EasySeatingChart
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Wedding seating chart maker

The hard part of a wedding seating chart is not the drawing. It is knowing that your dad and your mum cannot be at the same table, and that your cousin should be nowhere near her ex. Add those rules first, and let the chart work around them.

Capacity 80 · 0 on the list

One name per line — paste straight from a spreadsheet.

Who must not sit together

Divorced parents, an ex on the guest list, the two cousins who fell out. Add every pair you already worry about.

Unseated (0)

Everyone has a seat. Add names above to get started.

Table 1

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  • Drop a name here

Table 2

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  • Drop a name here

Table 3

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  • Drop a name here

Table 4

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  • Drop a name here

Table 5

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  • Drop a name here

Table 6

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  • Drop a name here

Table 7

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  • Drop a name here

Table 8

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  • Drop a name here

Table 9

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  • Drop a name here

Table 10

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  • Drop a name here

Start with the rules, not the tables

Most couples build a seating chart the same way: draw the tables, start filling them in from the top of the guest list, and then discover halfway down that an entire section has to be redone because of one pairing. It is faster to work backwards. Before you seat anybody, write down every pair of people who genuinely cannot share a table, add them to the keep-apart list, and only then start arranging. The awkward cases are what constrain the whole plan, so they should be the first thing the chart knows about.

When you press auto-arrange, the tool deliberately seats the most constrained people first — whoever has the longest list of people they must avoid — and works outwards from there. That ordering matters. If you place the easy guests first, you tend to fill up the flexible tables and leave yourself with nowhere to put the difficult pairing.

Divorced parents: the case that breaks most charts

Search any wedding forum and you will find the same question asked over and over, often by couples where both sets of parents are divorced and some have remarried. It is the single most common seating problem, and it is rarely about seats. It is about status.

The practical approach that most planners settle on is to give each parent their own table where they host their own side of the family, rather than trying to combine them into one parents' table. What matters just as much is that neither table looks demoted. If one parent is placed beside the head table and the other is three rows back, that difference will be noticed and remembered, whatever you intended by it. When you lay out your tables, keep the two parent tables roughly the same distance from the top table, and try to give them comparable neighbours.

If a new partner is attending, seat them with the parent they came with. Splitting them up to avoid awkwardness usually creates more of it, not less. And if two parents are genuinely not on speaking terms, add them to the keep-apart list rather than relying on yourself to remember at midnight when you are moving name cards around.

How many tables will you need

When auto-arrange cannot seat someone

If a guest is left in the unseated area, there was no table with a free seat that did not break one of your rules. The tool will not quietly override a rule you set, because the whole point of setting it was that the consequence matters. Add a table, add a seat per table, or look again at whether one of your rules is a genuine must-not or just a preference you added while being cautious.

Printing and place cards

Click Print / Save PDF and choose 'Save as PDF' in your browser's print dialog. The printed sheet drops every button and control and gives you a clean table-by-table list with your event name at the top — the format your venue and caterer will ask for. Print one copy for the venue, one for whoever is directing guests on the day, and keep the PDF on your phone. If you would rather start on paper, there are printable seating chart templates; for classes and workshops use the classroom seating chart maker.

Frequently asked questions

How do I do a wedding seating chart with divorced parents?
Give each parent their own table hosting their own side of the family, rather than forcing them onto a shared parents' table. Keep both tables a similar distance from the head table so neither looks demoted, seat any new partner with the parent they came with, and add the parents to the keep-apart list so no arrangement can accidentally put them together.
Is this wedding seating chart maker free?
Yes. Unlimited guests, unlimited tables, keep-apart rules, auto-arrange and printing all work without an account or payment, and the printed chart has no watermark.
Do I need a seating chart at all, or just assigned tables?
Most couples assign tables rather than specific seats. Guests find their table from a display at the entrance and choose their own chair. Assigning individual seats is normally only worth it at the head table or for a formal sit-down service where courses are plated to order.
When should I finish the seating chart?
After your RSVP deadline and final headcount, which is usually two to three weeks before the day. Building it earlier means redoing it, because late declines and added plus-ones will change the table maths.
How many people fit at a wedding table?
A 60-inch round is typically set for eight and can hold ten at a squeeze. Long banquet tables usually take ten to twelve. Ask your venue for the number they set, since it depends on table size and the place settings they use.
Can I keep an ex-partner away from a guest?
Yes. Add both people to the keep-apart list. Auto-arrange will never seat them at the same table, and if you place them together by hand the table is flagged in red with both names shown.
Is my guest list uploaded anywhere?
No. Everything runs in your browser and is saved to your own device's local storage. Your guest list is never sent to a server, which also means it will not appear if you open the site on a different computer.