Assigned Seating for Wedding Guests

I recently had a bride tell me that she wouldn't need escort cards or a seating chart for her wedding guests because she wanted everyone to get to know one another and mingle. Which in theory sounds great, but in actuality can be a recipe for disaster. 

Before you flood me with "but I did it and it worked out fine!" emails, please allow me to preface this by saying: MOST of the time, free-for-all seating is not the best idea. Sometimes it works. But most often it doesn't.

In truth, most guests follow the herd mentality. They WANT to be told where to sit. Arriving at a reception sans escort cards can be chaotic. They will expect a seating assignment of some sort, so this unexpected turn of events can catch them off guard. 

With assigned seating, your reception will run smoothly and you'll have one less thing to fret about. And chances are, your guests will be mingling during your cocktail hour anyway. 

Martha has a sweet new feature on her site where you can create and organize the seating arrangements for your reception (why couldn't this have been around when I got married?) which makes the whole task of assigned seating infinitely easier. Use it. You (and your guests) will be so glad you did. 

{seating chart from Farrah & Andy's wedding, designed by yours truly.}