My Favourite Wedding Seating Chart Ideas
What do I mean by marrying form with function? Itâs pretty straightforward â your seating chart has a very important purpose: corral your guests and tell them where to go to avoid a chaotic dining experience. Itâs also an opportunity to create an interactive design focal point that wows your guests while getting the job done.
The seating chart: the perfect place to marry form with function.
Madeline Kate Photography
What do I mean by marrying form with function?
Itâs pretty straightforward â your seating chart has a very important purpose: Corral your guests and tell them where to go to avoid a chaotic dining experience. Itâs also an opportunity to create an interactive design focal point that wows your guests while getting the job done.
Before we get started, a few tips on putting together your seating plan:
Order names alphabetically by last name, not by table number!
Ask your parents to help figure out their friendsâ seating
Do away with the singles table
Whether you assign people to tables or to specific seats at tables, make it all REALLY clear
One more general piece of advice that seems common sense until you start going deep into design and you start to lose common sense: make it legible. Thin script fonts, clear acrylic or glass backdrops, too many mirrored elements all make it hard for your guests to actually read.
And now, letâs get into the pretty and inspirational! These are all from weddings Iâve designed the florals for in the past few years, and each was amazing for different reasons. Read on for more (And PS â if youâre newly engaged, congratulations! If youâre new here, welcome! I share a deep look into my real weddings, along with sharing planning advice and tips!).
Looking for more? Iâve also created a Pinterest Board rounding up some seating chart designs that recently caught my eye. Check that out right here!
Fun Colour Use
Oh my goodness, I absolutely LOVED the way this bold seating display came together for Jess and Donnyâs wedding a few years back.
Emily from Feast & Festivities is very detailed in her design planning, and sheâs definitely not afraid of colour. Using this orange acrylic is just SO MUCH FUN, right? It also helps to make the names legible, as clear acrylic can make it pretty tricky to read.
The florals were all repurposed from the ceremony, and the staggered plinths takes this design from basic to extraordinary, while also being cost-effective!
As featured on Carats & Cake.
Arches and A Little Disney
This seating chart is simple but impactful. The repetition of the arched elements makes a big statement, pairing the seating chart (hung from a black arched frame) with an arched backdrop displaying their name a touch of Disney. Note that the names are arranged alphabetically! Woo!
Thereâs almost always an opportunity for some florals, but I definitely prefer a statement floral piece as opposed to âjust a little something added to the sign.â If youâre not going to go big, then just go home â as in, donât bother adding florals to your seating chart if the budget doesnât support it. Adding a âlittle somethingâ just adds up quickly without making an impact to the design and often just feels like unnecessary fluff.
See more from this wedding here!
Enter in Style
One of my design goals for Tiff and Stephâs tent wedding was to really bring the outdoors in, which was especially good as it rained most of the day. We designed this lush, delicious tent entrance and then nestled my seating chart base into it. Feast & Festivities put together the seating chart itself, and I just ADORE the magenta. Itâs an unexpected colour pop, which really grabs everyoneâs eyes and makes sure they canât miss it.
Modern Base with Florals Added
I had this modern, clean white base custom-made for this wedding that I provided both florals and event design for. The seating chart itself was printed on a large piece of foam-core, and slid right into the base.
We positioned the seating chart at the entrance to the room in SNAC, which served to bring a little more purpose and presence to the cards table while welcoming everyone in.
I then designed this all-white floral piece to place on the ground in front of the seating chart base, and I was lucky to incorporate a lot of locally grown white lilac, which is one of the brideâs faves. More to come from this wedding soon!
Big, Bold, and Creative
This coupleâs wedding was inspired by their love for Big White, the ski hill where they first met and shared their first NYE midnight kiss (adorable). So for their seating chart, they took inspiration from the ski runs, using it as a graphic backdrop for the chart itself. And instead of a typical seating chart, each guestâs name and photo was printed to look like a ski hill pass, and then clipped onto a custom lanyard. It was so creative!
I LOVE a good colour blocked floral moment. While itâs not right for every wedding or coupleâs style, colour blocking your florals can make a big design moment feel even more impactful.
See more featured on Green Wedding Shoes!
Go for the Wow (and Fill Space!)
Everything about Karleigh and Mattâs wedding was a designerâs dream, and this seating display was certainly no exception.
In many venues, youâre really limited by the amount of space you have to work with. But here, we had the entire 7th floor of the Fort Garry Hotel, with the dinner in one ballroom and the party in the other, so the entire hallway served as a welcome and cocktail area, and that left a lot of space to add in a statement making seating display.
The plinths were a combination of clear acrylic and mirrored gold, which felt very glamorous and also allowed us to design some florals inside the pedestals, some outside, some on top.
See the entire wedding here for some more jaw-dropping design elements!
Cottage-Core Influence
My dear bride Brenna planned and designed her wedding and every element was a perfect reflection of her personal style. They created this backdrop that served to guide guests in to their backyard, added a guest book on their adorable console table, and the seating assignments were added to the pegboard backing, too. Multi-functional and tres adorable. Oh, and it hid the wood pile behind it!
I cannot wait to share more from this backyard wedding. In the meantime, take a look at this cutie reel showing their romantic ceremony setting.
Define Your Tent Entrance
If youâre hosting a tent wedding in the summer, chances are pretty good that youâll have the walls open to bring in some fresh air. And if thatâs the case, then it can be tricky to get your guests to enter from the correct spot, which could interfere with the serving staff or bartenders, cause people to trip over electrical wires, and so on. So, integrate your seating chart into a tent entrance design that defines the entryway.
This particular seating chart was super simple â just individual names with their table number hand-calligraphed and pinned onto a linen-wrapped board, and topped with a little greenery sprig!
If youâre looking for more tent wedding ideas, Iâve rounded up my top 5 tips for designing a beautiful tent wedding right here.
looking for a wedding floral and event designer in winnipeg?
Weâve got a small handful of 2023 dates remaining, and 2024 bookings are now open.
Call me biased, but I think flowers are the best way to make a statement at your wedding. I would love the creative challenge of taking your wedding vision and spinning it into a reality that you never could have dreamed of.
Now Booking 2024 Weddings
Iâve started booking 2024 weddings and I just love this part of the process! We get to dream together and envision how your wedding will look and feel. Taking your inspiration and interpreting it through my creative lens is just SO much fun â I want to take your inspiration, and elevate it to make it truly unique for you.
My schedule is Open:
Iâm now booking 2024 weddings!
I love that as soon as we start talking about flowers, your eyes start to light up and wedding planning starts to become exciting. Even more, I love that when I deliver your bouquet on your wedding morning, the entire thing becomes real.
Iâve started booking 2024 weddings and I just love this part of the process! We get to dream together and envision how your wedding will look and feel. Taking your inspiration and interpreting it through my creative lens is just SO much fun â I want to take your inspiration, and elevate it to make it truly unique for you.
If youâre interested in working with me for your wedding florals, here are some things you should know:
Sustainability is important to me. The floral industry is anything but green, but prioritizing locally grown flowers, eliminating the use of toxic and non-biodegradable elements like floral foam, bleached product, and spray paint, and composting my waste are all elements of my business that I take pride in. Itâs a lot easier to just go with the flow, but itâs worth it to spend the time and energy (and money!) to design differently.
I love colour. I think everyone should embrace colour, at least when it comes to flowers, and thatâs not to say you need a Crayola-bright, rainbow wedding if thatâs not your vibe. We can create warmth, moodiness, joyfulness, funâŚwhatever it might be, we can find the right palette to make it work. The key is blending, finding the right balance of colours, and adding in the right accents.
Iâve known people to regret doing an all-white wedding or something more subtle because they felt it would be âclassicâ or that they wouldnât look back on it in 20 years and roll their eyesâŚbut if thatâs why youâre choosing a white palette, then youâre going to regret it anyways. Itâs not you! Nothing is really timeless â just GO FOR COLOUR.The way I serve you is just as important to me as the final floral product. In my own life, I want to be taken care of by professionals who know what theyâre doing, and I seek to create the same environment for you. There are a lot of floral designers out there. Weâre all good at different things, we all offer different rentals or design styles, at different price points. Serving you, collaborating with you, elevating your experience AND the final product â thatâs what I do.
Stone House Creative is known for our signature lush, garden style floral design. Inspired by the way flowers look in nature and their intoxicating scents, Iâm constantly seeking to elevate my work through unique colour palettes and intriguing details, and make it simple for design-oriented couples who believe that flowers bring life to a celebration.
I design beautiful weddings for great people.
whether youâre looking for florals only or need a little more help and want to inquire about event design services as well, I design wedding flowers that are an elevated take on a garden-inspired aesthetic, and I specialize in dreaming up compelling designs that you havenât seen at your friendsâ weddings.
If you need
Unique ways to bring special touches to your wedding design;
Someone to handle the aesthetics while you handle the details â a designer to take your ideas and flesh them out, bringing together your entire wedding;
Excellent customer service from a professional, while still fun and inspiring, environment
Then I would love to connect with you about your wedding!
Stone House Creative has a minimum $4000 floral investment for 2024 bookings, with some exceptions made for intimate weddings under 50 guests, so that I can guarantee my clients the design style theyâre looking for.
I do my best to only book one wedding per date to provide a higher level of service to each of you. I love being able to be on site, finessing and making sure that every detail is perfect. If I donât have to rush off to another wedding, then I can actually do that for you!
Stone House Creative offers both floral design and full scale event design for weddings in winnipeg, southern Manitoba, and Northwestern Ontario.
Flowers are the best way to make a statement at your wedding. Whether you already have a specific vision or want me to dream up something custom just for you, reach out to Stone House Creative for stunning bridal bouquets, truly unique ceremony backdrops, and beautiful floral centrepieces to create the perfect ambiance for your wedding!
Iâm currently booking appointments into late February and early March. At this early stage, you donât need to worry about knowing every detail or making every decision. We can talk basics, dream up some ideas to consider, and book the date in so you have peace of mind that youâre on my calendar, and then revisit design ideas closer to the wedding!
Spanish-Inspired Red Wedding at The White Poplar
Natasha and Joe, in August at The White Poplar â better known as one of my favourite weddings of the year.
And one of your favourites, too â every time I post something from their wedding, Instagram goes wild. The reel I posted of their arch has almost 300 sharesâŚthatâs WAY WAY WAY more than anything else Iâve ever shared. So yeah. Natasha and Joeâs wedding is a good one. Letâs dig into it.
Natashaâs style is obviously impeccable, and she came into the planning with a Spanish-inspired vision. The colour palette? Perfect. Her dresses? Breathtaking. The ceremony arch? One of my absolute faves.
Natasha and Joe, in August at The White Poplar â better known as one of my favourite weddings of the year.
And one of your favourites, too â every time I post something from their wedding, Instagram goes wild. The reel I posted of their arch has almost 300 sharesâŚthatâs WAY WAY WAY more than anything else Iâve ever shared. So yeah. Natasha and Joeâs wedding is a good one. Letâs dig into it.
Natashaâs style is obviously impeccable, and she came into the planning with a Spanish-inspired vision. The colour palette? Perfect. Her dresses? Breathtaking. The ceremony arch? One of my absolute faves.
Photos by Rachwal Photography
BOUQUET PERFECTION. If I do say so myself đ Everything about this bouquet was just perfect. We obviously kept the colouring rich (which looks amazing against white dresses â if youâre on the fence about colour, please: GO FOR IT), focusing on those poppy reds with touches of brighter and softer pink added in, and finished with those breathtaking orchids that couldnât have been more perfect.
FYI thereâs a lesson in here â we donât have a lot of control over the flowers that come in at our wholesaler, specifically when theyâre more specialty flowers. Like, your roses are basically always going to come in with the correct variety and stem count that you want. But something like an orchid is trickier up here in the great white North, so I gave my rep a few colour options that I liked and the overall palette of the wedding, and then hoped for the best. I couldnât guarantee to Natasha that I was going to get something that was going to be perfect, and so we couldnât try to control it. BUT IT WAS PERFECT.
Bridal Bouquet Ingredients: Nina roses, rockstar roses, gladiola, ranunculus, snap dragons, Jewels of Opar, sweet pea, anthurium, and those perfect phalaenopsis orchids.
The ceremony. This arch. The perfect spot in the trees. I donât know what else I can say aside from PERFECTION.
I love designing a statement arch but the red obviously kicked it up a notch unlike any other palette. Someone else, please give me a red palette and I will KISS you.
Okay, so we obviously had a lot of fun with the reception design. Natasha had a clear vision but wasnât totally sure how to bring it all together or what products were available for rent here in Winnipeg, so I was happy to come alongside her and make suggestions about rentals, styling, and so on â and honestly, the trust that she put in me was AMAZING and thatâs what creates the best experience and final product.
Since their wedding was originally going to be at a different venue (and then postponed because of Covid, and then that venue wasnât actually BUILT so she had to switch gears altogether), Natasha viewed White Poplar as a blank slate that she could do whatever she wanted with.
First, Natasha brought in cross-back chairs instead of the black metal that are standard at the venue, and added white draping to soften the more barn/industrial style space. She also added a dusty rose velvet linen to the head table to create an elevated aesthetic and also make sure the bridesmaids donât have to worry about sitting prim and proper all night long. We added a gorgeous low floral piece to the centre of the head table, along with clusters of candles and greenery touches to finish that design up.
I wanted to create a sense of undulation down the tables, and Natasha liked the idea of these low arrangements that felt like they were growing out of the tables. We paired those with fuller florals in gold urns, and added plenty of candles in a soft taupe to elevate the aesthetic (this makes SUCH a big differenceâŚsometimes a white candle is the way to go, but sometimes itâs just too stark and basic!).
I loved the place settings! The gold-rimmed plates were lovely and felt rich, and I suggested layering in a terracotta napkin underneath the bread plate, for both function and fashion. It added a bit of authentic rustic vibes, and also didnât blow away â word to the wise, The White Poplar is suuuuuper windy. Natashaâs friend designed all the stationery on this luxe, luscious paper (isnât the colour stunning?!) and then on the day-of, when Alex from Alexandra Lillian Events was setting everything up she came up against the wind when setting the place cards. I suggested they be tucked into the salad fork tynes, which again felt a little rustic (in a good way guys, not in a burlap barn way, k?) and also got that job done.
We need to give a MOMENT to this cake. Woah. Jenna Rae Cakes absolutely blew it out of the water with this complete masterpiece. I connected with Jenna in advance of the wedding and let her know what flowers I was using, and what I could provide her with that would last on the cake, and then she just went for it. Seriously, if you want your cake to be a true work of art, you need to connect with Jenna.
And, obviously, the flowers were pretty spectacular, if I do say so myself! My team really killed it, and we had an awesome time designing lush pieces filled with locally grown and specialty imported flowers.
Everything about this day was amazing. What made it even better was the vendor team, all listed below. This was my first time working at White Poplar, and AJ is AMAZING. Alexandra Lillian Events provided coordination services, and sheâs always such a breath of fresh air and such a gentle spirit to work alongside. Jenna Rae Cakes BROUGHT IT. Truly, everything about this wedding was just chefâs kiss.* Hire vendors who get your style, and let them help you along the way. Itâll work out so much better for you!
Izabela Rachwal Photography ~ The White Poplar ~ Alexandra Lillian Events ~ Jenna Rae Cakes ~ Planned Perfectly ~ Collective Event Rentals ~ Idyll Paper ~ Faith Robert ~ Chef Ben Kramer ~ Bliss Bridal Boutique ~ JP Media works
LOOKING FOR A WEDDING FLORAL AND EVENT DESIGNER IN WINNIPEG?
My 2024 calendar is now open!
Flowers are the best way to make a statement at your wedding. Whether you already have a specific vision or want me to dream up something custom just for you, reach out to Stone House Creative for stunning bridal bouquets, truly unique ceremony backdrops, and beautiful floral centrepieces to create the perfect ambiance for your wedding!
2023 and 2024 Wedding Trends
When I wrote my trends post last year, I forecasted a lot of personalization, a lot of creativity, and a lot of couples doing things their own way.
And guess what? 2022 wedding couples took this all and totally ran wild with it.
I always love forecasting wedding trends, so here we go!
When I wrote my trends post last year, I forecasted a lot of personalization, a lot of creativity, and a lot of couples doing things their own way.
And Guess what? 2022 wedding couples took this all and totally ran wild with it. Honestly, last yearâs weddings were so spectacular in so many ways that I have no idea how Iâll ever top that year, but I have a feeling that my 2023 couples are up for the challenge.
Before I jump into some of my favourite trends that I hope weâll see in 2022 and 2023 weddings, here are a few things that are always at the top of my list:
Environmental Responsibility
Quality Over Quantity
Locally Grown Flowers
Doing Things Your Own Way
These are all things that Iâd love to see you filter through your entire wedding planning!
And now, letâs get into the pretty and inspirational! (And PS â if youâre newly engaged, congratulations! If youâre new here, welcome! I share a deep look into my real weddings, along with sharing planning advice and tips!)
Photo by S Berard / Design by Wild Heart Events
Sculptural Floral Design
Weâre seeing unique shapes, funky ingredients and textures and REALLY letting the flowers shine. Thereâs no micromanaging with this â weâre beholden to what cool ingredients we can get, so a client cannot be particular if this is the style they want.
And after so many years of âjust a little greenery,â I cannot tell you how truly thrilled FLORAL DESIGNERS are to see a return to actual floral design.
Focal Design Moments
Letâs favour a few focal floral features and minimize other elements. I always look to Australian wedding trends; trends often start there and work their way here â and weâre seeing a lot of abundant, over the top hanging installations, focal floral arrangements, and then somewhat minimized tabletops for banquet tables. Statements moments like a hanging piece, a killer entrance moment, a spectacular cake set upâŚchefâs kiss.
Display Style Design
Pedestals, plinths, asymmetrical momentsâŚwhether for a unique ceremony setting, an interactive dessert display, unique display moments, a creative seating chart, get into the display design â whatever might suit your weddingâs needs.
Negative Space
With a more sculptural design style, we then need to look to the overall design and ensure thereâs balance by incorporating negative space. One piece doesnât sing if thereâs clutter everywhere. That means only include those elements that are necessary to support and build the table as a whole. What does this look like? Getting rid of the venueâs bulky tea lights, and asking the venue to simplify the place settings (no coffee cups or spoons out). If youâre offering favours, consider having an interactive favour table/station instead of leaving them on the place settings.
Basically, streamline the tablescape so you can have some negative space.
As Charly Goss would say, itâs all about proportion. And in event design, this translates into being all about negative space.
Colour
Black and white is always popular for a classic venue or that âart galleryâ style vibe, but itâs easy to fall flat. My opinion? Just go for colour. Weâre seeing lots of very bold palettes, including some hilariously vibrant pinks (possibly influenced by Barbie?!).
Ready for something fun? Iâm feeling a lime moment these days. Chartreuse is the perfect way to tuck in some vibrancy and fun! Adding a hit of lime to something otherwise feminine or subdued can very aptly be described as âsweet and sour.â That touch of chartreuse can just bring such a delicious bit of life to a palette.
A Return to Round Tables
This gives us a great opportunity to pair form with function. Functionally, round tables are great for service, and most venues own them so that eliminates the need to rent in specialty tables. From a design perspective, we need to think of a few things â creating movement, adding height in the centre of the table, eliminating as much of the unnecessary things off the table as possible (for the love all good things, would venues please stop setting coffee cups on the table!?).
Scaled Back Bouquets
I have nothing against big bouquets. In fact, I love them. But thereâs something so chic and current about a scaled back bouquet, featuring ruffled blooms and smaller textures in a more intricate colour palette. Especially when paired with a more streamlined and architectural style dress, the effect is stunning.
Photo by Heather Nan / Bouquet by Tinge Floral
looking for a wedding floral and event designer in winnipeg?
Weâve got a small handful of 2023 dates remaining, and 2024 bookings are now open.
Flowers are the best way to make a statement at your wedding. Whether you already have a specific vision or want me to dream up something custom just for you, reach out to Stone House Creative for stunning bridal bouquets, truly unique ceremony backdrops, and beautiful floral centrepieces to create the perfect ambiance for your wedding!
Wrapping Up 2022
I honestly donât know how Iâm ever going to top the 2022 wedding season â it was AMAZING. And such a joy to see so many of you celebrate your long awaited weddings!
In the spirit of things, I thought Iâd take a quick look back at some of my highs from the year.
Mary-Margaret Magyar
I honestly donât know how Iâm ever going to top the 2022 wedding season â it was AMAZING. And such a joy to see so many of you celebrate your long awaited weddings!
In the spirit of things, I thought iâd take a quick look back at some of my highs from the year.
-I designed for 27 weddings this year! And each was different from the last, which made things so much fun.
-We worked at different venues almost every weekend, which was really cool and kept things fresh.
-I saw so many of my vendors friends for the first time in a few years!
-Finally got to execute several designs that weâd been waiting on for years! And with that, the last of the postponed Covid weddings has been completed. HALLELUJAH.
-Along with florals, I also designed the full event design for 2 amazing weddings. I love taking on event design, but only take on 1-3 event design contracts per year so I can make sure my attention isnât too spread around.
-I also designed for a Hallmark movie (shh, Iâm not technically allowed to say this but it was exciting and awesome)! Deanna and I got to design a really beautiful arch for a wedding sceneâŚand then they came and put twinkle lights in literally everything đ â the centrepieces, the arch, the aisle bouquets. It was so ugly haha but it was still incredibly cool. I guess youâve got to do what youâve got to do to make something pop on screen.
Plans for 2023:
-Iâm so excited to launch my new rentals collection in early 2023 (pieces will be available to anyone, even if Iâm not doing your florals)!
-W'eâre building a new shop at our new home (currently trying to decide on layout and the best way to use the space. Bigger walk-in cooler here I come!).
-I'm looking forward to weddings at a few venues I havenât worked in before, or havenât been to in a few years, and 2 weddings bringing me out to the Kenora area.
-Stone House is coming up on 9 years in business!
-Iâm heading to Toronto in the spring for some hands-on design brush-up time with one of my favourite designers!
Hereâs a little sneak at some of the new rental pieces Iâm bringing in!
Iâm primarily bringing in candle holders and vases, along with a few unique styling pieces that will complete your style (think trays and bowls for guest cards, trays for kippahs, great vases for guest book table or bar arrangements). Iâll also be providing candles for all those rentals to make your life as easy as possible!
More on this will be launching in the new year, but in the meantime, sign up for my newsletter to make sure youâre in the know.
Did you know that I keep a list of design ideas that I want to do, so that I can keep things fresh and offer you some great ideas? Here are a few things Iâve craving to do and hope to add to 2023 weddings:
-Upgraded focal design elements â think, impressive seating chart displays, unique head tables that arenât just your bouquets plopped on top, glorious cake table moments.
-Rounding out a tablescape design with the addition of petite satellite arrangements and candles.
-Completing a ceremony design by improving the entire ambiance: adding baskets with flowers down the aisle, ground-based arrangements at the start of the aisle, elevating pieces on pedestals.
-Iâm also dreaming up some incredible hanging installations â I just need the right couple and venue to go for it!
Now Booking 2023 and 2024 weddings
Looking for a wedding floral and event designer in Winnipeg?
2023 wedding dates are limited, and 2024 dates will begin booking in January!
Call me biased, but I think flowers are the best way to make a statement at your wedding. I would love the creative challenge of taking your wedding vision and spinning it into a reality that you never could have dreamed of.
And with that, Iâll wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Merry Festivus, Happy Solstice â whatever youâre celebrating this year. Iâm taking off to be with my family in Mexico this year (!) and look forward to chatting with you all in 2023!