Seating Rule
Seating Rule: A constraint that shapes how guests are assigned to tables.
A seating rule is any constraint a planner applies when building a seating chart. The four most common: must-sit-with (keep these guests together), keep-apart (do not seat near each other — see conflict pair), assign-to-table (this guest goes here regardless), and group-by (cluster guests by category — family, work, college). Modern seating tools take these as inputs and solve for an arrangement that satisfies as many as possible.
Related terms
- Conflict Pair — Two guests who must not be seated near each other.
- Buffer Seat — An intentionally empty seat used to keep two guests apart.
- Assigned Seating — Each guest is given a specific table (and sometimes a specific seat).