Wedding table plan maker

How it works

Type or paste your guests, one per line. If you already know where someone is sitting, add the table number after a comma: “Emma Baker, 4”. Anyone without a number fills the tables in order, at the seats per table you choose, so you can paste a rough list and fix it up as you go.

Pick Guests A to Z for a list sorted by surname (or first name) with each guest's table number, or Table by table for names grouped under each table. Change the title if “Find your seat” isn't quite you. When it looks right, press Print. Only the plan prints, with a small “Made with Wedding Draft” line at the foot.

Everything happens in your browser. The names aren't uploaded, so it's fine to paste the real list.

A to Z or table by table?

An A-to-Z plan by surname is the quickest for guests. They look for their own name, see “Table 6”, and move on. Above about 80 guests it's the one to choose, because a table-by-table board makes everyone scan every table to find themselves, and the crowd at the board grows.

A table-by-table plan is lovely for smaller weddings. Guests can see who they're sitting with, and it photographs well. If you want the best of both, print the A-to-Z list for the entrance and the table-by-table version as a smaller sheet for the venue staff.

Sorting by first name suits a wedding where most people know each other by first name, or where lots of guests share a surname. Couples with different surnames appear under each of their names, so nobody has to guess.

How big to print it

• A1 board (594 × 841 mm) for 80 guests or more. It holds 150 to 200 names in columns at a readable size.
• A2 (420 × 594 mm) for around 40 to 80 guests.
• A3 for an intimate wedding, or as spare copies for the bar and the top table.

Guests read the board from 1.5 to 2 metres away, often in a small crowd. Aim for names at least 24 pt and table numbers bigger and bolder. To get a board printed, choose “Save as PDF” in the print box and send the file to a print shop: they can mount it on foam board, ready for an easel.

Where to put it

Stand the board where guests come in from the drinks reception, a few metres before the door to the room, with space around it for a group to gather. Light it if the drinks run into the evening. Put the table number on every table, at a height people can see when they're standing, and make sure the numbers on the tables match the plan.

Getting the names right

• Keep couples and families together in the list so you seat them together. Put children next to a parent.
• Plus-ones get a proper name. Ask for it with the RSVP. “Guest of Tom Hughes” on the board feels cold.
• Late RSVPs happen. Leave a seat or two spare across the room and print the final plan about a week before.
• Check the spelling against the invitations. People look for their own name more carefully than anything else on the day.

Escort cards or a board?

Escort cards (one small card per guest or couple with their table number, laid out in order on a table) are charming and can double as favours. They take longer to make and need a long table near the entrance. A board is quicker to read, easier to update and costs less. Many couples do a board for the room and place cards on each seat. For more on laying out the tables themselves, see our wedding table plan template guide.