Wedding Inspiration: Seating Chart Edition

If you plan to have assigned seating for your wedding reception, you might be trying to find some inspiration on how to display your seating chart. Looking for something that fits your unique style, budget and time frame? Check out our list of trending seating chart display ideas for 2023!

Love Shades

We are going to start this list off with our favorite seating chart idea for this year, sunglasses! This couple decided to order personalized sunglasses for their guests! With their names displayed and seating assignment placed on the arms, guests were able to find their seats and look good while doing it! You can order them straight from Etsy, or if you are more of a DIY bride, you can order these adorable neon heart-shaped glasses straight from Amazon and put your Cricut to work. Check out this TikTok to see just how fun they were!

Photo by Jodee Debes

Photo from Wedded Wonderland

Take a Shot & Take a Seat

Want to get your guests in the party mood after the ceremony? This seating chart display will surely do the trick. Fill up a shot glass for each of your guests and top them off with a toothpick holding a lime and a little tag with their seating assignments! If you have guests who don’t drink or are under 21, you can fill theirs with a sparkling cider or a mocktail.

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

If we learned anything from 2022, it’s that mirrors are going to continue to be a wedding trend in 2023. This DIY wedding seating chart is inexpensive and show-stopping! Pick up a decorative mirror at your local thrift shop or garage sale and add your seating assignments. You can write directly on the mirror with a paint pen, or if you don’t trust your handwriting, you can add vinyl lettering!

Photo by Paperiepress on Etsy

Photo by IconicaDesign on Etsy

Wooden Arches

We are in love with these wooden arches! While the seating assignments pictured have permanent lettering, seating charts can change at the last minute, whether it is due to a guest no longer being able to attend or a last-minute response card arriving. Permanent lettering leaves no room for last minute changes. To avoid that, one of our bride’s put her own spin on the wooden arches idea. She printed out the seating assignments for each table on a beautiful texture cardstock, and just taped them to her wooden arches. When a last-minute change was made to her seating arrangements, she was able to simply reprint one piece of paper and replace it. Add a personalized wax seal to each sheet of paper to pull the final look together!

Champagne Shelf

One of our brides choose to do a champagne shelf for her seating chart this past fall, and we loved it! The slit in the paper allows them to easily slip on the glass, and it happens to be a hassle-free, DIY seating chart. You can create the name tags for free in Canva, and then simply print, cut and place! Glasses were arranged in alphabetical order, so guests were able to easily find their names, pick up their glasses and head to their seats. Bonus points, they already had their champagne in front of them for the toast!

Photo by David Manning

Window Frames

If you have more of a rustic elegance theme for your big day, then you will love this seating chart idea! Old, distressed window frames like this one can usually be found at your local antique shop or flea market. Similar to the wooden arches above, you can print off your table assignments and simply tape them into the window frame; or if you have a knack for calligraphy, pick up a paint pen and write directly on the window glass!

Bud Vase Wall

Prior to her big day, this bride collected various bud vases of all shapes and sizes to make this seating chart come to life. These bud vases each had a floral clipping placed inside with the guest’s name and seating assignment displayed. Guests were able to find their seats and take home something to remember the special day. For the do-it-yourself brides, you can recreate this look entirely with a little time and effort. You can learn how to replicate this display wall here with plywood and paint. Then just add labels or tags to your vases!