Seating place cards, yes or no?

Assigned seating is always so much easier on you and the guests. If you are having a small wedding, name cards at the table work great. If you are having a larger wedding, I would either do an escort card table or a seating chart (so guests don’t have to mill around the room looking for their place card at the tables).

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Yes, Cece is right. Having assigned seating is so much easier on guests. I think having your guest find their table number would be easier then having placement cards on each of the tables.

At minimum I think you need to assign tables. People don’t like to have to scramble for their seats.
For that purpose I prefer separate escort cards over one main seating chart. They are easier to redo last minute when there are inevitable changes and more convenient for guests.

I agree with having a seating chart or escort cards to make easier for guests to find their table and seat. It causes less confusion for your guests.

A seating poster/mirror is not necessary and is very difficult for guests for a variety of reasons: usually too small to read without creating traffic jams and guests forget where they are seated on the way to the tables. They are extremely to reprint/redo anytime someone needs to be moved or a typo is made. Escort cards are much easier for everyone. They are placed alphabetically by the entrance, guests grab and go. Plus if there is a plated meal where waiters need to know who gets which dish, solid colored tent cards (that are sold inexpensively in bulk on Etsy) are much easier for them to read than a tiny stamp/sticker. Because each selection is given its own color that is given to the caterer.

With open seats, even if it’s all family who knows each other and not a single outsider friend, couples and groups always get split because people don’t seat themselves cleanly. Grandma will save an entire table all night for people who never sit with her while another table has 20 chairs at a table for 8 plates.

Not assigning at least tables leaves the reception open to have high school cafeteria style switching of table and seats. One table will have 4 people, and another will have 10 squished in. The last to arrive will be at the odd random table.

My wedding planner said a seating chart is easier than cards. This is my plan:
make two columns name and table number. sorted by lastname, firstname. Find a boarder that you like. Copy and paste in your table.
Print a poster at staples.

View Quoted Comment That's a great idea! Thank you!

View Quoted Comment FH finished the chart today. DM me if you want to see it.