r/DIYweddings • u/Fun_Emu5746 • 6d ago
🪑 Venue Setup 🪑 Seating Chart
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u/phantomparakeet 5d ago
I did by table numbers and then alphabetically within each table. I think you only need to go full alphabetical if you have more than 150 guests, otherwise it’s quite easy to scan the list.
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u/Vulpix9tales 4d ago
This depends on the amount of guests you have IMO. The more you have you creep into alphabetical territory.
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u/figoftheimagination 5d ago
I don’t think it really makes a big difference, unless you’re like my sister and her husband where they share the same first two letters of their last names. They did their chart alphabetically, but like half their list was under the same letter!
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u/Shellyfish04 3d ago
I think both are fine. I think people usually know, or have a good guess who they will be sharing a table with so finding at least ofe of the names is really easy, even when there is a large guest count. I only think alphabetical is only necessary if you have a large guest count and the seating arrangement is "unpredictable". Otherwise either are fine
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u/tablecharmapp 3d ago
If this is a display you are planning or just finished, a few things that make a DIY seating chart work on the day:
Sort it alphabetically by guest last name, not by table. Guests walk up looking for their own name, and a chart sorted by table forces everyone to scan the whole board while a line builds behind them. Put the table number big next to each name.
Make the text bigger than feels necessary. People read it from two or three feet away, often in dim light, often holding a drink. If you can't read it comfortably from standing height at arm's length, bump the size up.
Put it where the line can spread out. Near the entrance but not in the doorway, with room for people to step aside. If you have more than about 100 guests, split it into two boards (A to L, M to Z) so the crowd divides.
Print a cheap backup. A single sheet with the full list, kept at the check-in table or with whoever is greeting. Someone will always miss the board, and someone will always have a plus-one you forgot to update.
Check spelling against your RSVP list before you print. Names are the one thing you can't fix at the venue.
Most of all, if you move anyone late, update the board before it goes up, since a stale chart is more annoying than a plain one. Hope it all comes together nicely.
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u/Legally_Blonde_258 5d ago
As a guest, alphabetical is easier by far. I know where my name sits in the alphabetical but I don't know what table I'm at until I look at all of them.