Open Seating Question

FH and I are having a small wedding (maybe 80 people). We do not want to have assigned seating. We want the wedding to feel more like the cocktail hour, where everyone is able to mingle and get to know each other and well...party!

Do you think this could get confusing for our guests? Should I put something on the wedding website about this?

Basically the ceremony will take place on the beach right outside the Reception location. We we'll say 'I Do' and everyone will head inside. We will have a period of time where there are tray passed appetizers, etc. before the dinner.

How can I make this as easy as possible? Do you think it will work out just fine? I do have a full time wedding coordinator helping me with all this as well.

some people love it and some hate open seating. If you;re having older people, do a seating chart. They like to know where they're sitting.

if food isn't actually being served to people and it's more like passed entrees or buffet style, than open seating should be fine (this is what my friend did at her wedding).

If you are having an actual service (apps/entree/dessert), than it may be a bit confusing if people don't have assigned seats, not so much for your guests, but for the waiters who are taking the orders.

Hmm even with a cocktail reception it can get tricky.

I can invision in my mind two scenerios

(1) Everything runs smoothly; people mingle during the period of passed appetizers; take seats if they want to sit down..then during the (cocktail) reception people continue to mingle freely going to the bar and sitting mingling with guests; bride/groom; spending the evening dancing.

(2) Everyone enjoys the passed appetizers; but when the reception comes have problems sitting themselves accordingly. A group of 10 or 12 people might want to sit together but there is only room for 8. Maybe people get up and go to the bar and someone has already sat down in the seat they were at??

It really all depends on the guests; i've been to christenings where people just found their own seat & everything went smoothly. People sit with whom they want etc. But if you have a lot of older people; they might prefer to know where they're seated.

See this link for 4 weddings on wedding seating.

Good luck!! Seating Clip

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Posted by FutureJOC

if food isn't actually being served to people and it's more like passed entrees or buffet style, than open seating should be fine (this is what my friend did at her wedding).

If you are having an actual service (apps/entree/dessert), than it may be a bit confusing if people don't have assigned seats, not so much for your guests, but for the waiters who are taking the orders.

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Good Point about the waiters

A family friend got married a few months ago. She had a seating chart, but somebody screwed up and none of the table numbers matched the names so everyone had to pick their own seat anyway.

It worked out fine though and there were no problems at dinner.

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Posted by Notwedyet08

Hmm even with a cocktail reception it can get tricky.

I can invision in my mind two scenerios

(1) Everything runs smoothly; people mingle during the period of passed appetizers; take seats if they want to sit down..then during the (cocktail) reception people continue to mingle freely going to the bar and sitting mingling with guests; bride/groom; spending the evening dancing.

(2) Everyone enjoys the passed appetizers; but when the reception comes have problems sitting themselves accordingly. A group of 10 or 12 people might want to sit together but there is only room for 8. Maybe people get up and go to the bar and someone has already sat down in the seat they were at??

It really all depends on the guests; i've been to christenings where people just found their own seat & everything went smoothly. People sit with whom they want etc. But if you have a lot of older people; they might prefer to know where they're seated.

See this link for 4 weddings on wedding seating.

Good luck!! Seating Clip

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This is what I've recently began thinking about and worried about. The RH is a restaurant that we have rented out, so the GM said that ordering at the table wouldn't be an issue because that is what her staff is use to doing, but I'm still a little concerned.

May have to talk to FH about this a bit more. Thanks ladies!

a couple of years ago, a friend of mine hd a muslim wedding and in her culture, they do not do place cards because they can't offend anyone. when the time came for all of us non-muslim, family related people to sit down, we had not idea where to sit or what we were supposed to do.

i would say to goo for the open seating if you want but put a note or have someone at the RH make an annoucement so everyone knows.

maybe the DJ or the MC can say somethine like, everyone, please take your seats, you can sit anywhere you like...