How CAD Layouts Make Your Wedding Look (and Run) Like a Dream
If you’ve never heard of CAD before, don’t worry—you’re not alone. CAD stands for computer-aided design, and while it may sound like something reserved for engineers and architects, it’s actually one of the secret weapons I use as a Hudson Valley wedding planner and designer to help our couples plan and visualize their big day.
Think of it as the digital crystal ball of weddings—except instead of mystic fog, we use precise measurements, layouts, and yes, even where Aunt Karen is sitting.
Let me break it down for you.
Jump Ahead:
Stage One: Mood Board Magic
Before I dive into any layouts, we always start with an inspiration board (or mood board, depending on your vibe). This is the anchor for your wedding design—making sure everything feels cohesive, dreamy, and, most importantly, you. It also keeps us from veering wildly off-course every time you spot a new trend on Pinterest. You know who you are.
This is when we start talking about table shapes—round, rectangular, square, or those sexy serpentine tables that are making their way into more weddings lately.
I'm a big fan of mixing shapes to break up the visual space and add interest, especially for larger rooms or tented receptions. Once we decide what you want—or what combo of shapes you're leaning toward—I head into CAD world to bring your layout to life.
Also worth noting: We always take into account functionality and spacing for both your guests and your vendors. For example, all tables with chairs must be a minimum of five and a half feet apart, so when chairs are pulled out, people can still move around comfortably without awkward shuffle-dancing between tables. Learn more by visiting our blog post about Wedding Floor Plan Basics.
Stage Two: Sample Layouts (aka The Fun Part)
Using my event-specific CAD software (not AutoCAD—ours is tailored for events), I draft 4 to 10 sample layouts. How many depends on your venue and how much flexibility we have with the space. There are always a few givens—like a dance floor, bar, and spots for things like your guest book or gifts.
I’ll usually check with you beforehand to confirm:
Band or DJ?
Sweetheart table or full head table?
Any wild card vendors who need their own station (think cigar rollers, photo booths, or taco trucks)?
Once that’s all in, I’ll send you your initial layout samples to review.
Stage Three: Let’s Get Technical
Fast-forward to about 2.5–3 months before the big day. We locked in the chosen layout as our official base. Now it’s time to number tables and number chairs for each table so we can start thinking about who’s sitting where.
Important note: These layouts are literal. When you see 8 seats at Table 4, that means there are exactly 8 seats being shown at that moment in time. As your seating chart gets refined and we finalize how many guests are at each table, we’ll update those numbers and visuals accordingly.
This is also when I share seating capacities for different table sizes.
If you haven’t already, I suggest you check out my blog post about understanding Wedding Floor Plan Basics.
And yup—I'll drop in some updated images showing table numbers and seats.
Stage Four: Start Playing Musical Chairs
At this point, you probably haven’t sent invites (or haven’t gotten RSVPs back yet), but you definitely know some guests who are coming. Yourself, for one. Your VIPs like immediate family, wedding party, or that cousin who’s basically your emotional support human.
So it’s a great time to start roughing in your seating assignments.
Here are three ADHD-friendly ways to do it:
Poster board + Post-its
Color-coded tabs make it very satisfying to move people around.Index cards + pencil
Perfect for brainstorming on the go—especially during your commute.Spreadsheets
For you Type A folks (you are my people), you can start working directly in the guest list doc. Bonus: it’s where everything will end up anyway for your caterer.
Stage Five: Final Seating & Place Cards
Once you have all your RSVPs in, it’s time to really dial in the final seating. You’ll want each table to be complete—and consistent with your confirmed guest count.
The big question becomes:
Are you assigning only people to their tables, or are you also assigning each individual seat?
If you choose to assign seats, you’ll need place cards—either traditional or printed menus with names and meal choices.
And I’ll update the layout with actual seat numbers, so your spreadsheet can match every place setting.
Why It Matters (a.k.a. Why I’m Slightly Obsessed with CAD)
Sure, these layouts look great—but they’re more than just pretty pictures. By the end of the process, your CAD layout becomes:
A master tool for your caterer to handle setup with zero confusion
A seating bible for your photographer and videographer to track down key people (like who’s giving the next toast)
A detailed visual map for your planner (hi, that’s me) so nothing gets missed—even if your florist swears the sweetheart table was totally supposed to be centered under the chandelier
This is the kind of behind-the-scenes magic that lets your day run smoothly, and lets you stay present in all the good stuff—like saying “I do” and dancing your face off without worrying if the gift table ended up behind the bar (yikes).