9+ Guest Seating Chart Designs & Templates – PSD, AI
Organizing an event, no matter how large or small, is definitely not a walk in the park. As the organizer, you have to meet up with a lot of people who you get your resources from, like the lights, sound system, invitations, decorations, food, and other logistics operations. And, let’s not forget about the guests. You also have to finalize the guest list to have an estimate for the simple budget and how many tables and chairs you have to prepare for. Once the guest list is finalized, that’s when you get to plan on how to seat them. There’s a proper way to seat them, which we will elaborate later.
When you have finished planning for the seating arrangement, you can create a seating chart large enough to be displayed at the entrance of the venue so the guests can seat themselves instead of assisting them to their seats. For the design of the seating chart, it depends on the type of event and its theme. And, to help you hasten the pace, we have prepared a list of designs and templates that can cater to a lot of types and themes of an event.
Simple Guest Seating Chart Template
Floral Guest Seating Chart Template
Wedding Guest Seating Chart Template
Minimalistic Guest Seating Chart Template
Classy Guest Seating Chart Template
Why You Should Have a Seating Chart
For a casual event, there isn’t really much of a need for a seating chart. But, if you are going for a formal setting, you might want to go for a seating chart. You might be wondering, “Why should I go for it when the guests can just seat themselves?” Yes, the guests can seat themselves if they want to. But, there is more to that than just having a seating arrangement. Read on to know more about the reasons why you should have a seating chart. You may also see classroom seating chart templates.
1. It makes your guests feel comfortable
Planning for the seat arrangement for your guests might leave you bald at the end of the event. You need to find the perfect seat arrangement that will make the guests comfortable seating to one another, like placing side by side the guests who already know each other. In the case that the guest is alone and doesn’t know anyone, you can place them beside someone who shares similar interests as them, But, for this to work, you have to collect information from the guests. This can be quite frustrating as you still need to sort out the gathered information so you can make sure that the guests are seated accordingly. You may also see table seating chart templates.
2. It keeps your tables occupied
Creating a seating chart can guarantee that all your guests are seated and there’s nobody looking for extra chairs so they can sit at the back or awkwardly standing with hopes of finding a vacant seat. Aside from keeping the tables full, it also helps you have a get the exact number of tables and seats needed for the event. Of course, there would be extras. But, you will then know how many tables and chairs you are going to actually use for the guests. You may also see sample seating chart templates.
3. It helps for a smooth-sailing seating
As the organizer or host of the event, having a guest that still hasn’t found a seat yet is an additional baggage of stress that you don’t want to carry. It makes you embarrassed that the guest still hasn’t been able to take a seat and it’s an additional work for you to look for a vacant seat or have another set of tables and chairs prepared for them. This usually happens to guests who are late or those who came by themselves and don’t know anyone other than you. So, to help them find the perfect seat so that they can immediately take a seat and that they are seated beside someone they can mingle with, create a seating chart for a smooth-sailing and less stressful event. You may also see table seating chart templates.
4. It gives a formal vibe
As we said, having a seating chart makes your event look formal. This statement makes sense since most of the well-organized and formal events do have everything in proper order. Other than having a formal tone, it also says a lot about how much effort you have put into planning every detail of the event. This also makes the guests thinking that you really cared about how you want them to be comfortable during the event. It’s a thoughtful act that will definitely be admired by everyone. You may also see wedding seating chart templates.
5. It keeps the drama at bay
Since you research about your guests, you would know that your college friends Luke and Angela haven’t been on good terms with each other since they broke up after graduation. And do you remember your Uncle James and Aunt Fely? Yes, they recently divorced due to irreconcilable differences. With these couples who left wounds to each other’s hearts and souls, you are better off with them being seated seats or tables apart to avoid a scandal that would ruin the mood of your event. Make sure that they are seated far apart from each other in your seating chart. Otherwise, you are in for a drama that would put the soap operas to shame. You may also see classroom seating charts.
6. It saves time and effort
On the day of the event, there are a lot of tasks that need attention. You need to conserve a lot of time and energy so you and the staff will be able to tend to them, and the seating chart can help you with that. Instead of assisting the guests to their seats, they can just seat themselves by looking at their names in the seating chart. Also, it gives them a glimpse of who they are seated beside and who they are grouped with. It may take a considerable amount of time to plan for the seating arrangement, but it buys you time and energy for other important matters. You may also see free wedding seating charts.
Dark Guest Seating Chart Template
Elegant Guest Seating Chart Template
Purple Guest Seating Chart Template
Birthday Guest Seating Chart Template
Tips for Making a Seating Chart
Creating a seating chart requires that just a list of guests, a whiteboard and maker for the diagrams, and a couple of washi tapes. To know more on how you can create the best seating chart, take note of the following tips:
- Take note of your guests’ personalities. You don’t have to make your guests take a personality test unless you are that extra and want things to be thorough. To make things simple, you can easily assess your guests based on your experience with them. Once you have obtained the details about everyone’s personalities and interests, try and seat the guests accordingly. You may also see teacher seating chart templates.
- The family should be seated near the head table. Regardless of whatever event, the family members are always treated specially. They are usually seated at a separate table and is positioned near the head table. It’s a VIP treatment exclusive for the family members of the host. Also, it is easier to introduce your family to everyone in the event if they are seated near your table. You may also see wedding chart templates.
- Don’t ever put a singles table. We have all been through moments where we attend the event alone or without a partner, and it sucks, doesn’t it? What makes it worse is being seated in between couples or worst – being seated at a singles table. Talk about an awkward and embarrassing moment elevated to a hundred of levels. So, think about those times that went through similar situations where you were single and want to disappear from all the embarrassment and be extremely considerate on the singles. You may also see wedding seating chart templates.
- Create table groups. Groups like family members, college friends, high school buddies, and workmates should be seated together, if possible. As the organizer of the event make sure that you know who belongs to which group to avoid putting the guests in an awkward situation. But, even if the guests accidentally does get put in a group of unfamiliar faces, it’s also a great opportunity for them to mingle and meet new people. If it really is unavoidable and it is impossible to seat a guest into a different table, just encourage him/her to put the best smile possible and interact with the people in the group. You may also see seating chart templates.
- Every guest should know someone. This can be said for people who are in the groups that you have listed. Even if it’s just the two of them, make sure that they are seated with each other as much as possible. Nobody wants to be alone. But, for those who attend the event who doesn’t know anyone, just seat them beside someone who similar interests and personality as them. You may also see sample chart templates.
- Assign tables instead of seats. Assigning tables is easier for you and the guests rather than assigning them a specific seat. Allow them to choose their own seats so they would be able to choose who they want to be seated beside. You may also see chart templates.
Are you ready for the event?
As the organizer of the event, you probably have a lot of things going in your mind right now. We know that there are other important matters to attend to, so we tried our best to help you in choosing the perfect design for the event. As you have seen, each of them caters to a specific event. So, if you have found the template that would fit with the event that you are organizing, please take the time to think it over and assess the template accordingly. You have to make sure that before you purchase and download the template, you are completely sure that it’s the one for you. You may also see printable chart templates.
It’s going to be a pain in the head being buried with all the planning, but with the template that you have chosen, a load has been taken off your back. These templates can be easily customized so it would be faster for you to finalize the design of the seating chart and have it printed immediately. With that said, we hope that you will be able to pull of all the plans that you have made for the event. Good luck and have fun! You may also see powerpoint chart templates.
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