A Brutally Honest Seating Chart

Upper West Siders Esther Bochner, 25, and Jonathan Schwalb, 26, were already overwhelmed by the prospect of planning their May 2010 Orthodox Jewish wedding in less than eight months, and then came the guest tally: 416. Bochner initially threw together a floor plan for their reception (to be held at the Hilton in Pearl River, New York) based on “logical” choices—high-school friends here, college pals there. But then Schwalb decided he wanted it to be “more insightful.” Here, the couple’s final tactical battle plan. (Names have been changed to protect the innocent.)

A Brutally Honest Seating Chart