Planning for the large parties

Let’s be honest, no service ever goes exactly to plan. A table of 4 suddenly becomes 6. Someone arrives with a high chair. Or guests just need a little more space than expected. It happens all the time.

The good news? You don’t need everything pre-set perfectly. With Tables Host, you can quickly join tables on the fly and keep things running smoothly.

How to Manually Create Table Joins in Tables Host

Need to quickly combine tables for a booking?

This guide shows you how to create manual table joins in seconds.

Why you might need to create a manual join

Sometimes bookings don’t go exactly to plan. You might have:

• A group that’s larger than expected

• Guests arriving with high chairs or extra space requirements

• A need to quickly reconfigure seating during service

When tables aren’t already set up as a join, Tables Host allows you to create an on-the-fly (ad-hoc) join so you can still accommodate your guests smoothly. Before you start, take a moment to decide:

• Which booking needs extra tables

• Which view you want to work in i.e., Timeline View (great for visual planning), Plan View (ideal for floor layouts) or the Reservations View (fastest for quick edits).

Method 1: Using Timeline View (Best for visual control)

The Timeline View gives you a clear visual overview of all bookings and tables.

Steps:

1. Open the Table Planning tab

2. Select: Guest Summary (for today’s bookings), or Future Seating (for upcoming bookings)

3. Select the booking you want to update (from the list or directly on the timeline)

4. Minimise the booking window using the arrow (^) to see more of the timeline

5. Identify the currently assigned table (highlighted in red)

6. Click each additional table you want to include in the join

7. Reopen the booking window (˅)

8. Click Assign. Your booking is now linked to multiple tables.

Method 2: Using Plan View (Best for floor layouts)

Plan View follows the same process as Timeline View but lets you work directly from your venue’s floor plan.

Steps:

1. Open the Table Planning tab

2. Select Guest Summary or Future Seating

3. Choose the booking from the list on the left

4. Minimise the booking window

5. Click on the tables you want to join (they’ll highlight in red)

6. Reopen the booking window

7. Click Assign. Your selected tables are now joined to the booking.

Method 3: Using Reservations View (Fastest method)

If you already know exactly which tables to assign, this is the quickest option.

Steps:

1. Open the Reservations tab

2. Select the booking you want to edit

3. In the Table field, type the table numbers separated by commas (e.g. 1,2,3)

4. Click Assign. The booking is now assigned to your chosen tables.

Final tip

Manual joins are designed for speed and flexibility during service. Whether you’re adjusting for a larger party or handling a last-minute change, these methods help you adapt without disrupting the flow of your floor.