Why We Built Simplify Tables
An honest story about solving a problem we all face when planning events with large guest lists
The Reality of Event Planning
From personal experience and talking to countless event planners, here's what we've learned: most people already have a floor plan before they even think about seating assignments. The venue and hosts agree on an acceptable table arrangement — that part is usually straightforward.
Then comes the dreadful task of assigning guests to tables.
Our Personal Experience
For my own wedding, I printed each guest's name on a piece of paper, cut out larger pieces for the tables, and moved guests around like a puzzle. This works fine when you have fewer than 50 guests.
But try doing this with 300 guests.
Finding specific people to move to a table becomes painful. Making last-minute arrangements takes forever. And there's always that nagging fear of accidentally leaving someone out.
Why Build Another Seating Planner?
There are other seating planners out there that let you drag guests to tables. I tried them all. Without naming and shaming any specific tool, I found myself having the exact same issues I had with pen and paper.
The problem when you have 300 guests:
🖥️ Limited visibility kills your productivity
You can only see 10-15 tables on one screen. To check table 47, you scroll. To get back to table 3, you scroll again. You spend more time scrolling than actually planning.
🔍 No search = endless hunting
"Where did I put Sarah?" You can't search for guests, so you manually scan through table after table. Five minutes later, you're still looking. Multiply that by dozens of last-minute changes.
🤯 Losing track is inevitable
With 25+ tables spread across multiple screens, it's nearly impossible to remember who you've seated and who's still unassigned. You constantly second-guess yourself: "Did I already place Uncle John?"
⏰ Last-minute changes become nightmares
Someone cancels. Someone brings a plus-one. You need to reshuffle 15 people across 6 tables. Without a clear overview or search functionality, what should take 2 minutes takes 30.
😰 The fear of missing someone
The worst feeling: realizing at 2 AM you might have forgotten to seat someone, or accidentally seated them twice. There's no easy way to verify everyone's been placed.
Sound familiar? This is why seating charts take days instead of minutes.
What Makes Simplify Tables Different
We addressed every pain point we experienced and heard from other event planners and wedding organizers:
🔍 Search Everything
Find any guest or table instantly — no more endless scrolling.
📊 See More Tables
Collapse table views to see 40+ tables on one page instead of just 10-15.
🏷️ Name Your Tables
Create groups like "Family," "Friends," "Colleagues," or "Cousins" for better organization.
⚡ Quick Drag & Drop
Move guests between tables effortlessly, even with hundreds of people.
The Bottom Line
From talking to so many of our users — from wedding planners to corporate event organizers — they consistently tell us that with Simplify Tables, they can build their seating plans in minutes, not days.
Share Your Seating Plan However You Want
Once your wedding seating chart or event table arrangement is ready, you have multiple options:
- Export to CSV or Excel if you need to share it with vendors or other planners
- Digital seating chart — perfect if you want to skip printed charts entirely
- Print a minimalist design directly from the app
- Send to a designer — just share a link or spreadsheet for a more elaborate design
7 Expert Seating Chart Tips from Experience
1. Start with natural groups
Begin by creating tables for obvious groups: immediate family, college friends, work colleagues. This gives you a foundation to build on.
2. Mix, don't isolate
While it's tempting to group people who already know each other, consider mixing groups slightly. Shared interests or life stages often work better than just "bride's side" vs "groom's side."
3. Think about dynamics
Consider personalities and relationships. Extroverts can help energize quieter tables. Avoid seating people with known tensions together — your wedding isn't the place for awkward reunions.
4. Use the search feature liberally
Don't waste time scrolling. If you're thinking "Where did I put Sarah?" — just search for her. This alone saves hours.
5. Name your tables meaningfully
Instead of "Table 1, Table 2," use names like "College Crew," "Work Family," "Cousins Table." It makes the planning process clearer and more intuitive.
6. Don't obsess over perfection
Here's the truth: guests care more about the food, music, and celebration than who they're sitting next to. Do your best, but don't let seating arrangements consume all your planning energy.
7. Plan for last-minute changes
Someone will inevitably RSVP late or cancel last minute. Use the collapsed view to quickly see which tables have space and make adjustments without disrupting your entire plan.