THE TABLE & TOAST NOTEBOOK
From guest list CSV to wedding seating chart
This toolkit is for DIY weddings and small gatherings where one person maintains the list. Start with the fictional example, or select Start my own event. You can complete one event for free, including every PDF page.
1. Bring a clean guest list
Use one row per person. Give each plus-one a separate row and name before printing. The accepted CSV columns are below. Remove addresses, phone numbers, email, dietary information and all other columns before importing; unknown columns are rejected.
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| name | Required full display name, 1–160 characters. |
| id | Optional stable guest ID. Letters, digits, hyphen and underscore; maximum 48 characters. Missing IDs are generated. Repeated IDs stop the import. |
| sort_key | Optional explicit filing name, such as García, José. The full display name remains on the page. |
| rsvp | attending, pending or declined. Missing values become pending. |
| table | Blank, or a number from 1–999. CSV tables start with 8 seats; update capacities after import. |
id,name,sort_key,rsvp,table G-01,"River, Avery","River, Avery",attending,1 G-02,Jordan Ellis,,pending,
UTF-8 CSV with a byte-order mark is accepted. Put double quotes around names containing commas or line breaks, and double a quote inside a quoted field. Quoted line breaks and repeated whitespace are normalized to one space in names. A malformed file, repeated ID or invalid response stops the whole import. Review the replacement summary before applying it. Import replaces the event; it does not append or guess which same-name person is the same person.
2. Record replies and check identity
Two Alex Morgans remain two records with two IDs. Edit the correct ID; if desired, include a middle name in the display name after checking with your own list. RSVP filters only change the screen. They never delete a row or change a table assignment. Export CSV always exports every guest. JSON backups preserve guest fields, capacities and explicit rules; version 1 backups migrate to the new version 2 schema with empty rule lists. CSV cannot carry these rules; importing CSV replaces them with empty lists. Save JSON first. Formula-like CSV fields receive a leading apostrophe; formula-like CSV fields receive a leading apostrophe to prevent spreadsheet execution.
3. Assign tables
Create tables and set intended seat counts. Drag a name to a table or use the adjacent dropdown with a keyboard or touch. A guest has exactly one table field, so moving them removes the earlier assignment. Only attending people count toward actual capacity. Pending and declined records keep their saved table numbers without consuming seats. A changed RSVP can therefore create a new capacity conflict. An attending member of a same-table group opens a whole-group preview from the dropdown or drag action; see groups and keep-apart rules. Over-capacity tables stay visibly marked; a filter cannot hide their total count. Removing a table puts its guests back into Unassigned.
Capacity is a planning count that you enter, not a calculation of a room’s safe occupancy. This is a table assignment board, not a venue floor plan or automatic optimizer.
4. Prepare printable place cards with table numbers
Open Print & celebrate, choose US Letter or A4, then choose the print population independently of the screen filter. The default is attending guests only. Expand the included/excluded list and confirm the counts. An unassigned person prints with the literal label Unassigned. Every name is accompanied by its ID, including on place cards.
The single PDF contains an A–Z find-your-seat list, a roster for each occupied table (plus an unassigned roster when needed), flat place cards, and table numbers for every table. Names wrap; unsupported glyphs or names that cannot fit legibly stop the download rather than being cut off.
Place cards are exactly 3.5 × 2 inches, eight per sheet, in two columns and four rows. Table-number cards are 5 × 3 inches, two per sheet. Fine corner cut marks sit outside each card. These layouts use plain card stock; they are not templates for pre-perforated sheets or folded tent cards.
Open the PDF in a reader. Choose the matching paper size, Actual size / 100%, and single-sided printing. Disable Fit to page. Print one test sheet, measure a card, check your printer’s margins, and then print the remaining pages. Physical printing and phone hardware have not been tested for this preview.
5. Keep a recoverable copy
Save a JSON backup after a useful milestone. Restore validates it and shows a replacement preview. Undo retains the previous 30 event changes for the current tab session. Reloading ends that undo history. Use the backup to move between devices; there is no account sync or guest sharing link.
Explore the sample · Understand local storage · Read print and workflow limits