Believe it or not, graduation party season is rapidly approaching! There are certainly a lot of logistics involved, but figuring out seating doesn't have to be a headache. When you're trying to determine how much seating you need, consider the following:
How Many Guests You Plan To Have
It's a basic party planning rule that typically between 70%-85% of the guests you invited will show up. This will give you a rough estimate of of how many people you need to seat.
How You Want Your Tables Set Up
Often times for informal events like a graduation party, the ends of tables are used for seating. This does help increase the number of people who can sit at a table (thus decreasing overall cost), but is not feasible in every situation. Depending on the location of your party and the space available, it might be necessary to position tables end to end. This means that end position seating is not possible and needs to be accounted for for in your seating arrangement.
The Timeframe Of The Party
Graduation parties are usually a come and go event, meaning that all of your guests will come at different times. However, it's possible that a shorter timeframe would increase the amount of guests that are in attendance at one time. If you scheduled your party for only one hour, you will have to accommodate more guests at one time. If your party is scheduled for 2-3 hours, guest arrival will span the entire timeframe and will naturally free up seating.
What Other Activities Are Planned
For an event like a graduation party, a rule of thumb is that about 1/3 of your guests will require seating at one time. This can change, though, if there are other activities at the party. There's typically pictures and slideshows to view, but a recent trend has been to offer activities such as outdoor games and photo booths. If these are things you are planning to offer, then your guests may circulate through some of these activities as well, requiring less available seating at one time.
Graduations are a time for celebration, so if you need help planning seating for you event, let us know! We'll be happy to play a small party in a memorable day for your family.
