Wedding Reception Table Checklist for Singapore Coordinators (and the Cousins on Duty)

The reception table is the first thing your guests see. It's where they find their table, drop their ang bao and sign the guestbook, often all while the next family is already queuing behind them. And in many Singapore weddings, it's run by a cousin or a close friend who got briefed 10 minutes before the doors opened.

That's no one's fault, but it's why queues build, guests get sent to the wrong table and the ang bao box ends up with whoever was standing nearest. This checklist is for the actual day coordinator and the family helpers on duty. Run through it a week before, bring it on the day, and the table takes care of itself.

A week before the wedding

• Final guest list with table numbers. Every guest, including plus-ones and children, with a confirmed table. Banquet tables of 10 fill up fast, so check that no table has 11.
• Plus-ones confirmed. Chase anyone who said "maybe bringing someone". Uncertain plus-ones cause most of the table shuffling on the day.
• Mains count sent to the caterer. How many beef, fish and vegetarian, and which tables they're at. Flag halal and allergy needs separately.
• Who's on duty, and when. Names and shift times for everyone at the table. If you have a ROM in the afternoon and a dinner at night, they may be different people.
• Venue contact. The banquet manager's mobile number, for missing chairs, extra seats and when the kitchen is ready to serve.

What to bring on the day

• Printed backup guest list, sorted A–Z by name, with table numbers
• Pens, plus spares (they will disappear)
• Ang bao box with a lock, and someone who holds the key
• Guestbook
• Phone charger or power bank for whoever's checking guests in
• Table-number cards for any guests who need one
• Seating plan board near the entrance

Roles at the table

Two to three people is enough for most weddings. Give each one a single job so no one is doing three things at once:

• Greeter: welcomes guests, points them to the guestbook and keeps the line moving.
• Guest-list checker: finds each guest's name and tells them their table.
• Ang bao keeper: stays with the ang bao box at all times. Never leave it unattended, even for a toilet break.
• Runner (optional): walks VIPs and elderly guests to their seats and fetches the coordinator when needed.

A good pairing is one family member with the coordinator. The coordinator runs the process, and the family member recognises the aunties, uncles and family friends the coordinator has never met.

Handling common problems

A guest isn't on the list

Note their name and who invited them on a walk-in sheet, and call the family decision-maker. Don't send them away, and don't guess a seat.

Wrong table

Check the list again before moving anyone. If the guest is right and the list is wrong, update the list so the next guest at that table isn't affected.

Uninvited plus-one

Welcome them warmly and ask the family decision-maker where they should sit. A spare seat on a table of 10 usually solves it quietly.

Name spelt differently

Search by surname or part of a name, and confirm with the table number they expect. "Tan Wei Jie" may be listed as "Wei Jie Tan" or "WJ".

VIPs who must be seated first

Mark VIP and elderly guests on your list in advance, and have the runner walk them straight in so they're not waiting in the queue.

Late arrivals after the march-in

Keep one person at the table until the first course is served. Late guests can then be quietly guided to their seats between items.

Knowing when the room is ready

Guests rarely arrive evenly. There's a trickle, then a wave after the cocktail reception, then a few latecomers. The coordinator needs to know how many guests have arrived, and which tables are still mostly empty, to tell the couple and the emcee when to start the march-in. Track arrivals as guests check in, rather than counting heads in the ballroom.

After the event

• Hand the ang bao box and its key to the agreed family member, with someone else present.
• Collect leftover table-number cards, the guestbook and the printed list.
• Send the couple the final attendance list: who came, and who didn't.

How SeatMe helps

SeatMe replaces the paper list without changing how your table runs. Guests check themselves in at a kiosk by entering their mobile number, and they see their table straight away. The coordinator can search any name on the live Dashboard, check guests in manually, watch arrivals in real time and see which tables are full before the march-in. The Dashboard also shows mains counts overall and by table, so you know what the kitchen needs. You can import your guest list from a CSV, and all of this is on the Free plan.

With Standard (SGD 88 once per account), every guest gets their own QR code or NFC tap, the animated envelope welcome, and personal WhatsApp RSVP links. Read more about guest management, see how it works, or see what guests see.

The printable checklist

Frequently asked questions