Reception Host/Hostesses

My wedding was this weekend and I was planning to have a seating chart (poster with each persons name and table number outside the reception door). It didn't work out for me but perhaps this will help you.

I would have two hostesses. Have them assigned the simple duty of finding a name on a seating chart and guiding them to their seats. Let everyone know that there should be no switching seats at least for the first hour of the reception! Also have someone eslse by the gustbook so that everyone signs in! You have no idea how much that will help if you have a masterlist of guests. Then forget about it. It is YOUR day. Let the others handle everything on the big day. Just drink champagne and enjoy your new husband.

Well for ushers you should have 1 for every 50 guests. I think the same should apply for hostesses. So 4 should be enough. One to help people sign in, one or two for directing guests and one to be the head over them and is flexible working all three areas.

Do I have to have a seating chart or could people just sit were they want. I do have a table reserved for the bride and grooms family is that okay. I feel like I am going about this thing in the wrong direction..i feel so lost

I haven't been to a wedding reception yet (including my own) where there was a seating chart. You should be ok.

I agree. I have not been to a reception with a seating chart also. I think it would take to long. I am have an honor attendant tables, family tables, and head table. That's about 5 tables reserved.

You should have at least four hostess. It's at a hotel so why don't you ask them to provide a table for you to set up place cards. Alphabetize them, and have them set out before the reception. One hostess can assist guest in finding their placecard, while the others direct them to their tables.

I have (6) 3 hostess and (3) ushers how I am going to have it set up the girls will be at a table with a list names of all of my guest in alphabetical order, I know this is a hassle but in order for organization this is the step I will have to take" then by the guest name I will have what table they will be seated at and the ushers will escort them to their table. Hopefully this will work smoothly. I am praying it will work smoothly.

Why should you tell your guest where they should sit?

Formal events flow smoother if you assign seats,and it's a good way for your guest to get to know each other.

So, if it's buffet-style & semi formal, does this mean there is no need to assign seats?

You should still assign seating.Outdoors, buffet, formal, anytime you have a large group of people you such assign seating.

Why? It seems so complicated. I have never been to a wedding where I was told where to seat. I just came in and sat a table where there was familiar faces. Besides, I thought it would make the whole process longer. Isn't it time consuming?

Not at all. As you mentioned, when you've gone to receptions you sat where you saw familiar faces, if everyone does that you leave a group of people somewhere feeling like outsiders. If you do seating arrangements you can mix your groups up.

I agree NIKKI I just want to sit where I know the people at the table. BUT asigned seating isn't time consuming it moves just as quick. I just attended a wedding where the guests where asigned a number and that was the table number they were to sit at, you saw this list when you walked through the door.

With my upcoming wedding I am not doing a seating chart. All of my and his family pretty much have met and kicked it off. Let them sit where they want, eat, drink and you get married. Don't stress over small stuff.

Sitting arrangements are perfect for people to get to know one another if they don't no one another already. For my wedding I made place cards for everyone and had them put the cards at the entrance to the reception in alphabetical order to make it easy on my guest. I hope this will help you out as well.

When you have a place cards with all the guests names on them on a table, what else does the table share? Will the guest book be on this table too? How would should I decorate it? I thought of rose petals.....not sure though. I want it to be pretty considering it will be one of the first things the guest will see.

You can have you guest book put on that table for guest who missed signing at the ceremony and for those just attending the reception. Scattering rose petal would be a nice touch. :)

I did a seating arrangement that worked out fine. I knew for the most part my guests personalities, and I knew who should be seated at the same table and who should not be seated at the same table to keep the chaos down. I thought about personalities, age and who could get along and who could not get along. Everyone was happy with their seating arrangements.