The Seating Chart: Helping Guests Find Their Way

It isn’t always easy getting the attention of a large crowd, the phrase “herding cats” comes to mind. But these four methods of organizing your guests and their seating arrangements will help you keep your sanity and help your guests from winding up at the wrong end of the table.

In order of least amount of work to most amount of work for you, the couple, and the staff who are setting up for your reception here are four options to help your guests get seated for dinner.

Open Seating: A free-for-all if you will. Guests have the freedom to sit where they would like and with whom they would like, with the exception of the best tables reserved for family and the wedding party. This type of seating arrangement requires almost no work for the couple but could put stress on your guests. This form of seating also results in a lot of unfilled tables so plan on more than you will actually need if doing open seating.

A Seating Chart: One or two blown up copies of the seating chart on easels as your guests walk into the reception is an easy and cost effective way to guide your guests to their table. With this seating arrangement, only tables are assigned and not individual seats so your guests will feel like they still have some freedom to choose but will not be overwhelmed as they might be with open seating.  

Carino & Co Photography

Meredith McKee Photography

Escort Cards: This seating method allows for the most creativity and is the easiest to cater to your wedding theme. With escort cards, you will need a large area to display all the cards at the entrance of the reception and they will need to be organized in a way that guests can easily find their name.

Place Cards: This option is the most work beforehand but the least work at the time of the reception. It also allows the couple to be in complete control of who sits where, which for some is extremely important.

Melissa Kilner Photography

Wedding Gift Etiquette

Van Wyhe Photography

This week’s wedding etiquette lesson is all about gift giving. When, What, How Much, and How – 4 quick and simple guidelines to keep you in line with all the “unwritten rules” of wedding gifts.

Time Frame:

The age old rule for an appropriate time frame is from the engagement, up to one year after the couple is married. However, the most respectable time is the two or three months before and after the wedding date. Once you reach three months after the wedding, don’t expect too many gifts to keep rolling in.

Gift Type:

Buy from their registry! The couple has handpicked every item on their registry or registries so you will never pick a gift they don’t want! If you know the couple really well and have a special gift that is not on their registry, then by all means, get it for them. But don’t feel like you need to get creative, this is one time in your life where you know exactly what someone wants and where to find it so take advantage of that.

Amount Spent:

Spend at least $50. End of story. We all know how expensive weddings and starting a life together can be. Most likely the couple is spending more than $50 per person to have you at their wedding so it is expected that you return that favor and help them start their life together.

Delivery Method:

Over the last few years the increasing trend is to have gifts shipped directly to the couple, or the address listed for RSVPs. This method saves you and the couple from carrying that gift to and from the venue and limits the possibility of damage.

However, people still bring cards to the wedding. I’m sure you’ve seen the countless ways to collect cards on Pinterest! Most commonly, if guests are gifting a check inside a card they will still bring that to the wedding and not mail it directly to the couple.

Basia Baz Photography

Addressing Wedding Invitations

With wedding season ramping up and summer just around the corner a lot of couples are beginning the daunting task of addressing their wedding invitations. Here are a few basic etiquette tips to help you avoid the most common mistakes!

Be sure you are using the proper title (Mr. & Mrs. etc.). Be especially careful with earned titles such as Dr. as some people may get offended if they are not addressed properly.

 When addressing a married couple with the same last name, the traditional way is Mr. and Mrs. John Smith.

 If the couple is unmarried, address them like this, Mr. John Johnson and Ms. Sarah Smith

 If you are giving a guest a plus one but do not know their name put, Mr. John Smith and Guest

 For a family with children (if you are inviting the children), you can address the invitation one of three ways.

The Smith Family –address the entire family at once

Mr. and Mrs. John Smith and Family –name the parents and include the children all in one

Mr. and Mrs. John Smith and Samantha and Mark Smith –List everyone individually, by name

You’ve already narrowed down your guest list which is the hardest part! Addressing your invitations weather you are doing your own calligraphy or having them printed is all a part of the home stretch!