Getting Started

Seat the Party helps you plan seating for any event — weddings, birthdays, corporate dinners, and more. This guide walks you through everything you need to know to go from zero to a complete seating chart.

What is Seat the Party?

Seat the Party is a web-based seating chart tool. You create events, add tables with custom seat counts, add guests by typing or pasting a list, and then assign guests to seats using drag-and-drop or click-to-assign. Everything saves automatically — no manual save button needed.

No installation is required. Open app.seattheparty.com in any modern browser and start planning immediately, even without an account.

Quick start

You can have a complete seating chart ready in under five minutes. Here is the basic flow:

  1. Open the app — Go to app.seattheparty.com. A default event is created for you automatically. No sign-in required to start.
  2. Name your event — Click the pencil icon next to the event name in the header to rename it (e.g., "Smith-Jones Wedding Reception"). See Events for more.
  3. Add tables — Click Add Table in the sidebar. New tables start with 8 seats. Use the + and − buttons on each table to adjust the seat count from 1 to 12. Give tables nicknames like "Head Table" or "Kids Table" using the pencil icon. See Tables for more.
  4. Add guests — Type a name in the Add Guest field and press Enter to add guests one at a time, or click Import to paste a list of names (one per line) and add them all at once. See Guests for more.
  5. Assign seats — Drag a guest from the unseated panel onto a seat, or click a guest to select them then click an empty seat to assign. You can also click any occupied seat to open an edit panel. See Seating & Drag-Drop for more.
  6. Share or export — When you are done, generate a shareable link so guests can look up their table, or export the plan as text to paste into a spreadsheet or print.
Tip: If you are planning a wedding, create one event for the ceremony and a second for the reception. Each event has its own independent set of tables and guests. A free account (signed-in) lets you create unlimited events.

How your data is saved

Seat the Party saves your work automatically as you make changes. Where it saves depends on whether you are signed in:

  • Not signed in (guest mode): Data is stored in your browser's localStorage. It persists between sessions on the same device and browser, but is lost if you clear your browser data or switch devices.
  • Signed in: Data syncs to the cloud (Firestore) automatically. Access your plans from any device and browser. Changes are saved with a short delay after each edit.

If you plan in guest mode and then create an account or sign in, the app offers to migrate your existing local data to the cloud so nothing is lost. See Account & Auth for details on signing up.

Tip: If you are planning an important event, sign in before you start. Cloud sync means you cannot accidentally lose your work by clearing browser data, and you can switch between laptop and phone seamlessly.

Free vs. signed-in vs. Premium

Seat the Party has three tiers. Most features are free — you only pay when you need more tables or want to share a public link.

Feature Free (guest) Free (signed in) Per-event ($5) Premium ($20/mo)
Events1UnlimitedUnlimitedUnlimited
Tables per event37UnlimitedUnlimited
Cloud sync—✓✓✓
Share events—$5/event1 event✓ Unlimited
Export as text—✓✓✓

See Premium & Billing for a full breakdown of what each tier includes and how to upgrade.

Common questions

Do I need an account to use Seat the Party?

No. You can start planning immediately without signing up. Guest mode gives you 1 event and up to 3 tables. Creating a free account removes those limits (unlimited events, 7 tables per event) and adds cloud sync.

Can I use it on my phone?

Yes. The app works on mobile browsers. On touch devices you can tap to select and assign guests, or long-press and drag. See Seating & Drag-Drop for tips on mobile use.

How do I let guests look up their table?

Use the Sharing feature to generate a public read-only link. Sharing requires either a $5 per-event purchase or a Premium subscription.

Can I plan multiple events?

Yes, with a free signed-in account or Premium you can create unlimited events. Each event has its own independent tables and guest list. See Events for details.

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