How to create the proper seating plan

Creating a seating plan that pleases all of your guests is not impossible, although it may be a little difficult.  Before you even begin the task of coming up with a seating plan you may as well take comfort in the fact that no matter how hard you try to seat everyone happily, you are going to have some members of the family upset at whom is assigned to their table.

The best way to plan the seating arrangement is to have a meeting with your mother and future mother in-law.  All three of you should put in equal input to the seating situation and do the very best that you can.  Do not stress or lose sleep over this part of your wedding preparation.

Is is really necessary to have a seating arrangement?  Yes, a seating plan is a must unless you are planning some sort of cocktail party where only d'oeuvres are being served.  Also, keep in mind that you will probably have guests that do not know anyone and will feel a little lost and uncomfortable without an assigned seat.  This puts them at ease knowing that they are in the proper place.

How should I make the guests aware of their assigned seats?  There are two simple ways to alert your wedding reception guests of where they will be sitting.  One way is to have an enlarged seating diagram at the entrance of the reception.  The diagram should be easy to read and large enough so that everyone can immediately place their names to the proper seat.  A second option, and probably the best one, is to have cards placed upright with everyone's name in front of the seat.  This way the guests can arrive and mingle while looking for their seat before the reception begins.

Will I need to have place cards?  Place cards are necessary if you are planning on having a formal wedding.  At less formal receptions, place cards are only used by those sitting at the head table.  For the rest of the guests, table cards will do just fine.