How to Use Table Management for Seating Arrangements

Table Management helps you organize seating arrangements for your event. All your guests are loaded automatically when you open the Tables tab — color-coded by RSVP status — so you can start planning immediately. Create tables, drag guests to assign seats, edit names on the spot, and let guests see their assignment directly in their invitation.

Enabling Table Management

Before you can create tables, you need to enable the feature:

1. Go to your event dashboard at dashboard.fotify.app
2. Select your event and click "RSVP" in the sidebar
3. Go to the "Details" tab
4. Find "Table Management" in the Event Settings section
5. Toggle it ON

Once enabled, a new "Tables" tab will appear in your RSVP navigation.

Note: Enabling Table Management automatically turns on Collect Guest Names (and locks it on) so every attendee can be identified for seating. If you only need the attendee list and not a seating chart, use Collect Guest Names on its own — you can still enable Tables later without losing any data.

Creating Tables

Adding a New Table

1. Click the "Tables" tab
2. Click "Create Table"
3. Fill in the table details:
   • Table Number - A unique number for the table (required)
   • Alias - An optional friendly name like "VIP", "Family", or "Friends"
   • Capacity - Maximum number of seats at this table
4. Click "Create"

Table Properties

Property	Required	Description
Number	Yes	Unique identifier (1, 2, 3, etc.)
Alias	No	Friendly name displayed to guests
Capacity	Yes	Maximum seats available

Editing Tables

To modify a table:

1. Find the table card in the Tables tab
2. Click the Edit (pencil) icon
3. Update the details
4. Click "Save"

Deleting Tables

1. Click the Delete (trash) icon on the table card
2. Confirm the deletion

If guests are assigned to the table, they will be moved to the unassigned pool.

Assigning Guests to Tables

Automatic Guest Loading

When you open the Tables tab, all your guests are loaded automatically — no manual setup required. Guests are created from your RSVP list:

• Accepted/Attended guests — loaded with their confirmed party size
• Pending guests (not yet answered) — loaded with their invited quantity so you can plan ahead
• Declined guests — shown as a single entry so you have the full picture

This means you can enable tables at any point — even after all your guests have already RSVPed — and everyone appears instantly.

Color-Coded RSVP Status

Every guest chip is color-coded so you can see their RSVP status at a glance:

• 🟢 Green — Accepted / Attended
• 🔵 Blue — Pending (not yet answered)
• 🔴 Red (dimmed) — Declined

Use the filter pills above the guest list to show only a specific status. For example, click the green pill to see only confirmed guests while assigning tables.

Plus-One Display

Guests with unnamed plus-ones are shown using the main guest's name with a number:

• Maria G. — the main guest
• Maria G. x2 — second person in Maria's party
• Maria G. x3 — third person

Once you fill in real names, they display normally (e.g., "Carlos R.").

Using Drag and Drop

The easiest way to assign guests is drag and drop:

1. Find guests in the "Unassigned" section on the left
2. Drag a guest chip to the desired table
3. Drop the guest onto the table card

The table will show its current occupancy (e.g., "6/8").

Using the Assign Modal

Click any guest name to open the assign modal where you can:

1. Edit their name — change the first and last name directly (great for renaming "Guest 2" to a real name)
2. See who they belong to — for plus-ones, the modal shows "Guest of [Main Guest Name]"
3. Pick a table — select from the table list below
4. Click Save to confirm changes, or Cancel to discard

Removing Assignments

To unassign a guest from a table:

1. Find the guest in their assigned table
2. Drag them back to the "Unassigned" area
3. Or click the guest name and select "Remove from table" in the modal

Designing Your Venue with the Map

Beyond the list view, the Map view lets you arrange tables on a 2D floor plan that matches your real venue. Switch between Grid and Map using the toggle at the top of the Tables tab.

What You Can Do on the Map

• Place tables anywhere on the floor with drag-and-drop.
• Choose table shapes — Round, Square, Rectangle, or Oval.
• Resize and rotate each table to mirror your venue's layout.
• Add walls to outline rooms, dividers, or stage areas.
• Add labels for landmarks like "Dance Floor", "Bar", or "Stage".
• Seat guests by dragging them from the panel directly onto a table.
• Go fullscreen for distraction-free planning during setup.

Placing a Table

New tables start in the Unplaced panel on the right side of the map.

1. Click "Add table" in the toolbar to create one (or use the existing Create Table flow).
2. Find it in the Unplaced panel on the right.
3. Press and drag the table anywhere onto the floor.
4. Use the brand-coloured handles on a selected table to resize (bottom-right) or rotate (top).

To remove a table from the map without deleting it, select the table and click "Unplace" — it goes back to the Unplaced panel.

Changing Shape, Size and Rotation

Click any table to open the right-hand sidebar and adjust:

• Shape — pick Round, Square, Rectangle, or Oval. Switching shape resets to a sensible default size.
• Size — drag the W/H sliders, or grab the resize handle on the table itself.
• Rotation — drag the slider, or use the rotation handle above the table.

Adding Walls

Walls are configurable rectangles useful for outlining the venue's structure.

1. Click "Add wall" in the toolbar — a new wall appears in the centre of the visible canvas.
2. Drag it into position.
3. Select it to adjust Length (how long it is) and the Thickness slider.
4. Rotate it for diagonal walls or angles.

Adding Labels

Labels are editable text annotations.

1. Click "Add label" in the toolbar — the label appears with default text and immediately enters edit mode.
2. Type the area name (e.g. "Dance Floor", "Bar", "Buffet").
3. Press Enter or click outside to save.
4. Double-click any existing label to edit it again, or change the text from the right sidebar.
5. Adjust size and rotation just like tables.

Seating Guests on the Map

The left panel lists all unassigned guests.

1. Press and drag a guest name from the left panel.
2. Hover over the target table — it highlights green when valid.
3. Release to assign the guest. A toast tells you if the table is at full capacity.

To unseat a guest:

1. Click the table on the map to open the sidebar.
2. Hover over the guest you want to remove.
3. Click the × that appears next to their name. They go back to the unassigned panel instantly.

Map Controls

Control	What it does
Drag empty canvas	Pans the floor plan
Ctrl + scroll	Zooms in and out around the cursor
Grid toggle	Shows or hides the alignment grid
Snap toggle	Snaps tables and elements to the grid while dragging
Fit view	Auto-frames everything you've placed
Fullscreen	Expands the map to the full screen for setup day
Delete / Backspace	Deletes the selected wall or label
Escape	Clears selection

Tip: Adding a table from inside fullscreen automatically returns you to the dashboard so you can fill in the table's name and capacity.

Managing Individual Guest Names

When guests RSVP with multiple people in their party (plus-ones), you need to know who each person is for table assignments. There are three ways to manage names:

Option 1: Edit Names Directly in the Tables Tab

The fastest way — click any guest chip in the Tables tab to open the assign modal, where you can rename them on the spot:

1. Click a guest chip (e.g., "Maria G. x2")
2. The modal shows the name inputs pre-filled — for plus-ones, it also shows "Guest of [Main Guest Name]"
3. Type the real name and click Save

This is ideal when you're assigning tables and want to fill in names at the same time.

Option 2: Organizer Pre-fills Names in the Guests Tab

If you already know who's in each guest's party:

1. Go to the "Guests" tab
2. Find the guest with multiple people in their party
3. Click the Users icon (people icon) next to their name
4. Add the first and last name for each person in the party
5. Click "Save"

Option 3: Guests Provide Names During RSVP

If you don't pre-fill names, guests will be asked to provide them when they respond to their invitation:

1. Guest opens their personalized invitation link
2. When they RSVP with multiple attendees, they're prompted to enter each person's name
3. Names are automatically saved and appear in your dashboard

This happens automatically — Collect Guest Names is turned on for you as soon as Table Management is enabled.

How Names Work

Scenario	What Happens
Names not yet provided	Shows as "Maria G. x2", "Maria G. x3" in the Tables tab
Organizer edits in Tables tab	Name updates instantly on the chip
Organizer pre-fills in Guests tab	Names appear in Tables tab for assignment
Guest provides names during RSVP	Names sync automatically after guest responds

Tips for Name Collection

• For weddings, let guests provide their own names to avoid spelling errors
• For corporate events, pre-fill from your employee database or edit directly in the Tables tab
• The primary RSVP holder is always automatically included
• Each named person can be assigned to different tables

Guest Table Notifications

Once you assign guests to tables, they'll automatically see their table assignment in their invitation.

What Guests See

When a guest opens their invitation after being assigned to a table:

• Their assigned table number is displayed
• If not yet assigned, they see "To be announced"

When It Appears

The table assignment section appears in the guest's invitation only when:

• Table management is enabled for the event
• The guest has accepted the invitation (RSVP status is Accepted or Attended)

You can reorder where this section appears using the Section Order settings in the Invitation tab.

Viewing Seating Statistics

The Tables tab header shows key statistics:

Stat	Description
Tables	Total number of tables created
Capacity	Total seats across all tables
Seated	Number of guests assigned to tables
Unseated	Guests still in the unassigned pool

Use these stats to quickly see your seating progress.

Exporting Table Assignments

Export your complete seating arrangement:

1. Click "Export" in the Tables tab
2. Download the CSV file with all table assignments
3. Open in Excel or Google Sheets

The export includes:

• Table number and alias
• Guest names assigned to each table
• Capacity and current occupancy

This is useful for:

• Printing place cards
• Sharing with venue staff
• Creating physical seating charts

Tips for Table Management

Planning Your Layout

• Create all tables before starting assignments
• Set realistic capacities based on your venue
• Use aliases for easy identification ("Bride's Family", "Groom's Family")

Efficient Assignment

• Use the search feature to find specific guests
• Assign family groups together
• Check the unassigned count regularly to ensure no one is missed

Before the Event

• Verify all accepted guests are assigned
• Export and share with venue coordinators
• Double-check capacity limits aren't exceeded

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I assign guests before they RSVP? A: Yes! All guests — accepted, pending, and declined — are loaded automatically. Pending guests appear in blue so you can plan ahead.

Q: What happens if I exceed a table's capacity? A: The system prevents you from assigning more guests than the table's capacity allows.

Q: Can guests from the same RSVP sit at different tables? A: Yes! When you add individual names for guests in a party, each person can be assigned to different tables.

Q: Will guests be notified when I assign them to a table? A: Guests see their table assignment when they view their invitation. No separate notification is sent.

Q: Can I change assignments after the event starts? A: Yes, you can modify table assignments at any time from the dashboard.

Q: What if a guest declines after being assigned? A: Their chip turns red (declined status). The assignment remains but won't be shown to the guest. You can unassign them to free the seat.

Q: Is there a limit to how many tables I can create? A: There's no limit to the number of tables. Create as many as your venue requires.

Q: Can I print seating charts? A: Export the CSV and use it to create seating charts in your preferred design tool or spreadsheet application.

Q: How do I collect names for plus-ones? A: Three options: (1) Click the plus-one chip directly in the Tables tab to rename them, (2) pre-fill names using the Users icon in the Guests tab, or (3) let guests enter names themselves when they RSVP. Unnamed plus-ones show as "Maria G. x2" so you always know whose guest they are.

Q: I enabled tables after guests already RSVPed. Where are my guests? A: All guests are loaded automatically when you open the Tables tab — even if they RSVPed before you enabled tables. No manual sync needed. If you were already using Collect Guest Names before enabling tables, the individual plus-one names you captured are preserved and appear as unassigned chips ready to seat.

Q: What do the colors mean? A: Guest chips are color-coded by RSVP status: green = accepted, blue = pending (not answered), red = declined. You can filter by status using the pills above the guest list.

Q: Can I edit guest names from the Tables tab? A: Yes! Click any guest chip to open the modal where you can change their first and last name. For plus-ones, the modal also shows who they belong to (e.g., "Guest of Maria Garcia").

Q: How do I switch between the list view and the venue map? A: Use the Grid / Map toggle at the top of the Tables tab. Both views share the same data — assignments and edits made in one view appear instantly in the other.

Q: Do I need to place tables on the map? A: No. The map is optional. You can keep using the Grid view if you only need a list and don't care about a visual floor plan. Tables you create stay in the Unplaced panel of the map until you drag them onto the floor.

Q: What table shapes are available? A: Round, Square, Rectangle, and Oval. Choose whichever matches your venue — the shape is purely visual and doesn't affect capacity rules.

Q: Are walls and labels visible to my guests? A: No. Walls and labels are organizer-only planning aids. Guests still see their assigned table number in their invitation, just like with the Grid view.

Q: Can I drag a guest from one table to another on the map? A: For now, drag from the left Unassigned panel onto a table to seat them, and use the × button in the table sidebar to unseat them (they return to the Unassigned panel). To move someone between two tables, unseat them and drag them to the new table.

Q: How do I delete a wall or label? A: Click the wall or label, then either click the trash button in the right sidebar or press Delete / Backspace on your keyboard.

Q: Does the map work in fullscreen? A: Yes. Click the Fullscreen button in the map toolbar to expand the canvas to the whole screen — useful for planning on a big monitor or projector during venue setup. Adding a new table from fullscreen briefly returns you to the dashboard so the create-table dialog is visible, and you can re-enter fullscreen afterwards.