How SeatCanvas Works
Import Your Guest List
Upload a CSV from Excel or Google Sheets, or add guests manually. Names, dietary needs, and table preferences come in automatically. See how CSV import works.
Arrange Tables on Your Canvas
Drag guests onto round or rectangular tables. Rearrange instantly — no spreadsheet cells to resize, no formatting to fight. More on the drag-and-drop builder.
Export & Share Your Seating Chart
Download a print-ready PDF with your full guest list and table assignments, or export a high-resolution PNG of your canvas layout. Share directly with your venue coordinator, caterer, or wedding planner. See export options.
Everything You Need for Your Wedding Seating Chart
Drag-and-Drop Builder
Move guests between tables with a drag. No spreadsheet cells to resize, no formatting to fight — seat your entire wedding party in minutes, not hours.
Round & Rectangular Tables
Set round banquet tables, long rectangular tables, or mix both to match your venue floor plan. Assign per-table guest limits so you’ll know immediately if any table is overbooked.
PDF & PNG Export
Export a print-ready PDF for your caterer and a high-res PNG to share with your venue coordinator and wedding planner. Both formats included on the free plan.
Virtual Wedding Seating Chart — Plan From Anywhere
Planning a wedding across two cities — or two countries — shouldn’t mean emailing spreadsheets back and forth until someone loses track of the latest version. SeatCanvas is a virtual wedding seating chart that runs entirely in your browser — an online seating chart maker with nothing to install, no accounts to create, and no files to sync.
Open a tab, import your guest list, drag people to tables. That’s it.
This matters most for destination weddings and couples coordinating from different locations. When the bride is in Dallas and the groom’s mother is in Monterrey, a shared PDF from your virtual seating chart replaces a dozen email threads about who sits where. Build the layout on a laptop at the kitchen table or a tablet during the venue walkthrough — the canvas works the same either way.
Your guest list stays on your device until you export. No cloud storage, no account required to start. The chart is yours.
Built for a 300-Guest Wedding
My wife and I had over 300 guests. Large families on both sides, plus friends from every stage of life. I wanted a spreadsheet. She wanted a big sheet of paper. Honestly, both were terrible — you couldn’t rearrange anything, share it, or see the whole picture at a glance. So I built SeatCanvas. It worked so well for our own wedding that I kept going.
— Jaime, founder of SeatCanvas · Read the full story
SeatCanvas vs. Other Seating Chart Methods
Spreadsheets work until you need to move 40 people. Paper works until someone cancels. Here’s how they stack up.
| Feature | Spreadsheet | Paper / Whiteboard | SeatCanvas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visual table layout | |||
| Drag-and-drop rearranging | |||
| CSV guest list import | |||
| Print-ready PDF export | |||
| Shareable with venue & caterer | |||
| Per-table capacity limits | |||
| Free tier available |
Wedding Seating Chart Tips
How to Group Guests by Relationship
Start with family, then close friends, then colleagues and acquaintances — grouping by shared connections reduces awkward small talk. Keep the couple’s immediate families near the head table so they feel included without being on display. Guests who know each other from different parts of your life often mix better than expected when seated together rather than scattered. Use the free seating chart planner to test groupings before committing — it takes seconds to rearrange.
How Many Guests Fit Per Table?
Round tables typically seat 8–10 guests comfortably; going above 10 makes conversation harder across the table. Rectangular banquet tables seat 6–8 per side depending on chair width and tablecloth overhang. Always confirm exact dimensions with your venue — a 60-inch round and a 72-inch round have very different capacities. SeatCanvas supports events from 50 to 300+ guests and lets you set per-table capacity so you’ll know immediately if any table is overbooked. For a full walkthrough, see the guide on how to create a wedding seating chart.
When to Finalize Your Seating Chart
Most couples finalize 1–2 weeks before the wedding, after the last RSVP deadline has passed. Leave at least 3 days for last-minute changes — someone always cancels, and plus-ones get added later than they should. Once the chart is final, export a PDF immediately. Send copies to your caterer, venue coordinator, and a backup contact who’ll be on-site. If your catering contract lists a meal choice per guest, add a notes column before exporting — it saves a call the morning of. Venue coordinators genuinely appreciate a printed copy with table numbers highlighted; whoever is running the room needs their own copy. If you’ve been using The Knot’s seating chart tool and find it too limiting, SeatCanvas supports more table shapes and exports directly to PDF. Coming from AllSeated (now Prismm)? Here’s the structured comparison. See full pricing and free plan details before upgrading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SeatCanvas free for wedding seating charts?
Yes. The free tier lets you seat up to 40 guests with PDF and PNG export, no credit card required.
How do I create a wedding seating chart with SeatCanvas?
Import your guest list via CSV or add guests manually, drag and drop them onto round or rectangular tables, then export as PDF or PNG to share with your caterer or venue. See the complete wedding seating chart guide for a full walkthrough.
Can I use SeatCanvas as a wedding seating chart generator?
Yes. SeatCanvas acts as a real-time visual generator — as you place guests, the chart builds itself automatically. For a comparison with dedicated AI seating chart generators, see the full breakdown.
What's the difference between the free plan and the Event Pass?
The free plan seats up to 40 guests. The $9.99 one-time Event Pass unlocks unlimited guest seating and CSV export with no subscription.
How do I import my wedding guest list into SeatCanvas?
Export your spreadsheet as a CSV file, upload it into SeatCanvas, and the tool maps your columns automatically — names, dietary needs, table preferences. Guests appear in the sidebar ready to drag onto tables.
Does SeatCanvas work on mobile?
SeatCanvas is a web app that works in any browser. For the best experience when building your chart, a desktop or tablet is recommended.
Can I use SeatCanvas as a virtual seating chart for my wedding?
Yes. SeatCanvas runs entirely in your browser — no app to download, no account to create. Import your guest list, arrange tables with drag and drop, and share the exported PDF with anyone helping coordinate, wherever they are.
Is there a template for wedding seating charts?
SeatCanvas gives you a blank canvas where you build your layout from scratch using round or rectangular tables — far more flexible than a static template.
Simple, Fair Pricing
Start free. Upgrade only when you need unlimited guests — one-time payment, no subscription. Compare free seating chart tools.
Free Seating Chart Plan
- Seat up to 40 guests
- Full canvas & drag-and-drop tools
- PDF & PNG exports
Event Pass
- Unlimited guest seating
- All exports (PDF, PNG, CSV)
- Valid until 30 days after event
- 7-day refund guarantee
Start Your Wedding Seating Chart — Free
No templates to fight with. No spreadsheets to resize. Just drag, drop, and export.
Get Started Free — No Credit Card Required