Seatly for Backyard Weddings — Free & Flexible
Folding chairs, mismatched tables, fairy lights in the trees. Backyard weddings are casual — but a little planning still helps.
Why backyard weddings still need a seating plan
Casual doesn\'t mean unplanned. With 30 guests in your garden, you still need to know there are enough chairs, the catering team knows who needs the vegan plate, and the vintage long table by the rose bush is allocated to "family" rather than "whoever happens to be standing nearby." A seating chart at this scale is more lightweight, but the logic is the same.
Mixed furniture is fine
Most backyard weddings use whatever furniture is on hand or rented locally — folding chairs, picnic benches, the dining room table dragged outside, a borrowed banquet table from the neighbour. Seatly\'s canvas handles all of this:
- → Round, rectangular, and custom shape tables
- → Resize tables to match what you actually have
- → Drop them into a layout that matches the garden, including the cherry tree you can\'t move and the deck on the east side
Free tier usually covers it
The Seatly free plan supports up to 20 guests. Most genuinely-intimate backyard weddings stay under that. For 21–50 guests, the Essential plan is a few dollars a month — still less than one round of drinks at the wedding.
Easy home printing
No need for a print shop. Export the seating chart as A4 PDF, print on your home printer, and tape it to the patio door at the entrance. For a slightly more elevated look, print an A3 at any local stationery shop for under £5.
Backyard-specific tips
- → Plan for rain. Have a rough indoor seating chart too — even if it\'s just "kitchen, living room, conservatory." Bad weather is the most common backyard wedding crisis.
- → Mark accessibility paths. Grass, gravel, and uneven patios are hard for elderly guests and wheelchair users. Plan their tables near the most accessible entry.
- → Consider sun and shade. A seat in direct sun in July is uncomfortable. If your garden has limited shade, prioritize elderly guests in the shadier spots.
- → Power and lighting. Plan where the speakers, lights, and any catering equipment will plug in — the seating chart should not block extension cord paths.