Although it looks like Mr. Eggplant is diligently studying all the reasons why he’s excited to marry me, he’s really doing our table seating arrangements. 
We’re setting up our reception room with 18 or 19 round banquet tables that seat 8-10 people per table. I know tons of seating software programs exist out there and I could even use MS Excel, but I’m really a hands-on type person. I work much better visually, so I printed a mail merge of my guest list to some address labels and adhered them to a bunch of index cards that I cut in half. Once that was done, it only took Mr. Eggplant and me thirty minutes to finish our table arrangements.
I was worried that the seating people would be much more of a headache, but it was pretty quick and easy. Well, for the most part, anyway. There’s always a little drama involved (I can’t see Guest A near Guest B because they used to date and Guest A is bringing his new girlfriend… I can’t seat the divorced parents next to each other, but which table do we place their children at?).
I am a *bit* worried about some of the fragile dynamics, but everyone is an adult and I trust that our friends and family are more mature than to cause a scene. Although… I ran across one unfortunate incident one Saturday night when Mr. Eggplant took a stroll outside our wedding venue. I wanted to take a peek at what the courtyard set-up would look like while a wedding was in progress. As we walked by the reception, I happened upon a guy in a tuxedo cursing at a nicely dressed older man and woman:
Young man in tux: You keep that crazy woman away from here! Don’t ever bring her near us again!
Older woman to older man (I’m assuming her husband?): (mumbling) That’s it, he’s cut off from everything! That’s the last check I’m writing to them!
I don’t know why, but I got really sad watching that spectacle. Weddings are supposed to be full of joy and excitement and it saddens me to watch when people cannot get past their own differences for one night to celebrate a new beginning for their loved ones. Of all the things that could go wrong at a wedding (cake falling to the floor, flowers coming late, etc), it would devastate me the most to have a dramatic scene between family or friends.
Have you had to deal with touchy dynamics while doing your seating chart? How did you deal with it?
You drink. Alot. We just finished our seating chart last week and it was a nightmare. So many family feuds…
that’s how i recommend my brides to do their seating chart. i actually place the labels on the small post it notes and have them group their tables on regular pieces of paper. the post it notes help “move” guests really easily and the visual is very helpful as well.
Hehehe Lori! Yup, I’m going to have to go with you on that- drinking helps…
My father in law didn’t want to sit with his own parents!!! Actually, when we originally asked him where he wanted to sit, he said Pennyslvania.
This was funny, since we’re on the river (Jersey/PA border). We told we’d set up a lawn chair and a pair of binoculars on the opposite bank for him.
We had our little bits of paper with names on them on our dining table for about a week. We kept shifting them slightly, although I bet they ended up in exactly the same positions we had originally put them in.
Anyway, we had to have the visual too. It helped us significantly.
If you can’t fit everyone at one table, use neighboring tables, and leave an extra seat or two at tables if you can, so people can mingle on their own. An extra seat is especially useful if there is an elderly guest or children, because they always seem to have extra stuff with them.
We’re gonna hire extra security guards.
i always knew there were some sisterly conflicts between my aunts but i didn’t know how else to seat them…..turned out things went well…and they respected it to be my wedding day and didn’t address any conflicts that my cousin was worried about. then i had a group of young white 20’s guys grouped with a a much older chinese couple and a co-worker and her fiance…i thought that was the weirdest table. i even asked another friend to try to introduce my co-worker to other friends so they wouldn’t feel awkward. turned out that the table had a great time together! the chinese couplel loved explaining everything to the table…the group all had a sense of humor and my co-worker said the group was so much fun! so …you never know. i did worry a little when i did the seating chart and thought about it 3 times…then said…eh whatever.
I had heard this was one of the biggest headaches that couples go though. So we opted to not have a chart. We put names on the favors and people used them to sit wherever they wanted to. We only marked off the center table for the small wedding party and a table for the vendors, so they’d have a space to eat at. What a stress reliever it was!
I had heard this was one of the biggest headaches that couples go though. So we opted to not have a chart. We put names on the favors and people used them to sit wherever they wanted to. We only marked off the center table for the small wedding party and a table for the vendors, so they’d have a space to eat at. What a stress reliever it was!
Mrs. Eggplant, San Francisco
Age and Occupation: 28, Human Resources
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 24, Associate Marketing Manager
Engagement Date: January 19, 2007
Wedding Date: October 20, 2007
Blogging Since: May 31, 2007
Venue: Ceremony at a cement and stained glass cathedral and reception at a boutique hotel ballroom
About Me: I'm a shopping junkie who lives to discover great deals and a craft addict that loves to scrapbook and knit. My profile picture was taken on the day I got engaged which is why my smile is so huge!
Great idea! I think it would help to see ours spread out as well (instead of trying to make lists). I’m about to get the those index cards going! Thanks for the idea.