Take Your Assigned Seats

I'm in the thick of planning my engagement party. There's less than a month to go. I have the restaurant, and we're pretty set on the food. The invitations have been sent, and most have arrived. I'm pretty set on favors and I have been throwing around ideas for the centerpieces.

So now it's time for the details. Like seating charts.

My cousin asked me if I was assigning seats, so I posed the question on A Bride on a Budget's Facebook page. Part of me thought hell yeah, Bridezilla will be assigning seats. That way I can put all the singles at one table and make them fall in love (completely eliminating their need for a plus one and my need for a potential no ring no bring policy).

Then, I'd sit all the cool kids at one table (aka our potential bridal party). And of course, I would set it up so Pete and I got to sit next to each other.

But then I thought this is all too rigid for an engagement party. Yes, there are going to be 110 guests, but I should trust that this group of our 100ish closest family and friends could set themselves.

I asked over on Facebook because that's what I do when I'm making non-life threatening life decisions.

Ashley had an excellent idea. She said to make suggested seating cards. The seats weren't assigned, but the tables were basically themed.

She said:

Every wedding I've been to, had assigned tables for the engagement parties. They weren't assigned each individual seat but this table held the brothers of both, the next held the sisters of both, etc. something to that effect.

Just so that people will mingle!

Love it.

The only reason we wouldn't be able to do that is because only I have brothers and only Pete has sisters, so I had to be a little creative.

I came up with:

This is great. The table could sit family, high school friends, college friends, old jilted lovers who ... who am I kidding. No exes at the wedding.

I also figured:

This table would definitely fit up quickly ... and help narrow down who thinks they will be in the bridal party.

I think this is a really cute idea and these cards are really easy to design using PicMonkey (which is a completely free design and photo editing program. I've used it to design everything from our wedding door hangers to the collages in our Favor Friday posts). Design them, then just print them on card stock, and set one at each table.

I'm worried, though, about people not feeling like they could fit at any table. I mean, sure, there could be a catch all like, "Sit here if ... you are a friend of the bride" or "Sit here if ... you came late and are looking for a seat." 

I don't want people having trouble finding a seat. This is a party, not middle school gym class. I don't want anyone to have trouble and feel like they don't fit, that they're picked last for the team.

So assigned seating might work. Or it might not.

BRIDAL BABBLE: Do you think there should be assigned seating at our 110-person engagement party? Should there be suggested seating? Or should there just be a free for all?

Need more table card ideas?
Check out our Summer Wedding Escort Card Ideas post.