Alphabetical Seating Chart Advice

I’m doing escort cards (because people are choosing their meals) and they’ll just be done alphabetically.

Its easier and like some have said going through 25 tables to find your name is quite a task...plus I always find I hold up the line looking for my name on a big board of tables 😂

alphabetically, quick and easy.

View quoted message I’m doing this too! It looks much nicer and organized. People can read and just find their names! Who cares if their name isn’t next to their significant others? As long as they’re sitting together they will be fine.

View quoted message This makes no sense for such a large seating chart.
Thank you.

Name cards should be by couples, individuals alone and plus ones names of the guest as separate. It looks nice to have full names written to be personalized.

Seating chart wise, go by table number or themed basis with the guests names within that table. It helps to cut short and make it look nice. Going by names and tables gives the feeling of a going through a catalog which isn't appealing.

View quoted message

Yeah, the couples will still be together, just listed separately!

View quoted message I’m thinking this makes most sense. The person who finds their name first will know where their SO is sitting

View quoted message They will be seated together regardless they just won’t be in the same place on the chart

View quoted message I wouldn’t want to go by one of the last names if the couple had different last names and I don’t think both last names will fit on one line with the column-style. The photo you have used is extremely small and the last thing I want is people squinting to see their name just because I tried to fit everything within the column. Seeing these suggestions is making me realize that maybe listing everyone individually might be the best bet. Thanks.

View quoted message

Is there a board you are trying to get it to all fit on? If not, just get a bigger board?

Here's an example of a seating chart:

In this board, it would take up more space if you separate the couples instead of going by one of the last names.

View quoted message I fear I don’t have enough room for this, especially if the last names are different

I wouldn't split couples up - it's making more work for them and more work for you to have to write everybody out.

My guest list is 250 and we will have the names on the board based on alphabet as well - but the name we are starting with is whoever is related to us or if they are the primary person we are inviting and their S/O is the guest. So for example, if you have - let's say an Aunt (married or not), her and her guest will go according to her name. This is also how we addressed our invitations. I'm not inviting the girlfriend or boyfriend of my family or friend AND THEN my family or friend.

I wouldn't split couples up. As much as I resent it being the default (boo, patrirarchy), I am listing the man's name first, then the woman's, simply because that's what my very traditional family will expect. In the case of the same gender couples among my friends, I am listing them alphabetically.

I struggled with this idea too, but I decided to make them by table.

My advice for you though is to choose a leader (by gender or by or the family member - if their plus one is unrelated. And then indent the second person that doesn't follow the alphabetical order. I know that sounds super confusing so hopefully this helps..

ex. in order of last name*

Left Align Names, Indent Family/Households/PlusOnes

Hi Vanessa,

You can do your seating chart alphabetically 2 ways. I've seen first names alphabetical listed first or last names alphabetical. As long as couples end up being at the same tables, it should be fine. Either way, whichever S.O. finds their name first, they will be at the same table anyway. Otherwise, if it's too troublesome, you could always go back to having your chart show tables and guests have to search for their names. But going through 25 tables on your own is a little bit chaotic imo.

You definitely can't split couples up, that is extremely rude. Either way couples and people with their plus ones need to be seated together. So maybe just go off of one of their last names so that way they are still seated together.

I was just going to list people individually, regardless of if they are part of a couple or not.

View quoted message

Yeah that makes sense for the couples who are married and have the same last name but couples who have different last names will be separated so I'm not sure.

Hmmm. That's a tough one. Keeping the couples together would be easier, and also easier for the guests to find their spot if they find their partners name first on the seating chart.

I wonder if you just go by the males last name first and have that be alphabetical, and then the woman afterwards? If that makes sense, it does in my head lol