Placecards, table numbers, seating OH MY!!!?

Question

My fiance and I are going to assign people to tables, but not assign each seat at the table...so long as there are 10 seats and 10 people, they should be able to figure it out.

My question is, what is the cheapest and most efficient way to get people to their tables?

The reception venue has offered an easel for us to use if we make a giant chart with table assigments, but I have heard that this can create quite a trafffic jam.

Would a chart or individual place cards with table numbers on them be best?

Let me know your opinions and experiences with this!!! :)

Answer 1

I've been to those weddings with the chart, and you're right, it makes for quite a bottleneck as people attempt to find their places.

At the most recent wedding I attended, the bride had stationed her nieces and nephews, aged 12 - 17, near the entry doors with clipboards and lists of names and table numbers.  They would stop each couple as they came in and asked for their names so they could give them their information.  The kids felt very official with their pens and clipboards and because there were five of them helping, it went very quickly with no jam-ups.

If you don't have young family members who can help, perhaps you could assign your bridal party to the task, or have close family (aunts, uncles, cousins?) do it.

Answer 2

I'd definitely skip the giant easel chart thing. It will create a bit of a traffic jam. Just get those tented place cards (sold at any Michael's, even target and Walmart have them) and put the person or couples name and table number. It really must be alphabetized too so people can find their seating quickly. A simple number on each table displayed in a picture frame will work just fine. You don't need to put any place cards ON the table specifying each persons seat assignment. Ten chairs...ten guests...they can figure it out ;-)

Answer 3

I definitely think it's faster for someone to find a card with their name on it (arranged on a table alphabetically, of course!) that also displays their table number.  Then, as long as the tables are clearly marked, people should be able to find their seats relatively quickly.  =)

(Having everyone look at one chart to find their name and memorize which table they are to be seated at seems unnecessarily complicating and, as you mentioned, would create a traffic jam!)

Answer 4

The most efficient way is to put placecards on a table near the door they will enter so they can pick up the placecard and find their tables. Then, you can put numbers on the table so they know what table to go to (most reception places already have these from previous weddings and would probably set them up for you).  

That wont cause too much congestion.  I work at a reception venue and i've discovered that assigning tables works best and the small table by the main entrance works well too.

Answer 5

Why not have your ushers (the ones you used from the ceremony) go around and let people know what tables they are sitting at?  Thats what we did at our wedding and it worked fine.  They just walk around with a list of the guests names and where they are sitting - possibly with a picture of the table layout so people know where to go when they walk into the reception - and then they move on to the next group.  It stops congestion and makes people feel like the 'service' is more personal and that they don't just have to fend for themselves.

Answer 6

Definitely get the tent placecards (or escort cards) that states the guests name and what table they are at.  Arrange them in alphabetical order on a table outside or just inside the reception room.  Works like a charm!

Answer 7

I debated this very same issue - and determined what others have said, there would be a bottleneck around one chart that had everyone's names listed.

I ended up making my own place cards - I bought white cardstock and used a template in Microsoft Word, linked to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet with all of my guests names. It's VERY easy to do.

I printed the sheets, cut them into individual place cards and used a cute ink stamp to spruce them up a bit.

Just be sure to put the place cards in alphabetical order on your table so that people can find their names quickly.

Good luck!

Answer 8

I just went to a wedding with exactly the same situation - tables of 10, table was assigned but seat was not. Their solution was to set name cards (alphabetized by last name) on a small table right by the entrance, with the table number written on the card. People could grab their cards and find their way to their table or stop by the bar first, instead of trying to find their name on a big poster and causing a traffic jam.

Answer 9

By far, placecards gets my vote. Not only will a chart cause a traffic jam, but some people just won't figure it out or won't be able to see it ... or something. I've never heard of anyone doing this.

You don't have to spend a lot of money on place cards, though. Just a simple folded piece of thick paper in one of your wedding colors is just fine. Just write the name and the table number, display them nicely and you're good to go!

there's also no reason you can't get creative. We're having a candy bar at our wedding, and that will serve as the favors as well. So our "place cards" will be chinese take out boxes in ivory, with a tag tied with teal blue ribbon (our wedding colors) with the person's name and table number. They'll be lined up outside the reception room for guests to take as they enter, and then they can fill them up with candy before they leave.

Hope that helps!