Seating Chart Maker
Quickly create the perfect seating chart by simply dragging and dropping..
Drag-and-Drop Chart
Quickly drag guests to a table of your choice. Make updates until your seating chart is perfect.
Filter Attendees & Invitees
Filter your list of attendees to help easily identify table assignments by ticket types, tags, and more!
Export Your Seating Chart
Export your seating assignments to a CSV file so you can easily share it with other event vendors.
Event Seating Charts Made Easy
RSVPify’s drag-and-drop seating chart tool makes it easy to create and perfect your event’s seating chart.
Email attendees their table and seat assignments so they know where to go before they arrive.
Highly customizable. Rename tables, add descriptions, assign each table a color.
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Seating Chart
Easily create seating charts for weddings and other event seating plans, what is a seating chart, how to use seating charts, how to make a seating chart, seating chart templates, floor plans, with smartdraw, you can create many different types of diagrams, charts, and visuals.
A seating chart is a way to visualize where people will sit in given room or during an event. A seating chart can be used for personal events like a wedding, for corporate events and parties, and for large scale conferences or presentations.
Seats may be assigned unique names or numbers and can be organized into larger groups. For example, a seating chart of a concert hall or theater would have its seats organized by rows, sections, and levels. Each seat is positioned in the seating chart to provide a graphical representation of its location in relation to other seats as well as the entire layout of the venue.
How to Use Seating Charts
There are a number of uses for seating charts. For a concert venue, a seating chart is useful to determine which tickets have already been sold and which are still available for purchase. For a formal event, such as a wedding, the wedding seating chart assists guests in finding their table for the evening. Assigned seats in a classroom setting benefit the instructor in taking attendance and learning the names of students.
How to Make a Seating Chart
Here are some tips to use in creating a seating chart for an event.
- Make it legible. The seating chart should be clear and easy to read.
- Keep it simple. Organize and create it so the viewer can easily pinpoint their name and their assigned seat. People shouldn't have to look too hard to find the information.
- Provide order. Place the names in some type of order. You may group names alphabetically or by table number. Since we read left to right, it may be best to also organize the seating chart in a similar fashion.
- Ensure everyone is comfortable. In addition to ensuring everyone has an assigned seat, it's important that each guest is seated comfortably with enough room to move about.
Example of a Wedding Seating Chart
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Online event seating chart software for building table and seating plans fast
Create accurate event seating plans plus manage guest lists and check-ins with our easy-to-use event seating planner tool.
AND IF YOU NEED MORE THAN EVENT SEATING CHARTS AND FLOOR PLANS...
Use our event seating plan software tool a la carte or included in the following products:, venue management software.
Perfect for event centers, hotels, restaurants, corporate facilities, non-profit venues and reception halls.
Event Management Software
Perfect for corporate events, meetings, weddings, galas, fundraisers, educational events and more.
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See why 20,000+ event professionals rely on our event seating chart software to manage their guests!
"I personally LOVE the floorplan tool because it lets us create amazing, detailed layouts to scale and assign guests to seats." - Tal Orion, Tal Orion Event Management
Create detailed event seating plans in minutes with intuitive, drag-and-drop tools
Quickly lay out tables and chair rows
With tools like auto-format and snap-to grids, you can quickly add multiple rows of tables or chairs to start setting up your spaces. Choose from a variety of table types as well as hundreds of other elements, including furniture, walls/doors, dance floors, stages, trade show booths, audio/visual and lighting.
Manage guest lists and assigned seating
Upload or enter your attendee list into our guest list tool to manage contact details , event RSVPs and meal choices. Then quickly drop attendees onto seats in your layout or auto-seat all attendees at once. View counts for seated attendees/available seats and clearly display guest names plus meal choices and RSVP/VIP status.
Perfect for any kind of event or venue
Our seating chart software lets you set up seating arrangements for any kind of event, including wedding receptions and ceremonies , gala dinners fundraisers , banquets, meetings , corporate events and parties . It’s also a great tool for venues , restaurants , hotels and other event spaces.
Share layouts online + check in guests
Now you can give your staff, clients and vendors access to seating charts for easy online collaboration. Or download and print out full-color PDFs of your seating plans with table seating breakouts plus name badges and equipment lists. And easily process arriving guests with our multi-user guest check-in app .
Save time with templates and customizations
Create room outlines of your space boundaries and then build out reusable templates for your most used event seating setups. Build out your own custom element libraries to save time. Even upload your logo to brand your event floor plan designs.
FYI ... If you're interested in online seating chart apps, you may also like our: Attendee List Manager • Check-In Tool • Event Registration Tool • Event Website Builder • RSVP Manager
Used by 20,000+ event professionals, what's inside our event seating plan software tool, see why more event professionals use our event seating software to build assigned seat and table layouts for weddings, banquets, galas, corporate events, seminars, fundraising events and more., drag-&-drop functionality.
Use our event seating chart software to easily add one or mulitiple elements at a time, plus select and move, edit or delete single or multiple elements.
Alignment Tools
Make sure your floor plan items line up precisely with snap-to grids and vertical/horizontal spacing features to arrange multiple tables or elements at once.
Smart Menus
Need to make changes to multiple elements at once? No problem. Just select elements and then instantly duplicate, rotate, add/remove chairs and change colors or table numbers.
Auto-Layout Feature
When adding tables or chair rows, simply use the "Add Multiple Rows" option to create grids of elements that are precisely spaced to your specifications.
Guest List Manager
Track details for attendees like contact information, RSVP status and meal choices and assign the same list to multiple floor plans if you need multiple seating assignment layouts for the same event.
Assigned Seating Charts
Drop singles or groups of guests onto tables or chair rows and easily move them to different tables/seats. Seat or unseat all attendees with a single click and view attendee details like names and RSVP status in the layout design.
Guest Check-In App
Keep your at-the-door lines short by using our multi-user app to check in guests quickly and efficiently at multiple entrances.
Downloads & Reports
Download and print out PDF files of your event designs with table breakout pages and attendees' names on seats. Export spredsheets for guest lists, equipment lists and name badges.
Viewing / Measurement Options
Easily show and hide attendee information like names, RSVP/VIP status and meal choices. Use imperial or metric measurements based on your regional preferences.
Mobile Compatible
Want to view floorplans and seat assignments on-the-go and show them to vendors and clients? Simply log into your account via your mobile web browser to view your designs on tablets or smartphones.
Templates & Room Boundaries
Build seating chart templates for setups you use repeatedly. Upload room outline files to trace room walls with our boundary tool ... or create your event space walls/boundaries from scratch.
Favorite Element Library
Do you repeatedly use the same standard elements or use custom elements for many designs? Save them in your favorites library so you can easily access these items when building seating charts.
Table & Chair Library
Choose from round tables, half-rounds, rectangular tables, square tables or serpentine tables. Build custom chair configurations and seating capacities, clear spaces, more.
Chair Rows + Other Elements
Implement chair rows as well as furniture, trade show booths, architectural items, A/V, lighting, floors, stages and shapes into your seating plans.
Rulers & Notes
Know exact distances and measurements between items in your seating charts with adjustable rulers. Use custom notes to add clarity to your floor plans.
Permissions & Security
Create user groups to set permissions for different user types. Then invite new users into your account so they can login and collaborate on seating layouts.
Learn more about Planning Pod’s seating chart maker for event planners and venues
Recent post, jeff kear · owner, planning pod, how to select the best event seating chart software for you.
A critical and often underrated component of event planning and management that can have a huge effect on audience engagement is event design and, if you have an event that involves reserved seating, event table layouts and/or seating charts. And although you can sketch out your design ideas on a sheet of paper, to have a truly representational, to-scale rendering of your event layout and seating capacity for distributing to clients, staff, participants, volunteers and vendors, a digital seating chart planner gives you the tools you need to build professional designs that impress and leave no room for error.
With that said, when you are creating event table layouts and seating charts, there are four primary criteria that you should look for when starting to evaluate online seating chart generators.
- Accuracy - You want your seating charts and floor plans to represent what you will get in real-life so that you aren’t cramming too much equipment, tables or chairs into the allotted space. In addition, you want a tool that lets you include as many event details as possible regarding layout elements like different table shapes or architectural characteristics of your room or space, whether you are hosting your event in a banquet hall or concert hall.
- Aesthetics - Because we are usually showing seating chart arrangements and event designs to our team, peers and clients, we want to make a big impression and don’t want them to look slapdash. A full-featured event seating plan software platform lets you precisely and colorfully render everything from detailed wedding seating charts with guest table assignments to galas or corporate events that have designated seating for general admission and VIP audience members.
- Time - We are all pressed for time, and although we want our event seating charts to look professionally designed and be accurate, they shouldn’t take hours to build. The best seating chart makers give you the tools to create highly accurate and aesthetically pleasing designs in a short span of time (usually less than an hour).
- Ease-of-Use - Most popular event floor plan tools offer drag-and-drop functionality so you can simply place elements on the layout or drop attendees onto selected seats (or drag them off seats to remove them). But the best event seating chart software platforms contain features like auto-format for building table layout grids instantly, reusable seating plan templates, libraries of favorite elements and other features that simplify building seating charts. In addition, some table plan software apps are also mobile-friendly and can be used on both computers and mobile devices.
So what should you look for when evaluating such a tool for building the perfect seating plan? Consider these seven attributes.
1. Guest List Management
What comes before adding guests to seats in a layout? Managing contact information for those guests in an organized fashion so your seating plans are detail-rich with items like names, RSVP status and meal choices. Guest list managers can also come with features like at-the-door check-in apps and Excel file downloads. And for wedding planners, there are also handy features like table number labeling for easily identifying at what table each guest is seated; downloadable place cards and escort cards; and separate lists for rehearsal dinner, wedding ceremony and wedding reception.
2. Registrations and RSVPs
And what comes before a guest list full of rich information? Collecting that information via customizable event websites equipped with event registration / ticketing and RSVP forms that electronically feed that data into your guest list. An added bonus is the ability to collect registration payments and detailed responses to custom questions; the ability to set up multiple ticket types; and even allowing registrants to select their preferred seat.
3. Flexibility of Event Type
Top event seating planner tools allow you to build layouts for any type of event, including wedding seating charts, banquet table setups and seating plans for dinners, banquet style galas, parties, conferences, concerts, classrooms and corporate meetings and events.
4. Adaptable to Any Venue and Space
Do your event spaces typically have unique contours and dimensions? Solid event seating plan software will allow you to easily replicate those dimensions so you can build restaurant seating charts for patrons as well as seating plans for hotel meeting rooms and ballrooms, reception halls, conference centers, wineries and even arena-like layouts for concert halls and theaters.
5. Large Library of Elements
Any seating chart maker worth its weight should offer a variety of table and chair element options (including options for round tables, half-tables and head tables), but the more advanced ones will also offer architectural elements like walls, floors and doors; staging elements like podiums and lighting; A/V elements like amplification systems; and exposition elements like trade show booths and aisles.
6. Virtual Collaboration
This is where Web-based event seating planner apps excel because they have the flexibility to allow others to access to seating charts via the Internet to provide feedback and even create and edit shared designs. This allows an entire team of planners and vendors (like caterers and rental crews) to see designs ahead of time. An added bonus are features that offer 3D walkthroughs to enable users to fully visualize the setup from one or more focal points as well as other integrated event software tools for collaboratively managing budgets, timelines, etc.
7. Customization
If you are seeking to make an impression on vendors or internal / external clients, customizations will help you sell through your ideas. Such features can include customizable colors and fonts as well as background uploads. A timesaving feature to look out for is the ability to create seating chart templates for designs or setups you use repeatedly.
As you can see, the best event seating chart software programs offer a wide variety of features to simplify the process of building seating plans while providing maximum flexibility so you can add many details and integrate with other event management tools that you may need.
Learn more about Planning Pod’s event seating chart software for event planners and venues
Seating Simplified: Effortlessly Organize Your Event
Streamline table arrangements, seat assignments, and guest management with our intuitive tool. Be the first to experience the future of event planning. Join the waitlist now!
Revolutionize Seating Arrangements with Visual Mastery
Easy drag & drop.
Effortlessly arrange tables, seats, and guests with a simple drag-and-drop interface. No technical skills required.
Customizable Layouts
Create your unique event layout by choosing from square, round, or half-round tables. Personalize colors and spacing to match your style.
Versatile Building Blocks
Add and arrange various elements such as dance floors, text, icons, images, and more. Flexibility at your fingertips.
Guest Management
Seamlessly arrange and notify your guests via email or SMS. Keep everyone in the loop.
Guest Attendance
Stay updated on who's coming and plan seating and catering accordingly. Ensure every guest is accommodated and make your event memorable for everyone.
Collaborative Event Planning
Easily invite collaborators to join your event, enabling seamless teamwork and efficient event coordination
Export Event
Effortlessly export your event layouts as high-quality PDFs or images, ensuring easy sharing, printing, and archiving.
Event-Specific Templates
Weddings, birthdays, corporate events, these templates offer a perfect foundation for your seating arrangements.
Unlock Your Event's Full Potential
Experience the future of event planning with our intuitive seating arrangement tool. Say goodbye to stress and hello to seamless event organization.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will it be available, how do i add tables and guests to my event plan, can i design the layout for my event space, what other elements can i include in my seating arrangement, can i collaborate with others on my event plan, is it possible to export the seating chart for printing or sharing, what types of events is this tool suitable for.
Seat Puzzle
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Create seating chart diagrams for weddings, receptions, events, conferences, and parties..
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Take control of your event's seating chart and floor plan with Seat Puzzle. Design and visualize your space, manage the guest list, and keep track of RSVPs.
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Wedding Seating Chart Maker
Streamline your seating layout. Use modern tool to plan where your guests are seated. Create your personalized wedding plan. No hidden fees! No sign-up required!
How a Wedding Seating Chart Maker Can Help You Create the Perfect Floor Plan
Ask any married couple what the most stressful part of wedding planning was, and they’ll probably say putting together the seating plan and deciding on the guest list. And you can understand why! It can be an emotional, stressful and painstaking task that typically takes up many an evening. Thankfully, now, couples have the opportunity to make the whole process much easier and more efficient by using a wedding seating chart maker such as ours!
By using an online, customizable template , you can now effortlessly find the perfect place for all of your guests within minutes. Leaving you plenty of time to drop and drag the rest of your reception into place! Where’s the perfect place for the dance floor? Should we have a permeant table for desserts? Before you know it, you’ll have finished your whole floor plan and will be moving onto the next critical task in the wedding planning process.
How a Wedding Seating Chart Maker Will Save You Time & Stress
If you’re searching for a wedding seat chart maker, and you’ve come across this page, it’s probably because you’ve already put together your guest list – and that was tough, right? Well, stick with us, and we’ll ensure the rest of the planning process is pain-free.
Instantly Upload the Guest List Onto Our Wedding Seating Chart Maker
One of the major benefits of using a wedding seating chart maker is that you can swap and change things as you like. And as someone who’s recently put together a guest list, you’ll know this could get a bit messy if you’re doing things by hand.
But with an online tool such as ours, you can instantly upload your guest list from an Excel file , and quickly start placing people in their positions. Need to move them somewhere else? No problem, just drop and drag guests around the room until you’ve found the perfect place for everyone.
Find the Perfect Table Arrangement
Our free wedding seating chart app makes it easy to work out which type of table design you should be using on the big day. By inputting the exact dimension of your reception space, you’ll be able to play around with multiple table shapes and configurations to see which works best.
We eliminate any guesswork involved in the process of arranging your guests, and allow you to quickly get an accurate overview of the full floor plan, as it will look on the night. In a way that paper and pens could achieve… But would take many, many more hours, plus demand a lot more skill, and patience.
Add Guests to the Reception as Soon as they RSVP
Your wedding will be one in a million if all of your guests RSVP as soon as they receive the invite. Some loved ones are real heroes, and they’ll reply as soon as possible. Whereas others will certainly leave you hanging… Waiting until your seating scheme is complete before sending back their invitation. For those couples with neatly hand drawn wedding seating chart boards, this can be a real issue. As they’ll need to re-draw the whole thing from scratch.
But with an online wedding seating chart tool such as ours, this kind of last-minute alteration is so easy to update. In just a few clicks, both your guest list and seating plan will be up-to-date and ready to be sent to relevant suppliers.
Collaborate with Family & Friends
There will be plenty of people on your guest list you don’t know that well. Many of us have family we don’t see often, or have a partner whose family we haven’t gotten to know yet. This can be an issue when putting together a balanced seating plan for a wedding. As guests should be paired up, or seated in groups that work in harmony, according to their personalities and interests.
Take away the guess-work, and match up guests easily, by inviting friends and family to collaborate on your seating chart. Together, you can work how best to organize tables as a whole, or maybe give certain sections of the reception to your mom or mother-in-law, for example, and allow them to decide those groups. They’ll probably know certain people best, so who better to decide where they should sit.
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Andy Hammond
Wedding expert and writer working for wedding industry
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The online Wedding Planning Assistant comprises a comprehensive collection of professional tools designed to assist you in independently organizing your celebration seating chart.
We offer an international wedding planner service , open to all. Soon we hope to make our software available in all languages, so far, we have created versions for these languages:
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Manage guests quickly.
Stop erasing names and emailing everyone about your changes. Use our generator! Quickly upload your guest list and manage their meal preferences. Plus, add any custom tags you'd like such as VIP or family.
Seating is a breeze
Auto-seat your guests in a single click. Easily see where empty seats are located. Plus, give tables labels so your staff knows how to provide the best experience. That means VIPs can get the royal treatment, no trouble.
Keep your team on the same page
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| > > > Seating How to create an Excel seating plan, for a wedding reception dinner, or other events. Assign party guests to specific table number and seat number. Name list, visual chart. Step by step instructions, free workbook
Author: |
Excel Seating Plan List & Chart
Seating Plan Demo
Seating Plan Sample File
How to Edit Guest List
How to Add More Tables
Add More Chairs to Table
How Excel Seating Plan Works
Get the Sample Workcook
| To plan a wedding reception dinner, or another type of event, Excel can help you create a seating plan on a spreadsheet. Enter the names from your guest list, then choose a table number and seat number for each guest. After you assign each guest to a seat and table, their name appears in the visual seating chart. : I've coloured the charts and the guest list with light pink and light grey. If you plan to print out your seating chart, you could choose colours that match your wedding theme, or party decor.
To use this Excel seating plan, start by downloading the free wedding seating plan workbook. Take a few minutes to play with the test data, to see how the seating plan works. Then, clear out the sample data from that file, and enter your guest names. After that, you can assign your guests to a specific table, and seat number. In the sections below, see step-by-step details on how to use the sample file. Also, see how to add more guests, chairs, and tables, if needed. |
| Here's a quick demo video that I made, to show how the seating arrangements plan works. Make a party seating plan in Microsoft Excel |
| The first time that you open the Excel seating plan sample file, take a couple of minutes to experiment with the sample data, and see how the seating assignment works. Later, you can clear out the sample data, and enter your own guest list. The sample file has: For each table, the guest names and table number cells are the source data for one of the doughnut charts. The doughnut charts create a round table shape, with a section for each person's seat assignment The chart for Table 1 is shown below, with its source data highlighted.
|
| To test the seating plan sample data, go to the main sheet, named . That is the sheet where you assign each guest to a seat at one of the tables. : These instructions show how to assign those fake guests to the 3 tables.Later you’ll see how to create your own guest list, and assign them to tables. On the TablePlan sheet: IMPORTANT: The list must be sorted by Table Number and Seat Number. DO NOT sort the list in any other order or the seating charts will show incorrect information To assign a wedding guest to a specific table and seat, follow these steps: : For table assignments, choose names that at the top of the list, above the “END OF LIST” item.
The selected guest’s name appears in the chart for that table.
|
| In the sample file, there is sheet named Lists. In column B on that sheet, there are 24 guest names. After the last guest name, there is a final entry – END OF LIST.
To create your own guest list:
Then, update the list in columns H and I:
|
| The sample workbook has three tables, so that might not be enough for the party or wedding reception that you're planning. Maybe you need a kids’ table for your event, or a table at the back, for the college friends or work colleagues who are coming to your wedding. If you need more tables in the seating plan, you can add them, and position each table on the spreadsheet, where you want it. When my son got married, we had a small reception, with about 8 tables, and I was the (unpaid) wedding planner. Excel helped us set up the seating arrangements, and organize the floor plan. In the photo below, I'm checking to make sure everything looks okay, before the big event!
|
| To add more tables, follow these steps: Here is the new list for Table 4.
Next, follow these steps to create the chart for the new table: Next, with the new chart selected, use this simple trick to change its data source:
|
| The seating plan template that you can download is set up with tables that have 8 chairs each. In the reception hall for your wedding plan, there might be different table sizes. Maybe all of the tables at your wedding venue have 10 chairs, or some have 8 chairs, and others are bigger. If your tables have more seats, follow these steps to add more chairs to the table plan: In this screen shot, I’ve inserted 2 rows below Ian’s name at Table 1. The doughnut chart shows 10 seats now, with 2 empty seats. NOTE: The doughnut chart slices were manually changed to pink and grey, so the new slices could be coloured too.
|
| In the next few sections, there are details on how the Excel seating plan with charts works. You can skip down to the Download section, if you don’t need to know the “under the hood” stuff for this wedding reception seating chart. This version of the seating plan keeps all the guest names in the drop down list, instead of removing them. That prevents data validation error warnings from appearing on the sheet. In the drop down list (shown above), |
| There are formulas in columns C, D, E and F on the Lists sheet, beside the list of Guest names. If you add more rows for guest names, be sure to copy those formulas down to the last row of guest names. In column C, the formula returns the table each guest has been assigned to, if any. Or, if a guest has accidentally been assigned to more than one table, the result is “Multi”. , MATCH(B2, TablePlan!$B$2:$B$25,0)),”—”)): If you add more tables to the TablePlan sheet, change the cell references (in red) in the INDEX and MATCH functions, to include all the data entry rows. In the screen shot below, Ken has been assigned to multiple tables, so that needs to be fixed on the TablePlan sheet.
In column D, the formula checks the Table number column (C), and if the result is “—” then it returns the next available ID number for that guest.
Those numbers will be used to create the drop down list of guests. |
| In the drop down list of guests, the guests who are already assigned to a table will be shown at the end of the list. The formulas in E and F created the numbering system for those guests The formula is column E returns the next available ID number for each assigned guest.
The formula in column F adds those numbers to the maximum number in column D (unassigned guests).
In the screen shot below, the “END OF LIST” item has the Unused ID of 16, and the first assigned guest (Dan), has the Used ID number of 17.
In column H, there is a list of numbers that were manually entered – from 1 to 25. That is the number of guests, plus 1 for the “END OF LIST” item. In column I, a formula returns the guest names with the matching numbers.
The formula will return a name from column B, based on the number in column H. NOTE: If you add more guests, add a number for each guest, and copy the column I formula down to the last number.
The list of names in I2:I26 is a – NamesUse. That name is the source for the data validation drop down lists on the TablePlan sheet. This is used to define the named range, and is based on the highest number in column H.
If you add or remove numbers in column H, the NamesUse range will automatically adjust in size. Just remember to fill in all the numbers in column H – don’t leave blank cells after adding guest names. |
| Click here to with charts workbook. The zipped file is in xlsx format, and does not contain any macros. Don't miss my ! You'll get quick tips, article links, and a bit of fun. Add your email, and click Subscribe. Next, when you get my reply, click the Confirm button. I add this step to protect you from spam! More Chart TutorialsCluster Stack Pivot Chart Charts, Interactive Charts, Line-Column 2 Axes Show Hidden Data in Chart Waterfall Chart Last updated: June 10, 2024 11:59 AM  The easiest way to create a table seating plan for your wedding, celebration or event Free Table Seating Plan TemplatesDownload and print our free table seating plan templates. They are available as PDFs, as images (PNG format) and as PerfectTablePlan files. See below for details of how you can edit the PerfectTablePlan files to create your own floor plans for free.
You can edit the PerfectTablePlan files above and create your own floor plan for free in our PerfectTablePlan software. It only takes a minute to download and install. You only need to buy a licence if you want use PerfectTablePlan's powerful seat assignment capabilities for 30 or more guests.  Assign guests to seats in PerfectTablePlan automatically based on their preferences (e.g. put A near B, but not near C) or using drag and drop. Much easier than using a template!
See how to create your own table layout in PerfectTablePlan:  These templates brought to you by PerfectTablePlan The easiest way to create a table seating plan for your wedding, celebration or event. Random Team Generator:How to create randomized groups. Enter each item on a new line, choose the amount of groups unders settings, and click the button to generate your randomized list. Don't like the first team? Just click again until you do. Fairly pick teams without bias. No need to draw names out of a hat. No need to do a grade school style draft or put hours of thought into the most balanced teams. The most fair dividing method possible is random. Mix up your to-do list by generating random groups out of them. For example, enter all your housecleaning activities and split them into seven groups, one for each day or one for each person. Want something similar?Use the list randomizer if you don't want separate groups or use the random name picker to pull a single name. 90 years of expert advice and inspiration, for every couple.
5 Free Digital Wedding Seating Chart Templates to Simplify PlanningOrganize your reception with these free resources. :max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/DSC03572-639effc8aed54b81aa520d16d9eb024f.jpg "table assignment generator") Photo by KT Merry Between wrangling late RSVPs, finalizing your wedding-day timeline , and planning for any remaining wedding vendor payments, the final weeks counting down to your wedding date can feel like an obstacle course at times. One of the most important tasks to complete during this time is finalizing your guest list and composing your wedding reception seating chart . Trust us when we say this is one task you do not want to put off; after all, it usually takes a few tries to get the right mix of guests seated together. Following a wedding seating chart template is one of the best ways to simplify the process of getting your lists organized. When working on your seating chart template, you'll be mixing friends from different social circles, immediate and extended family members from both of your families, and other guests that don't necessarily fit neatly into a category, such as close family friends and work colleagues. Some of your guests will be single, while others are coupled up or married. It's important to consider the potential for family tensions or drama, such as where to seat divorced parents , as well as where people are at the stages in their lives—seating newlyweds with a single friend who recently went through a major breakup might not be such a great match. The bottom line is, of course , you want everyone to have an amazing time at your wedding day celebrations, and your reception layout is a big part of that equation. With so much riding on the outcome, we totally understand how working on your wedding seating chart template can be more than just a little nerve-racking. Before you begin a wall full of color-coded Post-it Note chaos, know that there are some pretty fantastic and free digital seating chart tools out there that can help you streamline the process. These can allow you to move guests around from table to table with ease, and even design the space you're working with digitally based on specs from your venue. These digital wedding seating chart template options produce easily sharable results, ensuring everyone from your venue and vendors to key family members are on the same page. Wedding planner Annie Lee advises couples to take into mind a few tips before working on their wedding seating chart templates. First, get a spreadsheet organized that you can work from. "When you put your guest list in a spreadsheet always put the first and last name in separate columns," she recommends. "When you have to alphabetize this list later and you have the entire extended Maguire family in attendance, you'll be so glad it's sortable." Meet the Expert Annie Lee is the principal planner of Daughter of Design and founder of Plannie.com. Lee also shares to remember the two most important guests on the list. "Don't forget to include yourselves," she says. "Couples always forget to add their names to the seating chart!" When you're finished, she advises to check your work. "Once your seating chart is complete, I always suggest making sure if you have 214 RSVPs that there are 214 seats assigned," Lee explains. "Can't tell you how many times two to three people were left off somehow!" Ready to get started? Ahead, see five of our favorite digital wedding seating chart templates that won't require even a single cent of your wedding budget . WeddingWireBy using the drag-and-drop seating chart tool offered by WeddingWire , you can customize a seating plan and choose table shapes, as well as keep track of your RSVPs, all in one place. Plus, the site allows you to easily share your fancy new digital wedding seating chart template once it's complete. You can print, export, or email your floor plan to your venue (as well as your parents) so everyone is looped in on the arrangement. You can also find this tool in an app version for download in both the App Store and Google Play . Wedding Planning AssistantCourtesy of Wedding Planning Assistant Want to properly visualize your wedding? Wedding Planning Assistant has a free seating chart tool that can help you plot out your seating chart within your reception layout. We love how you can easily customize the chart and gage where guests are relative to other tables and the dance floor. When professional event planners, caterers, and other vendors will pay to use an online resource to draft seating charts for their events, you know it's a good one. Fortunately, AllSeated offers couples complimentary access to its online suite of tools, which includes a library of venues around the country. It's possible your actual venue is already available in their catalog, scaled to size and ready to go. All you need to do is import your guest list from Excel and assign tables based on your to-scale floor plan. This tool can seem a little bit overwhelming at first, with countless options to choose from for table sizes and other additions to the room, but once you sit down and dive in, you'll find that it's easy enough to navigate to build the perfect seating chart. Once you've completed the seating plan for your reception, you can also utilize this tool for other wedding-related events such as your rehearsal dinner and day-after brunch using the same master list. While Zola's seating chart tool isn't as robust as those offering the ability to click and drag tables, it certainly will help set you up for success. You'll need a free Zola account to start setting up your seating chart, but once you're all logged in, planning will be a breeze. Add in the number of tables you're planning and assign guests to each table. The tool will visually display them based on RSVPs, allowing you to filter out certain groups. Once your list is complete, you can download the finished chart in an Excel spreadsheet for easy access. Style Me PrettyFor those of you that prefer working with a spreadsheet, Style Me Pretty has shared an excellent, color-coded seating chart template that you can save to Google Drive. It doesn't have drag and drop functionality, but it's extremely simple to use—especially for those who love Excel and Google Sheets. Related Stories
How to Create a Wedding Seating ChartDon't let creating your wedding seating chart stress you out. Keep it simple with Zola's rundown of exactly how and where to place all of your wedding guests. By Emily Forrest Last updated July 31, 2024  Inside this article:
How to make wedding seating chartsWedding seating chart etiquette.
It's time to think about your table seating chart!Where your guests will sit at your reception probably isn’t the first thing on your wedding planning checklist —and it doesn’t have to be. Once you receive those RSVPs , though, it’s time to start mapping out your wedding seating chart. Like lunch tables in high school, seating arrangements can carry a lot of weight. There are plenty of variables to consider, but making a chart for your wedding seating doesn’t need to be overwhelming—and can actually be fun. Here’s everything you need to know about your wedding table seating chart. Why do I need a wedding table seating chart?Well, you technically don’t. While open seating is always an option, many couples will create an assigned seating chart for their wedding. It’s traditional, sure, but a clear seating arrangement benefits everyone from the guests to the catering staff and helps you maximize your reception venue space . Assigned seats just tend to make things simpler. (You can always assign tables and let each guest choose their individual seat, too.) Here are a few reasons to create wedding seating charts:
Hint: Use Zola's wedding seating chart maker to help you make the best plan!  How do I even begin making a guest list seating chart?Before you even think about each wedding guest and their needs, first you need to consider the size of the space and of your tables. The size and shape of the tables will tell you how many guests can sit at each table. Wedding tables come in four basic shapes: round, rectangle, oval, and square, which should be discussed during the wedding planning process. Square and rectangular tables make it easier for guests to chat across the table and next to one another. You can also typically fit more of these shapes into the space. Round tables, on the other hand, provide guests more legroom. These tables also may make your job easier as you’ll only need to pay attention to who’s sitting directly next to one another. Once you choose your tables, map them out in the space, and know how many each will hold, then it’s time to start filling in your wedding seating chart with your guest names list. Now the fun begins. Whether your wedding venue is big or small, organizing your wedding guests into tables comes with a number of considerations. So, before you start making your name cards, consider these factors. Here are some things to think about as you create your wedding seating plan. 1. Start with the head table.It’s a good idea to seat the two of you first at your wedding table. Decide if you want to sit at a traditional head table made up of your wedding party or if you would prefer to sit together as a couple at your own private sweetheart table. Traditionally, a head wedding table is long and straight. The couple sits in the center and the wedding party (and sometimes their dates) fills in the rest. If you go the sweetheart table route, you can place the wedding party at one or two other tables nearby. It’s up to you, but be sure to place yourselves first. 2. Place your parents and grandparents.Next, it’s a good idea to figure out where your parents and grandparents will sit. If they’re not sitting with you (some couples will include their parents at the head table), be sure to keep them close. It’s common for both sets of parents to share a table at the reception so they can bond and bask in their children’s newly wedded glow. This table will also typically include both sets of grandparents and any siblings that aren’t in the wedding party. In the case of divorced parents, things can feel a little more sensitive. You likely know the situation best so proceed with care. If things between your parents are comfortable—meaning, they can spend quality time together without any palpable tension—you may feel fine placing them together at a table. If things are a little more strained , be sensitive. Consider letting each parent host their own table (if space allows) of close family and friends. Be sure to keep these tables equally close to yours so everyone feels included. Depending on each family’s situation, this could mean potentially four parents’ tables. If you feel unsure, talk to your parents. They most likely want what's best for you and will do what it takes to help you figure out a solution that works for everyone. 3. Figure out your family and close friends.Once the key players and planners involved in your wedding are situated, it’s time to move on to your extended family and friends. Barring any significant unrest, your family should be pretty easy to place. Traditionally extended family members sit together with their immediate family members. So, your aunt will sit with her partner and their children, grandchildren, etc. Each family group can cover a full table or, depending on family size, you can, of course, combine families into one table. It’s more common to place members of your respective families together, but feel free to mix it up if you want. Why not set one of your extended family groups with one of your partner’s? You’re all family now after all. You know the saying “keep your friends close.” Well, that same sentiment works at your wedding. Simply put, sit your close friends together—and definitely mix them in with your partner’s BFFs, too. More likely than not, many of your friends already know each other and are eager to reunite to celebrate your fresh union.  4. Categorize the rest of your guests by groups.Beyond your family and best friends, weddings also usually include other attendees from the various parts of your life. This mix is a little more random and, therefore, can be a bit more challenging to place in your wedding seating chart. The easiest way to handle the last handful of guests is to separate them by groups. For example, these wedding guests may fall into the following categories:
High school friendsWhen seating your remaining guests, it’s nice to consider things like backgrounds, personalities, and interests. Many of these people will end up at tables together so it’s best to always take a moment to think about who could really mesh well together. Here's how we recommend handling each of these groups. Boss and colleaguesThis group is totally dependent on your relationship with your boss and coworkers. It’s also important to consider your coworkers' relationship with your boss—they may or may not want to spend the night sitting next to their daily manager or colleague. Hopefully, though, if you invited people from your work life, you did so because you know they’ll have a fun time together and with the rest of your wedding guests. If that’s not the case, you can seat your coworkers with a group of your close friends or high school friends. You can place your boss with a group of your parents’ friends or even with members of your extended family, depending on how the tables work out. Parents’ friendsInstead of stressing over this as a couple, let your parents take the reigns here—they’ll be happy to be involved. Trust us. They may even invite some of their closest friends to join them at their table. Either way, they’ll be the best judge of where to seat and how to group their attendees. Additionally, you should also include your parents in any decisions about placing non-family members at family tables. If there are seats to fill at tables with your families, they’ll likely have an opinion about who should fill those places. Depending on how many high school friends you invite to your wedding, they may take up a table of their own or you can likely combine forces with your partners’ friends from back in the day. However, if you don’t have enough old friends in attendance, find seats for them at tables with your college friends or even your coworkers. As always, consider personalities and interests. Presumably, though, anyone you put on your wedding guest list is there to celebrate you and your new spouse so there shouldn’t be any weirdness regardless of their setting assignment. This group can go a number of ways. Typically, the vendors you'll include and feed at your reception include the DJ or band, your photographer(s) , and your wedding planner. Depending on your relationship with any other vendors, though, that could increase. If your wedding florist is a family friend, for example, you’ll, of course, include him or her, too. In the case of vendors who don’t qualify as family friends, it’s best to simply ask each vendor what they would prefer. Many DJs will eat at their station because they usually play music during the cocktail hour and dinner. Similarly, wedding photographers are still on the clock. They may also prefer to grab a plate and eat somewhere quickly before getting back to work. However, if you have a group of vendors that you would like to include in your wedding seating chart, offer them a solo table. If you are tight on space and need to fill in remaining seats, seat some friends or colleagues with them. Maybe you have a friend with an interest in photography or floral design—he or she could enjoy discussing these crafts with the experts behind your big day. If you choose to include children at your wedding reception—and many people do—it’s best to consult your parents and the kids’ parents. These kids are likely your cousins so you can sit them with their parents at family tables. Alternatively, if you have a large number of kids in attendance, consider setting up a designated kids’ table—with adult supervision, of course. Have some crafts, coloring pages , or activities at each place to keep everyone occupied, and appoint an older teen to keep watch.  As you plan your wedding seating chart, there are a few considerations to keep in mind while you’re placing all of your guests for your wedding day. Think about past relationships and histories.There will undoubtedly be a few wedding guests that share some kind of tense history—exes or old frenemies or even family members who don’t get along. Stay cognizant of these past relationships and be considerate when making your seating plan. Yes, it’s your day, but don’t throw people together who really don’t mesh. It will only create an awkwardness that you don’t want at your reception. Avoid the singles’ table.It’s tempting to throw single guests into a table with the hopes that they’ll mingle and maybe even match up throughout the night. However, try to skip the singles’ table altogether. It could be embarrassing for your guests once they realize where they landed on your wedding seating chart. Similarly, don’t place your unmarried friend at a table of married couples. Try to use your best judgment and make everyone feel comfortable. Consider personalities and interests.We touched on this before, but keep your guests’ personalities and interests top of mind as you create your wedding seating chart . Don’t sit your more subdued coworkers with your rowdy college friends, for example. It might take some more thought and a few last-minute shuffles to really accommodate all of your wedding guests, but, again, it’s all in the name of a stress-free and fun reception. User-friendly wedding seating chart ideasNo one likes ambiguity, especially when folks want to get settled in at your wedding reception. So, here are a few ideas to put your guests at ease and let them know where they'll be sitting.
Where to get wedding table numbersDid you know that Zola offers a fabulous selection of customizable table numbers! to match your wedding theme? You'll also find accompanying items, such as programs, place cards, and menus to add those lovely final touches. Plus, you can customize eveything from paper types, colors, fonts, shape, and style to create the ultimate personalized guest experience at your wedding reception.  Ultimately, your wedding seating chart should create a fun and comfortable atmosphere. Don’t let the seating plan drive you crazy, though. This is your celebration, and your wedding guests will treat it as such, regardless. Zola even has a virtual wedding seating chart template to help you get started. If you're looking for more wedding advice, consider consulting our ultimate wedding decor checklist . Even more answers
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Dynamic drag-and-drop seating chart maker that makes it easy to perfect and mange seating assignments or groupings at your event.
Efficiently manage guest seating assignments with the seating assignment tool. This tool enables you to assign specific guests to designated seats or tables, ensuring a personalized and organized seating plan.
Wedding Seating Chart - Design your wedding floor plan with our drag-and-drop seating charts for wedding guests.
Easy to Use Create a seating chart and seating plans with the help of dozens of built-in templates and drag-and-drop symbols. SmartDraw's seating chart software makes it easy to customize your plan with colors, textures, and even imported graphics.
Use the table planner preferred by 100,000 planners for its accuracy. Place tables & custom furniture such as buffets, bars, dance floors and more.
A seating chart is a way to visualize where people will sit in given room or during an event. A seating chart can be used for personal events like a wedding, for corporate events and parties, and for large scale conferences or presentations. Seats may be assigned unique names or numbers and can be organized into larger groups.
Build to-scale seating plans with easy-to-use event seating chart software. Online seating planner tracks guest lists + simplifies table & seat assignments.
Discover SeatPlanning.com, your ultimate event planning solution. Effortlessly arrange seating, visualize layouts, and notify guests. Perfect for weddings, parties, and corporate events.
Seating charts and floor plans maker for weddings, receptions, events, conferences, and parties. Layout tables and seats, manage the guest list, generator for your space, and keep track of RSVPs.
Wedding seating assignments made easy Categorize your guests by group Add cake tables, dance floors, and more Export PDFs to create your seating chart poster
Create the perfect wedding floor plan with our seating chart maker. Say goodbye to seating arrangement stress and hello to a seamless fun event!
Select a wedding table seating chart for 4, 6, 8 or 10 people per table. We also offer a wedding seating chart maker that seats people according to the wedding guest list. Once someone has RSVP'd they will automatically appear in the wedding table seating chart. On this chart, you can select the table number and dietary preferences for each ...
Perfect Table Plan - software for table plans. Design and print a table seating plan for your wedding or event on your PC or Mac. Download a free trial now.
Create seating charts to manage event guests in a few clicks. Start now with our free easy-to-use seating chart generator.
How to create Excel seating plan. Assign wedding guests table number, seat number. Name list, visual chart. Step by step instructions, free workbook
Free Table Seating Plan Templates Download and print our free table seating plan templates. They are available as PDFs, as images (PNG format) and as PerfectTablePlan files. See below for details of how you can edit the PerfectTablePlan files to create your own floor plans for free.
Paste your list and we'll randomly separate it into groups. You can specify as many groups as you need. Easily generate random teams or random groups.
Looking for a wedding seating chart template to organize your reception? We rounded up five free resources that will help you in the planning process.
TLDR: A wedding table seating chart isn't mandatory, but it can help you, your guests, and your catering staff maximize your reception venue space. Consider your venue size and decide, based on your desired reception vibe and your guests, the type of tables you need and the floor map that best suits them. Start your seating chart with the head table then seat your relatives, friends ...