Blog Post

Tips For Creating a Wedding Reception Seating Chart

Ed Eaton • Dec 22, 2018

Tips For Creating A Seating Chart For Your Wedding Celebration

tips for creating a wedding reception seating chart

How many guests are you inviting to your reception? Are you planning to have a dinner at your reception? Several couples as they plan their reception’s have asked if it’s really necessary to have a seating chart for their once-in-a-lifetime event.

You might be thinking it would be so much easier for everyone to just come in and find a place to sit down. While initially it would seem logical and easier, but let’s look at it in another way. A seating chart is going to really help your reception flow much smoother.

Your guest will most likely arrive at the reception facility before you and your immediate family and some of the relatives because chances are, you’ll be with the photographer getting your pictures taken. At the reception, without a seating chart, your families may be seated in the back, instead of the front, or worse, scattered all over the room, due to the lack of seats left at the reception. Do you think mom and dad will be very happy? Taking some time and planning a seating chart in advance will greatly reduce headaches later.

How many of your guests know each other?

How many of your guests will know each other? Chances are you are inviting guests from all walks of life in your relationships, you will want to give them the courtesy of seating them with friends and guests that they might know. Without a seating chart, they may be left with seats at tables that are with total strangers. The result of this might be guests leaving early and not talking, since they don’t know anyone. They could end up feeling uncomfortable, and stressed at your reception.

Room Layout

Could you imagine if the only seat left at the reception was right in front of the DJ’s speakers, and that’s where your aging 80 year old grandmother was sat due to lack of available seats. How horrible?

Another example, I have seen as a result of not having a seating chart, is a shortage of tables, and guests being left with no place to sit. Would you like to attend a wedding only to find out, all of the tables are taken and there is no room for you or your guests.

Ideally, it would be nice to have a seating chart for all of your guests, it will help them to know where they should go, once at the reception, and they will feel truly welcomed at your reception. In addition, a seating chart, will help you know that everyone has a place, and no one has been left out. A seating chart will give your reception much better flow.

In addition, your DJ will have much better control of announcements knowing which tables each guest is at for things like the blessing, toasts, parent recognition, or anything else that needs to occur during the event.

At the very least, if you choose not to assign a seating chart for all of your guests, you may want to consider at least having several reserved tables close to the head table for immediate families, relatives, and VIP’s.

Still looking for a venue for your reception celebration? We've broken down some of the best venues all over the state in one easy to find blog post:

Find a venue in Wisconsin for your wedding Reception

Let’s exceed your expectations and make your day incredible! Give our office a call so we can set something up for you a special memory with your wedding entertainment. Sound Sensations Entertainment offers DJ & Disc Jockey Entertainment for Wisconsin, Photo booth Rentals, Slide Show creation and projection, venue lighting, and up lighting for wedding receptions and ceremonies serving all areas of Wisconsin including Green Bay, Appleton, Wausau, Madison, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Dells, Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Fond Du Lac, Ripon, and all other Wisconsin areas.

We Help Couples Create a Memorable, Fun & Engaging Experience!


Every Sound Sensations Entertainment DJs/MCs has at least 15 years of experience at more than 1500 events all over Northeast & Southeast Wisconsin.   DJs Bob V, Devon L, & Ed E would love to be a part of your day. Our DJ/MCs help couples create a memorable, fun & engaging celebration that keeps guests involved and engaged from the cocktail or social hour until the end.

Entertainment experiences are more than just a DJ showing up and pressing play. It’s also more than just knowing how to choose songs and mix them together. Being a Wisconsin DJ is about creating experiences and atmospheres for you and your guests. We don’t want to just provide the perfect music, we want to help you create a fun, engaging & memorable celebration that EVERYONE will REMEMBER. We want to create the perfect day with you. 

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What Do You Do Now?

Contact DJ Ed & his team today to find out pricing and availability for your upcoming event. We offer wedding DJs, Event DJs, Photo Booth Rentals, Uplighting & Monograms, Slide Show Creation, Event Planning & Wedding Planning.


Let's schedule a quick Zoom chat & guide you through the planning process, share a few ideas about what's possible on your day including:


  • Understanding Your Vision for your day & Your story
  • Fun, Engaging Ideas for the cocktail/dinner hours
  • A couple of fun introduction ideas
  • How to keep the timing & flow of your celebration moving
  • FUN ways to release guests to the buffet (if applicable)
  • FUN Kissing Activities & FUN ways to Involve Kids (if applicable)
  • We'll show you how to make sure the dance floor is packed from the beginning
  • How to have a Memorable & FUN Celebration & MORE!
  • We'll share all of this & more BEFORE signing a Contract/Agreement


Our service areas include NE Wisconsin including Appleton, WI, Oshkosh WI, Fond Du Lac WI, Green Bay WI, and everywhere in between.


We also travel to SE Wisconsin including Milwaukee, WI, Menominee Falls, WI, West Bend, WI, Richfield, WI, Pewaukee WI, Sussex WI, Hartland, WI and everywhere in between frequently. 


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