Wedding table names and numbers that work

Table names are one of the nicer jobs in wedding planning, but they have a practical purpose too: they help a hundred people find their seats in a few minutes. Here's how to get both.

Numbers or names?

Numbers are the easiest for guests. Everyone can find Table 7. The downside is that numbers can feel like a ranking, so guests on Table 12 may wonder why they're "last". You can soften this by numbering tables in an order that doesn't follow importance, such as clockwise around the room, starting by the door.

Names feel personal and avoid any sense of ranking. The downside is that guests have to match a name on the table plan to a name on a sign, which is slower, especially in a large room or a dim one.

A common compromise is both: a name and a small number on each sign.

Ideas for table names

The best names mean something to the two of you. Some ideas:

• Places you've been together, or the towns you each grew up in.
• Songs or albums, perhaps one per year you've been together.
• Films or books you both love.
• Local landmarks near your venue.
• Flowers or trees, matching your colours or the season.
• Things from your story, such as where you met, your first holiday or your first flat.

A small card on each table explaining the name ("Paris: where we got engaged") gives guests something to talk about.

Making the signs readable

• Make table signs tall enough to be seen over a centrepiece, and large enough to read from across the room.
• Keep the lettering simple. Elaborate script fonts are hard to read at a distance.
• If the room is dimly lit in the evening, make sure the signs are lit or have strong contrast.

The table plan

The table plan, usually displayed at the entrance to the dining room, is where guests find their table. Two ways to set it out:

• By table, with each table listing the guests sitting at it. This looks lovely but makes guests scan every table for their name.
• Alphabetically by surname, with each guest's table beside their name. This is much faster for guests and better for large weddings.

You can do both: an alphabetical list for finding seats, and a by-table layout as a keepsake or on the website.

Should you avoid table 13?

Some couples skip it, and some deliberately use it. If you have guests who'd mind, the easy fix is to name the tables instead, or to number from 14 and nobody will notice.

Where to start numbering

If you number your tables, plan the order around how guests move through the room. A common approach is:

• Table 1 nearest the door or the top table, then numbers rising around the room in one direction.
• Neighbouring numbers on neighbouring tables, so a guest looking for Table 8 who finds Table 7 knows they're close.

Avoid numbering by importance. If Table 1 is the family table and Table 15 is your colleagues, people notice.

Making the table plan easy to read

Guests read the table plan standing up, often with a drink in hand, in a crowd. A few things help:

• A large, plain font, with surnames in bold if you sort alphabetically.
• Strong contrast: dark text on a light background is easiest to read.
• Enough space around each name that a guest's eye doesn't jump to the wrong line.
• More than one copy, or a large board, if you have over 100 guests, so people aren't queueing.

Small weddings

With five or six tables, names are easy for guests to find, so you can be as creative as you like. With twenty tables, keep the names short and distinct, and consider adding a number too. "Rome" and "Ronda" side by side on a plan of twenty tables will send someone to the wrong one.

The top table and the cake table

The top table doesn't need a name or a number. Everyone knows where it is. The same goes for the cake table and the gift table. Name only the tables guests need to find.

In Seats Plan

In Seats Plan you can rename any table, so "Table 5" can become "Paris" or "Abbey Road". With Pro, the printable plan lists every table and its guests, and the place cards show each guest's name with their table, ready to cut out.