Just an FYI on sargassum seaweed season in Mexico- April through August. The larger resorts will clean it up, but in the heat and humidity, it has an awful odor and in some cases you will have trouble getting into the water. The west coast of Mexico does not have this problem.
We also had 135 — and chose escort cards rather than a poster.
While we had all seat assignments done 2 weeks before the wedding, we had two changes 2 days before the wedding (illness related)—affecting two tables. We were glad we had escort cards, alphabetized by last name, so we could make last minute changes. We also had one last minute addition.
The escort cards were were tent cards from PaperSource. The proper names were on the front (Mr. and Mrs. John Smith), and the table number was inside (Table Seven).
The escort card table, was outside the ballroom. There were a total of 12 guest tables — and the table numbers were in each of the centerpieces.
Also, we had one of our party favors attached to the escort cards. They were skeleton keys that are also bottle openers. The skeleton keys fit the Colonial era town — and they were in a metal tone that fit with other decor and metals.
I hope this helps.
My godson and his bride also used the skeleton key bottle openers and hung them from a large bare tree sculpture. Also an old building. The tags tied to the keys had name and table number. For a small wedding, done very inexpensively, it came across as clever and cute.
This is actually the current conversation regarding my S and FDIL’s wedding. They saw a great poster/board used for seating at a recent wedding and decided to go that route for their March wedding. I have not seen what they’re talking about, but my concerns are those mentioned by @Mom22039 above. What if there are last minute changes and tables have to be readjusted. I just don’t see how that works but my place is to raise the concern and then help make it work, no matter what they decide 
When I spoke to our contact person at the venue he suggested that some couples use the board but place blank escort cards nearby so people can write down their table numbers, if they prefer. He also suggested placing the board by the cocktail area and then moving it outside the reception room before guests are moved in that direction.
Right now it seems my responsibilities include creating the welcome bags for guests staying at the venue, creating the programs, being the contact person for the coordinator at the venue, and who knows what else.
Given that we are now 8 weeks out, my H and I decided to head to an unoccupied family home in a warmer locale next week to rest up for the festivities which will begin with an auf ruf (the couple is called to the Torah for an aliyah) in our synagogue on February 22nd. Typically this is closer to the actual wedding but my FDIL’s brother and his wife are expecting a baby sometime in the first 10 days of March (yes, right before the wedding!) so they wanted to have it sooner to avoid her parents being pulled in multiple directions.
I love hearing about tall the different approaches to these details! Thanks for the inspiration.
I’ve seen weddings where the seating chart was in a vintage frame with wire, with decorative clips holding the table information. Very pretty and I expect easy to change out a table card if there is a last minute adjustment. I don’t think I can post the link to Etsy but you can search for changeable wedding chart ideas.
Argh - it’s going to be a long 8 weeks. Just got off the phone with my S who wanted to make me aware that FDIL probably won’t want a program. He said I could mock one up but she wouldn’t have wanted them if I hadn’t suggested them and she likely won’t want them, in any case. To be honest, it seems like a “I want to control something just because I can” kind of response and he didn’t dissuade me of that idea, either. I told him the main reason I wanted them was to have a place to acknowledge his deceased grandfathers with whom he was very close but that I could do that in my toast and it was fine. No need to waste my time creating something if she already knows she doesn’t want it.
No matter how often I tell her to tell me what she thinks, these things pop up. I think it has something to do with her inability to make that statement to her mom, but it’s now starting to make me crazy. She says yes, and then has him tell me no. There’s very little I care enough about to make a stink and this is certainly not it. For example, I hate the idea of a seating chart/poster for a 200 person wedding, but I made my point and will now keep my mouth shut. I will go to the mat about inviting out of town guests as well as family who are in town Friday night to the rehearsal dinner…I’ve been hearing too much about “immediate family” to believe this is not going to be an issue. This thread is my lifesaver right now, sorry if my complaining gets annoying.
@runnersmom I think you’re being smart to pick your battles and focusing on what is most important to you.
We had a rehearsal and dinner for the bridal party and immediate family. It was right after the rehearsal which we had two nights before the wedding…but you could do the rehearsal early in the day on the day before.
Then we had a meet and greet for all out of town guests, and immediate family separately. We had 6 different appetizers. Substantial ones. Beverages. And a dessert selection with coffee and tea.
Perhaps that would be a good compromise.
Yes, My older son is getting engaged very soon. We anticipate more what @thumper1 describes. We will host a rehearsal dinner for just bridal party and close family. There can be a welcome party type get together for everyone, including out of town guests later that evening. S and his girlfriend get invited to lots of weddings and that seems pretty typical these days.
Thanks, your compromise might work if that had been the intention all along - most guests are local so not involved in this. The rehearsal dinner is already planned at a local brewery and the assumption when I booked it was that it was for family and out-of-town guests. It’s not that it’s been directly brought up for debate again at this point but my concern is that people have not “said what they mean and mean what they say” during the planning. The rehearsal is at the venue the evening before at 6 and the rehearsal dinner will follow at 7. It’s a 10 minute drive away.
@runnersmom there were LOTS of things I had to hold my tongue on with my S’s wedding. Now that it’s over, all of us (meaning me, my D and my sister)have had to just let some things go. A few people were upset/nose out of joint about how the couple did the wedding (including my D in tears on the day of the wedding, not feeling included at all).
I have had to repeat to myself that my DIL is a different person with a different family and a different upbringing.
Doesn’t mean that my DIL is a bad person, just had different ideas than us. It will all work out in the end.
DIL did not want to acknowledge my father who had passed away or our very beloved BIL who’s death was newish. Or my FIL’s birthday which is my S’s wedding anniversary. Because her grandparents were being childish and decided not to attend.
@deb922, I hear you. I’m actually happy to have the next 8 weeks to try and take deep breaths and remember just what you said - FDIL has different ideas and so do her parents - not good, not bad, just different. It’s hard being a control freak with an illusion of control but no real control! Better when I can laugh at myself.
So sorry, @runnersmom, that you are going through this.
Our compromise for the night of the rehearsal dinner for DS#2 was that they had a relatively small rehearsal dinner for family (our family and that of the bride and her mother’s family - the Fa of the bride and his family were not at the dinner as he was persona non grata by her choice). But right after the dinner was a reception at a very nearby bar that invited everyone- locals and out of town guests. There were probably about 100 people and it was wonderful. My favorite memory was of the look of “horror” on my s’s face as he saw his work colleagues staring intently at me as I told funny (no embarrassing) childhood stories of my S. I really only shared one or 2 funny stories but DS was panicked at the image of them all with their chins in their hands, leaning in and listening! A photo of that would have been priceless.
They did a seating board (not placecards) which was their choice, and they kept it as a memento (not sure if they still have it). My only thing I kinda pushed for was hospitality bags for the hotel guests. They initially didn’t want it but relented and it turned out to be a great topic of conversation for them as many of their college friends came and several of the items int he bag were snacks they used to eat in college.
@deb922 - sorry there was no mention of family who were important to you. IIRC that was also true for us and also neither of my DILs wanted or did programs It was their wedding and their choice.
D1 wanted a welcome party instead of a rehearsal dinner. Her in-laws thought it was traditional to have a rehearsal dinner for the bridal party. I have to give them credit for compromising. They hosted the welcome party and had a small luncheon after the rehearsal. All of our guests were from out of town (~180) and they thought it was a great party to meet people before the wedding.
It is hard to have people travel long distance and not host a party the night before.
@oldfort— thats the right term for what DS#2 had - a welcome party, not a reception. Thanks for posting that.
You all know, though many months ago, that I felt like I was planning the venues from far out of town. I couldn’t understand why her retired parents didn’t check out venue for rehearsal dinner and hotels. They did go with the couple to wedding venues.
It was suggestions from CC parents in Chicago that I found the rehearsal venue. Fantastic pizza place, with a whole floor for the 100 or so guests. Since I was the host, everyone was invited. It was close to the hotel (which I found online), so many of us walked there and back. The couple planned the menus.
For the wedding, guests were assigned tables but not seats. That worked out great.
I like programs but I was in the minority and both my married children didn’t have them. Both my S and D used big seating boards that assigned a table. My S had name cards on the tables with your assigned seat. My D had assigned tables but not seats. Her wedding planner made the seating board and told us that she doesn’t print it till the day before the wedding as there are always changes.
As far as remembering deceased family both my kids asked for photos. My S and his wife had memorial comments in the wedding ceremony and the photos at the ceremony site. Unfortunately they didn’t arrange for the photo memorial to be moved to the reception area which disappointed us and many guests who hadn’t had a chance to look at them. My D and her H had a table at the cocktail area with photos with notes they had made of family members who had passed away.
Canva is a great online tool for creating posters and other print items. They have many templates for those seating assignment boards. Some functionality is free, some you have to pay for. One could easily create their own and print via Staples to accommodate last minute changes via hiring it out.
I second Canva. Great for so many things!
And I second the difficulty of being MOG and not having elderly/deceased relatives acknowledged due to different parallel relationships, as well as wanting programs and not having them. At our own reception we will have escort cards, tables assigned (not seats), no chart.