Table & Place

How to Organize a Wedding Seating Chart

Keep one source of names, one editable plan and clearly identified final documents. Most confusion starts when those versions drift apart.

Separate the information from the presentation

Display file and editable planOne sheet represents a finished printout and another the structured editable layout.PDFJSON
PDF is a finished display without private notes. JSON restores the full plan, including notes.

Keep one current guest list and one editable plan. Treat the printed chart as an output, not another source to update. Use clear project titles or filenames for drafts and handoffs.

How to organize a wedding guest list

Keep one row per person with Name, Party and any necessary Notes. Track invitations and RSVPs in your source list, then export confirmed attendees for seating. Give each household a distinct, consistent Party value. Name plus-ones and check duplicates and spelling.

Open the wedding planner and choose Import / export, then Import guest CSV. Review the preview before appending or replacing; appending does not remove duplicates. Leave Table and Seat blank until matching tables exist. Private Notes appear in CSV/JSON, not printed charts; keep them out of display names.

Count spare places by table

Free places at three eight-seat tablesTable A has three free seats, B has two, and C has eight.A: 3 freeB: 2 freeC: 8 free
Filled seats are assigned. Only C can take a new party of four, despite 13 free seats overall.

Eight-seat tables holding 5, 6 and 0 guests have 3, 2 and 8 free seats. There are 13 free overall, but only the empty table fits a new household of four together.

Give late changes a small, repeatable process

Update the plan and its handoff filesAn edited list leads to revised seating and a replacement output.UpdateReseatExport
After a change, check the affected tables and replace the old handoff files.
  1. Confirm the change in the source list.
  2. Update the affected assignments.
  3. Check old and new table counts.
  4. Replace the PDF and save fresh JSON.

Enter paper annotations in the browser plan before printing again.

Share the minimum document needed

Share the full-name chart with people who only need assignments. CSV/JSON include private notes; review before sharing. Keep venue instructions separate from the guest display. Open the planner or a wedding template.

Last reviewed .

Questions about this seating plan

Can two people edit the same chart at once?

There is no shared account or live collaboration. Pass a complete JSON backup to move editing to another browser, and agree which person holds the current version.

Will editing a guest create a duplicate?

Editing the existing guest record preserves its identity. Importing or adding a new row creates another guest, even if the name matches, so review your source list before appending imports.

Does Undo provide a full version history?

No. Undo restores the previous change and is not a replacement for named JSON backups. Save a backup before a major revision or a handoff.

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