Remember those days when you were at school doing your GCSEs/O Levels/A Levels (etc) and you had to walk into the big sports hall and not have a clue where you’re supposed to be sitting, and you had to walk around aimlessly trying to remember your name, whilst trying to look cool in front of the rest of your peers??? There is nothing worse (in my opinion), than walking into a room and having no guidance as to where you are supposed to go.
This is why someone clever invented the ‘wedding table plan’.
Seating guidance has moved on a lot from an usher pointing you in the vague direction of your seat at the wedding reception; table plans are actually pretty handy, and can look brilliant with a bit of DIY input!
I have scoured the internet to find the best images of table plans; and only ones that can be done easily at home, following my basic instructions!
Framed Wedding Table Plans
You’ll need:
- A large frame (depending on the number of tables, approximately a 40cm x 50cm frame (which will allow 30cm x 40cm inside the frame for names etc)
- A computer (unless you are happy to write the names by hand)
- Decorative embellishments (ribbon, 3D objects etc)
- A list of all your guests, separated into tables (this is probably the part that’ll take the longest!)
The putting-together of this is pretty simple! The instructions are based upon using Microsoft Powerpoint NOT M.S Word on the computer. The reason for this is simple; Powerpoint allows you to custom size your paper and edit it a lot easier than Word, especially if you are going large scale (i.e. bigger than A4). If your frame is A4 then you can use Word for ease and familiarity!
- Adjust the size of your paper by going to Design, Page Set-Up, and then click Custom (you can then put in the correct sizes). It is important to note that this measurement should be the size of the PAPER, not the size of the frame!!
- Using text boxes (Click Insert, and then find Text Box), set out your page as you wish, making sure the boxes aren’t too near to the edges of the paper or they’ll be ‘swallowed’ by the frame.
- Once it is to your liking, print it out and decorate!! You can either print it at home if you have a good printer which can print large paper sizes, or take it to your local Staples (or similar) and they’ll print it for you!
Alternatively, you can print out each table list on a separate, smaller piece of card/paper and then stick them onto one large piece at the end. If this is the case, its easiest to use Microsoft Word. Insert as many correctly sized text boxesonto a page as possible, and then cut them out once you’ve printed it.
You can make all your text boxes exactly the same size by right clicking on the box with your mouse, click size and position and edit the sizes. You can then just copy and paste the box as many times as necessary and they’ll all be the same size!
You could also use luggage tags and write the names onto them and then stick them onto the back of the frame if you’re good at calligraphy or just have lovely handwriting!
Whether you use the glass in the frame or not depends on the embellishments you use to decorate it. Obviously it wouldn’t work with 3D butterflies (they’d no longer be ’3D’!).
Tree Wedding Table Plan
Using twigs to hold the guest list table plans has become increasingly popular over the last few years; particularly as they are very easy to make!!
You’ll need:
- Branches in a range of lengths and thickness’s (no thicker than a toddler’s finger though or it’ll be too heavy)
- Table plan lists (you can use the above computer instructions for these, or use the luggage tag idea) including ribbon or similar to tie the lists onto the branches
- Decorations (lengths of pearls, tinsel, flowers etc)
- A pot of some form (or vase) to put the twigs in
- Oasis foam or plaster of paris if you decide to use a terracotta pot or similar (not usually necessary if you use a vase, but if you have some to hand try it out)
- Print out your guest lists onto pieces of card
- Arrange your twigs so that the pieces of card are spread out and not crowded into one area and over lapping (it’ll just look messy otherwise)
- Secure in place with oasis foam or plaster or paris if necessary
- Attach lists and decorate! Drape lengths of pearls, ribbon, or tinsel through the branches (less is DEFINITELY more in this case), and attach any 3D objects such as butterflies or individual flowers!
Another bunch of practical and pretty reception venue features that you can DIY at home easily!!!
