Ready the air traffic controllers. Paint the runway arrows and make enough space for people to walk.
Tired of cramped receptions and parties? Believe me, guests are too.
Consider your space and your guest list.
Be realistic about how many guests you can fit. (Remember maximum is not comfort just physically able to fit by law.)Get Drawing
Get a plan (to scale) and place your tables, chairs and walking routes.
Most common set ups for receptions.
Space Between Large Round Tables: For banquet style setup using large round tables you should leave a space of 60" minimum. This is 2 x 18" for the seats, and 24" room in between the chairs.
more awesome tools they have:
Get ready to move!
Plan to move all yours guests. How will they enter the site? How will they reach the dance floor? How will they enter and exit (not the same way btw) the buffet line?
Draw it out.
Test it out. We know you can't set it up but you can make a simple scale room trace and place your loose dinner tables and buffet tables on it. Make 1 'space between' template to check if you've left your minimum 60" between tables.
Draw flow arrows where people will walk
Tape it down.
Check with your site and caterer to make sure the plan will work for them and see if they have any objections. Be open minded they may have foreseen things you missed.
Pass it out.
Once you've all got a plan you love. Make copies and mail them to all vendors who require setup. Seeing the plan before hand will make their day easier and remove the last minute "Wouldn't this table be better here?" ideas.
Let it go.
Leave it to your caterer, site planner and wedding planner to take it from here. If something comes up that doesn't work, trust them to change accordingly. Let them work while you relax and Enjoy Your Event!
