Cake, Gift and Guest Book Table Checklist: Sizes and Placement

Every wedding has a handful of small tables that nobody counts until the venue's floor plan is due. Then someone asks where the gifts go, and the room has no space left. In Chicago ballrooms and suburban banquet halls, a few of these tables are often provided by the venue, but many are not, so write them into your rental list. Here is a table by table checklist.

The checklist

Guest book table

Guests reach it first. Keep it small: a 30-inch round fits a book, a pen and a framed sign. A banquet table gives room for a sign-in alternative such as a polaroid camera or a prompt card. Make sure the lighting is good and a pen is attached, so you do not lose it. A chair next to it helps older guests.

Escort cards and seating chart

Escort cards go on a banquet table of 6 or 8 feet. If you have 100 guests, you need about 6 to 8 feet of table to lay them out in alphabetical order with room to read. Large seating charts on easels need floor space, so place them where lines can form without blocking the door. For more ideas see reception table names and seating maps.

Gift table

Pick a 6 or 8-foot banquet table, set away from the door, near the head table or in a corner where someone can watch it. Put a card box or locking box on it, since cash and cards do get lost at weddings. Leave a chair for a relative to watch the gifts at the end of the night. Plan roughly 3 feet of table for every 20 gifts, and add a spare table if your guests are generous.

Cake table

The cake needs a firm table. A 36 to 48-inch round is standard, with a cloth that reaches the floor. Place it where the cake cutting can be photographed, with a clean backdrop. Keep it away from sunny windows and away from heating vents or heaters, because buttercream and heat do not mix, and Chicago summers are humid. Ask your baker for the cake's exact footprint and weight. A multi-tier cake can overhang a 36-inch top. See tablecloth size chart for the cloth.

Favors and dessert tables

Favors go at the door or on each guest's place setting. A dessert table is best placed away from the buffet, to avoid a double line. A 6 or 8-foot table with tiers or cake stands gives you height. Keep a trash bin and napkins close.

Where each table lives

Never place service tables where lines will form across an aisle. A guest book table in a narrow hallway backs up the whole entrance. Compare with your floor plan from how many tables for 50 to 200 guests.

Linens and skirting

Floor-length linens hide boxes and spare supplies stored under the table. Add a pleated skirt in front of the cake table for a finished look; see pleated skirting.

Never miss a table

Book a free 15-minute seating call and we will go through your whole table list, or request a quote.