How to Get a Floor Plan Made for Your Wedding

A reception floor plan is one of the most important tools you'll create for your wedding day. This allows everyone on your vendor team to have a clear, finalized plan for what they should be doing during installation. Rather than send out something hand-drawn or out of scale, you'll want to rely on your vendors when it comes time to make this important document. Here's what you need to know.

Who makes the floor plan?

Rental companies map out the vast majority of wedding floor plans, as they typically have an in-house staff person dedicated to using the appropriate software to create a to-scale model. Though, in some cases, this is a service that wedding planners and venues may offer as well, depending on their capabilities. If they're unable to provide a to-scale model, it's important to make sure that they've measured everything in advance and are confident all will fit in the space.

How is your floor plan designed?

A floor plan is typically created following a site visit with all vendors present. During this meeting, you'll make many decisions about the flow of your event and determine where much of your furniture and tenting will be placed. If you're working with multiple rental companies, it's usually the largest company or the company working on the tent that will work on the floor plan. You'll likely go through a few versions of the floor plan before settling on one that works well for your specific needs. For example, it may become apparent in laying it all out to scale that you need to use smaller round tables rather than rectangular tables to fit everything without feeling crowded. Or, as the wedding draws closer, you may need fewer tables and chairs than initially planned for. Your floor plan can always be edited accordingly.

Tips for executing the floor plan.

One of the reasons the rental company usually makes the floor plan is that they're often responsible for placing the furniture. This floor plan will serve as a guide for their delivery staff and it helps them to have a clear and concise map so they can work quickly and efficiently with the install.