The Perfect Seating Formula

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By Lara Shriftman
Celebrations Expert

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A Special Seat For You

An Excerpt from Fete Accompli! The Ultimate Guide to Creative Entertaining By Lara Shriftman and Elizabeth Harrison

If you ever get stressed out about seating charts, or the mere sight of a big venue with empty spaces frightens you, then this plan is made for you!

We have great tips to help you stay organized while you plan your seating chart for your next event. Just follow a few simple rules in this formula and you'll find yourself cool as a cucumber.

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The Seating Formula

Here is our seating formula, which works whether you're assigning seats by seats by just table number or by table number and specifics seat. You can also seat people at specific instructing them to take a particular seats. This is slightly less formal way of seating assignment that we like to use for more casual affairs.

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Get a floor plan of the venue or make your own.

Find out how many tables there are, as well as the number of people each table can accommodate. If you're organizing a dinner for fifty, try to get five tables of ten (if the venue is not equipped with tables of that size, put together two of eight and say hello to intimacy).

Enlarge the diagram, number the tables, and laminate it (we'll explain why later).

Get small round Avery labels in two colors (one for boys, one for girls).

Using your master guest list as guide, write each person's name on a label and place them in groups of six, eight, or ten, depending on the table situation. Be careful. Forgetting someone would be a major faux pas!

Stick labels on the chart. Because you laminated it, it's easy to pull stickers off if you're not happy with the results.

Move the labels around until you have something that works.

Then decide which tables you want near each other and number them. Table coordinates, which is where the tables are located within a space, are just as important as who's sitting at the seats around them. You never want to stick an A-list table in the back corner.

Check the master list again to ensure you seated everyone who has RSVP'd.

Photocopy the chart and check it all again.

Make sure you have extra chairs nearby so you can seat extra guests who show up. Also if the venue has extra tables, dress them up with centerpieces, just in case you add people at the last minute.