How many cocktail tables do you need?
A cocktail table is a standing surface, not a seat. The count depends on how many guests are on their feet at once and how generous you want the ring around each table to be. Pick the ratio, and the count follows.
How many cocktail tables do you need for a wedding?
Divide the guests who will stand by the ratio you choose, then round up. At 5 guests per table, 120 guests need 24 tables. Subtract lounge seats first: 120 guests with 12 seated leaves 108 standing, which is 22 tables.
Counts at common headcounts
These rows subtract no lounge seats, so they are the upper bound for a party where everyone stands. If the room has lounge furniture, remove those guests first.
| Guests | At 4 per table | At 5 per table | At 6 per table |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | 13 | 10 | 9 |
| 100 | 25 | 20 | 17 |
| 150 | 38 | 30 | 25 |
| 200 | 50 | 40 | 34 |
Why a cocktail table is not a dining table
A dining table has place settings, chairs, and a centerpiece. A cocktail table has a drink and a small plate. That is why the ratio is not the six-to-ten range used for the seated meal, and why the count does not belong in the seating chart.
The chair-count page covers the seated tables. This page only covers the standing hour.
What changes the count
Passed appetizers reduce the need for a surface; a plated first course increases it. A long cocktail hour needs more tables and more lounge seating than a thirty-minute drinks window. Ask the caterer how the hour is served before you order furniture.
About 10 minutes. Software, not a waitlist — your chart tonight.