Should I have assigned seating/tables at my wedding?

Question

My mom doesnt think I should because it prevents the guests from mingling.

I think we should so that all of our guests have a seat with their respective friends and family members.

what do yo think? to assign or not to assign...that is the question.

Answer 1

Definitely assign. Otherwise you can end up with ten people at one table, with a lone couple at another. Or people sitting with people they do not know at all. Or loud people sitting by the bar.

It is nice to do what you can to make sure each guest will have somebody to talk to throughout the dinner.

Assigned seating does not prevent mingling. People only sit for a certain amount of time at weddings; when they are eating and when the speeches are occurring. That leaves plenty of time for people to mingle. There is still coctails, breaks during the entertainment, and dancing time!

Answer 2

>prevents the guests from mingling
I don't see how. They won't be tied to their chairs will they? They'll be allowed to get up and dance, right?

One good reason for assigned seating is to make sure you don't run out of seats.
Lets say you have 10 tables of 10 seats. And you have 10 single people attending. If each of them sits at a different table, there will be an odd number of seats remaining. This poses an uncomfortable situation for couples. You don't want to have couples split up due to unavailable seats.
This situation will also occur with families with odd numbers of kids. Or tables with off numbers of seating.

Are there any people on your guest list that don't get along? You may want them separated.

Any wedding I've ever been to, after dinner, the assigned seating goes out the window and people get up and mingle.

Answer 3

Assigned usually works better, otherwise you have half empty tables, and sometimes there are conflicts between certain friends/relatives that make it necessary to keep people separated. People always get up and mingle once they are finished eating, anyway. Plus, there are sometimes guests that don't know anyone else, and by seating them with your more welcoming and outgoing guests, you can help make their time more enjoyable.

Plus, you don't want a recovering alcoholic to be stuck near the bar (if you're having one), or an elderly person that can't get around well at the farthest table, etc. Use specific examples to arm yourself, and argue your point. Good luck!

Answer 4

Depends on how many guests and uninvited guests you have.
If you have a large number of guests by all means assign the seats otherwise let them pick. If you think there is a good possiblity of a lot of uninvited guests, you should not assign seats otherwise people will be left out.

Answer 5

I went to an assigned seating wedding once and I kind of resented it. It felt more like I was at a work conference than a wedding celebration.

Besides, you run the risk of seating people with someone they may have "issues" with that you aren't aware of. Not everyone gets along with their family. Let the people choose their own seating...it makes for a more relaxed atmosphere.

Answer 6

It's best to be organized. People usually get up and mingle anyway. Assigning seats just helps you on how many people attended the reception. You don't want to be short on seats and end up having your guest standing.

Answer 7

At your wedding, the only assigned seating would be for the
mothers of both the bride and groom. And, traditionally, the
friends and family of the bride are seated on one side of the
aisle and friends and family of the groom are seated on the
other side.
Other than that, I don't believe assigned seating should go.

Answer 8

Assign seats if it is a Wedding with tables that are set up and you have a meal that is served by waitstaff. If it's a buffett let people sit where ever they want.

Answer 9

it depends on the setting, but I'd say assign. This way you don't have awkward seating situations. People will always mingle anyway.

Answer 10

i would do assigned seating. that way you can control who is sitting together, and make sure no parties get separated. you'll also know where everyone is seating, which will make it easier to find (or avoid =]) certain people. everything will be more organized and less stressful for you and everyone involved.