and that everyone gets their fair share. Organising the seating placements of your visitors makes your wedding as stress-free as can be.
There are two main ways of facilitating a table plan, and they are:
- Assigning your guests to specific tables, but their seating options are flexible.
- Assign specific seats for each of your visitors.
Efficient Preparation: Start Early For A Successful Table Plan
Your tendency might be to go about with your table plan when you're already at the venue, but that is a major no-no. The key to planning your guests' seating placements accordingly is to prepare and start early. The following are the steps to achieve this:
- Plan and organise your guest list ahead of time.
- Long before the event, obtain a room layout of your wedding reception venue. This way, you can ascertain the table sizes and the number of seats, among others.
- One month before the event- at the least- determine your RSVP date.
- Save your RSVP list safely and accordingly on an Excel spreadsheet.
- Double-check your RSVP list and make sure that everyone is taken for. Ascertain those who will attend and those who will not. See to it that you get certain answers from everyone and call for follow-up if necessary.
- What type of tables do you want to be arranged on your wedding day? Round ones or long ones? Determine as well if you want to have a top table, or else a sweetheart table. Perhaps you want to simply be seated together with your guests?
- If you're going to utilise round tables, it's best to sign-up for or download an online planning tool. Otherwise, if you have guests that are less than 100, an Excel spreadsheet will suffice.
- Guarantee that the communication with your event venue is clear and efficient. Agree upon the prompt submission of your table plan and figure out what to do in case of last-minute dropouts.
How To Make Table Planning For Your Wedding Easy
You can take the pain out of the process, and that's by using a table planning software. There are various selections online.
These apps work by letting you upload your Excel spreadsheet guest list and determine your floor layout. This refers to the number of tables in the event and your guests' seating.
Explore the configurations as you drag and drop attendees so that they can be seated appropriately. Add some labels to the tables. When you're done with this, you can work out the diagram and have it printed.
This table list you consequently hand to the event venue, the planner and the caterer along with the party responsible for arranging the room on the big day.
Should you need to make last-minute corrections, just bandy the names around and reprint your list.
As an important tip, allow a trusted friend or someone at the wedding party to have access to your table planning app account. It will come in handy when you need to make last-gasp changes wherein you wouldn't have to be pestered during the event.
Smart Tips For A Smooth and Efficient Wedding Table Planning
Keep your committee to a minimum
Too many cooks will spoil the broth, so to speak. Assign the task only to yourself and a trusted friend. If you take in more participants, everyone is bound to give their own opinions which will only prolong its accomplishment. Your other half ought to be involved, too.
Be strategic in assigning seats
Group the visitors at one table accordingly- depending on how they fare with the others, or how intimate they are. You can even categorise in keeping with attendees who are families, friends, couples, work colleagues and schoolmates, to mention a few.
First seat the guests that are most familiar to you
After you've deciphered their best locations, you can proceed with assigning guests that are trickier to seat.
Position the tables according to familiarity
Your family and close friends should be seated close to the top table. The set-up is supposed to spread outwards, conforming to the attendees' closeness to the couple.
Use your creativity consistently
Steer clear of the tendency to mix things up in your table plan. You might be thinking of splitting or breaking groups up. It is crucial to consider your visitors' experience as to who they want to be seated with.
Mix single guests with their natural groups
You shouldn't be seating single attendees on their own where they will feel left out.
Make your visitors feel comfortable
Sure you'll be seating them with someone they know well, or if they're like-minded people. But remember that the attendees are bound to mingle with whoever they are seated with.
Be mindful of seating guests with special needs
You must be very keen about seating those with a disability, are pregnant or seniors. It's best to arrange their seats at the table end or where they can easily access the bathroom.
Don't divulge your table plan before the wedding
If you do, you'll be inviting requests from those who want to be seated with their preference or otherwise.
Finalise your plan before printing
Keep it to the last minute to avoid errors. Make sure that you completely work out your guests' seating assignments before getting your table plan printed.
Final Thoughts
With the above tips and information, you should be guided well in planning the table set-ups for your wedding. Being in the know allows you to prepare such a task and the actual event with easy success.