Seating Arrangement Planner

What is Seating Arrangement Planning?

Seating arrangement planning is the thoughtful art and strategic science of organizing guests at tables for dining events in ways that promote comfort, conversation, and social harmony. While it might seem like a simple logistical task, sophisticated seating arrangement planning actually represents one of the most impactful decisions a host makes, directly influencing guest experience, event flow, and the overall success of any gathering.

Throughout history, seating arrangements have held profound social significance. From medieval banquet halls where proximity to the lord indicated status, to Victorian dinner parties where elaborate protocols governed every placement decision, to modern diplomatic summits where seating arrangements prevent international incidents, where people sit matters deeply. Today's refined host recognizes that while contemporary etiquette has relaxed some rigid historical rules, the fundamental principles remain: seating arrangements demonstrate respect for guests, facilitate meaningful interactions, and reflect the host's attentiveness and social intelligence.

At its core, effective seating arrangement planning balances multiple considerations simultaneously. You must account for relationship dynamics—who gets along well, who should meet, who needs separation. You must consider conversation flow—creating tables where engaging dialogue will naturally emerge rather than awkward silence. You must respect traditional etiquette where appropriate while adapting to modern social realities. You must manage practical logistics like wheelchair accessibility, family groupings, and sightlines to speakers or entertainment.

Our Seating Arrangement Planner addresses these complex challenges by providing a systematic framework for creating thoughtful seating plans. Rather than haphazardly assigning seats or leaving guests to self-select (which creates social anxiety and often poor outcomes), our tool helps you determine optimal table configurations, appropriate guests per table based on table shape, and strategic placement recommendations that honor both etiquette traditions and contemporary social dynamics.

The tool goes beyond simple mathematics by incorporating sophisticated hosting knowledge developed over centuries of refined entertaining. When you input your event parameters, you receive not just numbers but comprehensive guidance on layout strategies, guest-of-honor placement, children considerations, and essential etiquette rules. This transforms seating arrangement from a stressful puzzle into a strategic hosting tool that elevates your entire event by ensuring that every guest feels valued, comfortable, and positioned to enjoy meaningful social interactions throughout your gathering.

How to Use the Seating Arrangement Planner

Creating an elegant and functional seating arrangement requires both information gathering and strategic thinking. Our planner streamlines this process, but getting optimal results depends on thoughtful input and understanding of what each parameter means for your event. Follow this comprehensive guide to make the most of your seating arrangement planning:

Step 1: Confirm Your Total Guest Count

Begin with an accurate guest count including everyone who will be seated for the meal portion of your event. This number should reflect confirmed attendees, not your invitation list. If some responses are pending, make your best estimate erring slightly high—it's easier to adjust for fewer guests than to scramble for additional table space when extra guests arrive unexpectedly.

Be precise about who counts as a "guest" for seating purposes. Children who will eat at tables (typically age 3 and up) should be included in your count. Very young children who will eat in high chairs or be held by parents might not need dedicated seating. Consider whether vendors like photographers or musicians will be seated with guests or separately. For multi-course seated dinners, every person receiving a full meal service needs a designated seat.

Step 2: Determine Your Number of Tables

This decision depends on several factors: your venue's capacity and layout, the tables available to you (owned, rented, or provided by the venue), and your desired table size. Many hosts assume more tables are always better, but this isn't necessarily true. Fewer, larger tables can create livelier energy and more diverse conversation, while more smaller tables offer intimacy and easier conversation across the table.

Consider your venue's physical constraints first. Account for space needed between tables for guests to sit comfortably and servers to navigate (minimum 5 feet between table edges). Include space for any buffet tables, bars, dance floors, or entertainment areas. Most events work well with tables of 8-10 guests, so divide your total guest count by 8 or 10 as a starting point, then adjust based on table availability and room layout.

Step 3: Select Your Table Shape

Table shape profoundly impacts conversation dynamics and event formality. Round tables (60-72 inches diameter) are the most popular for upscale events because they create a sense of equality—no one sits at the "head"—and allow all guests to see and converse with everyone at their table. Round tables seat 8-10 comfortably, promote inclusive conversation, and work beautifully for weddings, galas, and celebrations where mixing diverse guests is desired.

Rectangular tables (6-8 feet long) offer versatility and space efficiency. They're ideal for venues with awkward layouts, less expensive to rent than rounds, and perfect for creating formal head tables at weddings or milestone celebrations. They naturally create conversation pairs (across and beside each guest) rather than whole-table dialogue. Rectangular tables work well for events where you want some formality or where many guests already know each other well.

Square tables (48 inches or larger) provide the perfect middle ground for intimate gatherings. They're excellent for events of 30-60 guests where you want several small tables rather than fewer large ones. Square tables seat 4-8 guests comfortably, encourage equal participation in conversation, and create a modern, sophisticated aesthetic. They're particularly effective for business dinners, intimate celebrations, or events where you want to clearly define small social groupings.

Step 4: Indicate Guest of Honor Status

Select "yes" if your event centers on specific individuals—weddings (bride and groom), milestone birthdays (honoree), retirement parties (retiree), awards ceremonies (recipient), or similar celebrations. Guest-of-honor events require special seating considerations to ensure these individuals are prominently positioned, easily accessible for toasts and acknowledgments, and surrounded by their closest companions or family members.

When you indicate a guest of honor, our planner provides specific guidance on head table configuration, sight line considerations, and strategic placement that honors tradition while ensuring your honorees feel celebrated. For events without a clear guest of honor—cocktail parties, casual dinners, networking events, general celebrations—selecting "no" yields recommendations for distributing prominent guests evenly and creating balanced, engaging tables.

Step 5: Specify Children's Attendance

Indicating whether children will attend substantially changes seating strategy. Children's presence requires consideration of family groupings (keeping young children with parents), special dietary needs, proximity to restrooms and exits, and possibly a separate children's table for school-age kids who may enjoy dining together rather than sitting through adult conversations.

For adult-only events, seating strategies can focus entirely on creating interesting conversation groupings, mixing social circles, and strategic placement without worrying about child supervision or family proximity. The planner adjusts its recommendations based on your selection, providing appropriate guidance for whichever scenario applies to your gathering.

Step 6: Review Your Seating Arrangement Results

Once you submit your information, carefully review all results. The primary output—guests per table—tells you how many people should sit at each table. Compare this to the optimal range shown for your table shape. If you're significantly over or under the optimal capacity, consider adjusting your number of tables for better guest comfort and conversation dynamics.

Pay special attention to the capacity status. "Optimal seating density" indicates your plan aligns with professional event planning standards. "Under-seated" suggests your tables might feel sparse or make conversation difficult; consider reducing your table count. "Over-capacity" indicates guests will feel cramped; add another table if possible. Sometimes adjusting by just one table makes the difference between an adequate plan and an excellent one.

Step 7: Implement Layout and Placement Tips

The detailed recommendations provided go beyond numbers to help you actually create your seating chart. Use the table layout tips to understand how your chosen table shape affects conversation flow and what design elements (centerpiece height, place card positioning) support this configuration. Review the placement recommendations to understand where to position your guest of honor, how to distribute prominent guests, and how to create balanced tables.

If children are attending, carefully consider the children seating strategies. Decisions about whether to create a separate kids' table, how to position families, and where to locate child-friendly seating areas can significantly impact both parent comfort and event flow. The etiquette rules provided represent time-tested principles that create harmonious seating arrangements—review them carefully and apply those most relevant to your event's formality level and guest composition.

Step 8: Create Your Detailed Seating Chart

With the planner's recommendations in hand, you're ready to create your actual seating chart assigning specific guests to specific tables and seats. Use your knowledge of guest relationships, conversation compatibility, and the strategic guidance provided. Consider creating a visual diagram showing table positions and guest names, then review it fresh a day later to ensure no obvious conflicts or missed opportunities for great conversation pairings.

Many experienced hosts create their seating chart in multiple passes: first assigning guests to tables, then reviewing for balance and potential issues, then assigning specific seats at each table considering traditional etiquette and conversation dynamics. Don't hesitate to revise your plan—most professional event planners make 3-5 iterations before finalizing seating arrangements, constantly refining as they gain new information or reconsider social dynamics.

Seating Etiquette Rules and Best Practices

While contemporary entertaining has relaxed some of the rigid formality of historical etiquette, fundamental principles of courteous seating arrangements remain essential for sophisticated hosting. Understanding these rules allows you to honor tradition where appropriate while adapting thoughtfully to modern social realities and your specific guest composition.

Traditional Gender Alternation

Classic formal dining etiquette prescribes alternating men and women around the table, with hosts seated at opposite ends (or in the case of round tables, at opposite sides). This tradition emerged from the assumption that mixed-gender conversation was more stimulating than same-gender discussion and helped prevent the informal gender segregation that often occurred naturally.

In today's more diverse social landscape, strict adherence to this rule has become optional for most events. However, the underlying principle—creating conversation variety and preventing natural clustering—remains valuable. Consider alternating conversational styles rather than genders: seat talkative guests beside quieter ones, extroverts beside introverts, people who know many guests beside those who know few. This adapted approach honors the traditional wisdom while acknowledging modern relationship diversity and social dynamics.

Couple Separation at Formal Events

Traditional etiquette holds that married couples or romantic partners should not sit together at formal dinners. The reasoning is practical: couples presumably converse at home daily and benefit more from engaging with other guests. This rule also prevents couples from creating insular conversations that exclude others at their table, ensuring livelier whole-table interaction.

This guideline remains appropriate for very formal events—diplomatic dinners, awards galas, certain weddings—but has become optional for contemporary social entertaining. Many modern hosts take a middle approach: separating couples at their tables (not sitting side-by-side) but seating them at the same table, or separating long-married couples who will indeed benefit from different conversation partners while seating newer couples together who might feel anxious separated. As always, know your guests and adapt rules to serve their comfort.

Guest of Honor Placement

Guests being honored should always receive the most prominent seating. At rectangular tables, this means the center of the long side or the head position. At round tables, position guests of honor facing the room entrance with their backs to the most attractive view or focal point. The host or co-host should sit to the right of the guest of honor, with other prominent guests nearby in descending order of importance or closeness to the honoree.

For events with multiple guests of honor (such as weddings with bride and groom), they may share a head table with their wedding party, or in more intimate settings, share a prominent table with parents and closest family. Ensure that all honored guests have clear sight lines to any toasts, speeches, or presentations, and that other guests can easily see them during these moments. Accessibility is equally important—honored guests should be easily reachable for congratulations, photos, and informal conversations throughout the event.

Host Positioning and Distribution

When a single host or couple hosts the event, traditional etiquette places them at the head of a rectangular table or opposite sides of a round table, allowing them to oversee the entire gathering and facilitate conversation. For multi-table events, co-hosts should typically sit at different tables to distribute their attention and ensure every table benefits from host presence and energy.

This distribution strategy serves multiple purposes: it prevents any table from feeling neglected or less important, allows hosts to engage with more guests personally, and provides each table with someone responsible for facilitating conversation and managing any issues that arise. If you're hosting with a partner, strategically divide responsibilities—perhaps one host sits with older relatives while the other engages with newer friends or professional contacts.

Accessibility and Inclusion Considerations

Modern etiquette demands that seating arrangements accommodate all guests with dignity and thoughtfulness. Guests who use wheelchairs need table placement with adequate approach space (at least 4 feet of clear aisle) and tables at appropriate heights (typically 30 inches for wheelchair accessibility). Remove chairs to create wheelchair space rather than asking guests to sit at table ends where they might feel spatially separated from conversation.

Consider other accessibility needs as well: older guests or those with mobility challenges should sit near restrooms and exits to minimize difficult navigation, avoid high-traffic areas where they might be jostled, and have easy access to their tables without navigating stairs or long distances. Guests with hearing challenges benefit from seating in quieter areas away from kitchen doors, speaker systems, or band stages. These accommodations shouldn't feel like special treatment but rather natural elements of thoughtful hosting that ensures every guest's comfort.

Strategic Conversation Grouping

Beyond formal rules, sophisticated seating arrangements consider conversation compatibility. Mix social groups rather than allowing natural friend clusters—this creates energy, facilitates new connections, and prevents the boring scenario where everyone talks only with people they already know well. Seat at least one conversationally skilled guest at every table who can facilitate introductions, bridge awkward silences, and draw out quieter personalities.

Create tables with shared interests or experiences where possible: parents of similar-age children, people in related professions, guests who share hobbies, travelers who've visited the same regions. However, avoid tables that are too homogeneous—some diversity creates more interesting conversation. The art lies in finding common ground without creating echo chambers. A table of lawyers might discuss shop talk all evening, but a table with a lawyer, teacher, doctor, and artist discussing their different perspectives on work-life balance generates much richer dialogue.

Conflict Avoidance and Sensitive Dynamics

Part of gracious hosting involves protecting guests from awkward or uncomfortable situations. Never seat individuals who have significant conflicts—former romantic partners who ended badly, business partners in litigation, relatives not speaking to each other, anyone who has explicitly requested separation. Even if you think they "should" be able to handle being at the same table, don't test this hypothesis at your event.

Be sensitive to recent life changes that might make certain seating uncomfortable: newly divorced guests might prefer not sitting with several married couples, someone recently bereaved might struggle at a table heavy with family talk, someone facing career difficulties might not enjoy a table dominated by career achievement discussions. These considerations require intimate knowledge of your guests and thoughtful attention to their emotional states—hallmarks of truly sophisticated hosting.

Place Cards and Seating Indicators

For any event exceeding 12-16 guests, place cards are essential rather than optional. They prevent the anxiety and awkwardness of guests wondering where to sit, eliminate the uncomfortable scenario of early arrivals claiming "best" seats, and ensure your carefully considered seating plan is actually implemented. Place cards also help guests learn names, remember who they've met, and navigate social interactions throughout the evening.

Position place cards consistently—typically above the dinner plate or atop folded napkins—so guests can easily locate their seats. Include full names (or first name plus last initial for clarity) written legibly in an elegant script or printed in a refined font. For very large events, use table number cards at a central location showing seating assignments, then smaller place cards at individual seats. This two-level system prevents congestion at tables as guests search for their specific seats.

Common Seating Arrangement Mistakes

Even experienced hosts sometimes make seating arrangement errors that compromise guest comfort or event flow. Learning to recognize and avoid these common mistakes elevates your hosting sophistication and ensures your carefully planned event succeeds in creating the warm, engaging atmosphere you envision.

Last-Minute Seating Decisions: Perhaps the most frequent mistake is delaying seating arrangements until days before the event. This time pressure leads to hasty decisions, overlooked relationship dynamics, and unbalanced tables. Begin your seating chart at least 2-3 weeks before your event, allowing time for multiple revisions as you reconsider conversation groupings and receive new information about guest dynamics. Early planning also reduces your stress during the final busy days before your gathering.

Creating Awkward Table Sizes: Hosts sometimes prioritize achieving equal table sizes at the expense of optimal capacity. A seating plan with five tables of exactly 10 guests might seem tidier than four tables of 10 and one table of 8, but if your tables comfortably seat 8-9, the perfectly equal plan creates discomfort. Prioritize guest comfort over numerical perfection—one slightly smaller table causes no issues, while all tables being overcrowded compromises everyone's experience.

Isolating Challenging Personalities: When facing difficult guests—the notorious table monopolizer, political argumentative types, or socially awkward individuals—some hosts make the mistake of clustering them together, thinking this quarantines the problem. This strategy typically backfires, creating one miserable table while the rest enjoy themselves, and leaving challenging guests without positive influences to moderate their behavior. Instead, distribute difficult personalities across tables paired with gracious, patient guests who can manage conversations skillfully.

Ignoring Entrance and Traffic Patterns: Seating arrangements must consider room logistics beyond the tables themselves. Common mistakes include blocking pathways to restrooms, seating guests where servers must repeatedly brush past them, positioning tables near kitchen doors where guests endure noise and traffic, or placing elderly guests far from exits they'll need to access. Walk through your venue imagining guest movement throughout the event, then adjust table placement and seat assignments to minimize these disruptions.

Neglecting Sight Lines and Focal Points: If your event includes toasts, presentations, entertainment, or a head table, every guest needs adequate sight lines to these focal points. Mistakes include seating guests with backs to speakers, positioning tables behind columns or architectural elements that block views, or creating situations where guests must uncomfortably turn or crane necks to see important moments. Consider sight lines from every seat, and if some positions have poor views, assign them to guests least affected (young children, guests who will likely arrive late or leave early).

Self-Selected Seating at Large Events: Some hosts avoid seating arrangement work by allowing guests to "sit anywhere," thinking this creates casual informality. At events under 12-16 guests, this approach can work, but for larger gatherings, it creates anxiety (where should I sit?), social awkwardness (is this seat taken?), friendship politics (saving seats), and poor outcomes as friend groups cluster rather than mixing. The host's job is making guests comfortable, which includes removing the burden of finding appropriate seating.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I create seating arrangements for guests who don't know each other?

Seating strangers together actually presents a wonderful opportunity rather than a problem, but requires strategic planning for success. The key is creating tables with clear common ground or natural conversation catalysts. Look for shared connections: parents with similar-age children naturally discuss parenting; people in complementary professions can explore their different perspectives; guests from the same geographic area can reminisce about local topics; travelers who've visited similar destinations have built-in conversation material. Avoid tables where guests share absolutely nothing—even something as simple as "everyone at this table is a friend from my book club" gives strangers a starting point for interaction. Consider including at least one socially skilled, outgoing guest at every table who can facilitate introductions and bridge conversational gaps. Many of the most memorable dinner party connections happen between strangers seated thoughtfully together, so embrace this opportunity to create new friendships rather than fearing it as a hosting liability.

Should children sit with their parents or at a separate children's table?

This decision depends on the children's ages, your event formality, and the number of children attending. Very young children (under 6-7) should always sit with at least one parent for supervision, dietary management, and comfort. School-age children (roughly 8-13) often greatly enjoy a dedicated children's table where they can interact with peers rather than enduring adult conversations, provided there's appropriate supervision—either a mature teen, a designated adult, or clear parent sight lines to the children's table. Teenagers (14+) generally prefer sitting with adults rather than being relegated to "kids" status, so include them at adult tables with engaging conversational partners. For events with just 1-3 children, a separate table feels isolating; keep them with families. For events with 6+ school-age children, a dedicated table often works beautifully. Always position children's tables where parents can easily monitor behavior and assist if needed, typically within sight lines and near restrooms for convenience. Consider the timing and nature of your event as well—for long, formal dinners with multiple courses, children's patience wanes quickly; a separate kids' table with earlier service and more casual food options might serve everyone better than expecting young children to endure adult pacing and formal protocols.

What do I do if I have an odd number that doesn't divide evenly by tables?

Uneven guest counts are completely normal and easily managed with slight table size variation. Most table configurations comfortably accommodate a range—a round table seats 8-10, rectangular seats 6-12, squares seat 4-8—so you have flexibility. When you have, for example, 47 guests, you might create five tables of 8 and one table of 7, or four tables of 8 and two tables of 7-8, rather than forcing artificial symmetry. Guests will never notice or care that tables vary by 1-2 people. The only scenario to avoid is having one table significantly smaller than others (five tables of 10 and one table of 4), which can make the small table feel second-tier or awkward. In that case, adjust your overall table count—perhaps create six tables of 7-8 instead. Professional event planners rarely achieve perfectly equal table sizes and instead prioritize comfortable capacity at each table. If you're genuinely stuck with a difficult number, consider whether your guest count might change (late RSVPs, possible last-minute cancellations) before finalizing, or whether you could appropriately invite 1-2 additional guests to create better balance. Just remember that guest comfort at properly sized tables always matters more than numerical perfection across tables.

How do I handle seating for guests with mobility issues or disabilities?

Thoughtful accessibility planning demonstrates the true sophistication and graciousness that characterize classy hosting. Begin by directly asking guests about their needs rather than making assumptions—a simple note on invitations like "Please let us know of any accessibility needs so we can ensure your comfort" opens the conversation respectfully. For wheelchair users, ensure at least one table has wheelchair-accessible height (typically 30 inches) with adequate approach space (4 feet minimum clearance), positioned where the guest can participate fully in conversations without being isolated at a table end. Remove a standard chair to create the wheelchair space rather than adding a chair position, maintaining normal table dynamics. For guests with mobility challenges, position tables near entrances, restrooms, and parking with minimal navigation required, avoid stairs or long distances, and ensure clear, obstacle-free pathways at least 4 feet wide. Consider seating guests with hearing challenges away from kitchen areas, speakers, bands, or high-traffic zones where background noise interferes with conversation; some guests benefit from end positions at rectangular tables where they can see everyone's faces for lip-reading. For guests with visual impairments, clearly communicate table locations verbally rather than relying on visual table numbers, and consider appointing a friend or family member to provide discreet assistance navigating to seating. These accommodations should feel natural and dignified rather than spotlighting differences—the goal is ensuring every guest enjoys the same comfort, engagement, and social experience regardless of physical circumstances. Your thoughtfulness in this area reflects the highest standards of inclusive hospitality.

Can I change my seating arrangement after creating place cards?

While it's certainly possible to revise seating arrangements after creating place cards, the decision should balance the improvement value against the disruption and work involved. Minor adjustments—swapping two guests at the same table to improve conversation pairing, or moving one person to balance table sizes better—are relatively simple and often worthwhile if you've gained new information about guest dynamics or realized an oversight. More significant changes—completely redesigning multiple tables, shifting many guests between tables—should only be undertaken if you've identified a serious problem like accidentally seating conflicting personalities together or creating an obviously problematic table composition. The timing matters significantly: changes made several days before the event require only new place card printing and seating chart updates. Changes made the day of the event, after place cards are positioned and printed materials distributed, create real complications and potential confusion. If you must make last-minute changes, ensure your seating chart escort cards (the master list showing table assignments) are updated, replace affected place cards at tables, and brief anyone helping with guest seating about the changes. Many experienced hosts make small refinements as RSVPs finalize and they learn more about guest relationships—this is completely normal and shows attentiveness. However, resist the temptation to endlessly tinker with a fundamentally sound plan. At some point, usually about a week before your event, finalize your seating arrangement and trust your thoughtful planning. Your guests will never know about the pairings you considered and rejected, so don't let perfectionism prevent you from moving forward confidently with a well-considered plan.

What if guests request specific seating arrangements or ask to sit together?

Guest seating requests present a delicate hosting challenge requiring both graciousness and boundaries. When guests make reasonable requests—a guest with a new romantic partner wants to sit with them, elderly relatives request seating together for comfort, someone with social anxiety asks to sit near familiar faces—accommodating these requests demonstrates thoughtfulness and flexibility. Honoring such requests usually improves guest comfort without compromising your overall plan. However, some requests create complications: multiple friend groups all requesting to sit together defeats the purpose of creating mixed, engaging tables; seating requests that would place too many similar people at one table or create obvious imbalances; or requests that contradict your knowledge of good seating dynamics. In these cases, you can graciously explain your broader vision: "I've seated you near Sarah and Tom, but I'm excited for you to meet the Johnsons who share your interest in sailing." Most guests accept this explanation and appreciate that thought went into their placement. For very close friends or family making requests, you might accommodate partially—seating them at the same table but not necessarily adjacent, or creating a table with their requested companion plus other engaging guests. The key is maintaining control of your overall seating plan while remaining responsive to genuine needs. Remember that as host, you have information guests lack—you know all the attendees, understand conversation dynamics across tables, and have strategic reasons for your choices. Trust your planning while staying gracious about reasonable accommodations. If requests become excessive or demanding, it's appropriate to kindly but firmly explain that you've carefully planned seating to create the best experience for all guests and ask for their trust in your arrangements. Most guests, once reassured that thought and care went into their placement, accept their seating graciously even if it wasn't their first preference.

How formal should I be with seating arrangements for casual events?

The formality of your seating arrangements should match your event's overall tone while still providing enough structure to ensure guest comfort. For very casual gatherings—backyard barbecues, casual dinners with close friends, informal cocktail parties—you might skip assigned seating entirely or use very relaxed table assignments without specific seat designations ("please sit at any seat at Table 2"). For casual but slightly more structured events—dinner parties of 12-20, casual celebrations, informal receptions—consider table assignments with place cards showing table numbers but allowing guests to select specific seats at their assigned table. This provides helpful structure without feeling rigid or overly formal. For events crossing into refined territory—milestone celebrations, elegant dinners, upscale receptions—full seating assignments with specific seat designations demonstrate the attention to detail and guest consideration that characterize sophisticated hosting. Even for casual events, some structure proves helpful: it eliminates guest anxiety about where to sit, prevents early arrivals from claiming "best" spots, ensures friend groups mix rather than clustering, and reflects your role as thoughtful host managing all event details. The sweet spot for many contemporary events is assigned tables with flexible seating within tables—formal enough to provide structure and demonstrate thoughtfulness, relaxed enough to avoid stuffiness. You can adjust the presentation to match your formality level: formal events might use elegant calligraphied place cards on specialty card stock positioned at each place setting; casual events might use handwritten cards or small decorative items with names attached; very casual events might use a master seating chart by the entrance showing table assignments. Regardless of your event's casualness, if you're serving a seated meal to more than 12-16 guests, some seating structure improves the experience for everyone and demonstrates the consideration that marks classy hosting at any formality level.