The first step to making a wedding reception seating chart is to put yourself in the mind of a guest. Different guests have different expectations. The family wants to sit together and enjoy the union of the bride and groom. Friends are likely to prefer to sit together and celebrate a bit more.
Once you have a perspective of the guests, have a bit of fun and place people where common sense says! Take out some paper and pencil or use sticky notes to draw out your tables and add names. You can start with your table and add in family and close family friends. From there, begin to place the other guests around tables.