Imagine it’s your wedding day. All your loved ones are in one place celebrating you and your partner’s relationship. The beautiful ceremony is over, cocktail hour is winding down, and now it’s time to move to the reception…and get 100 people into their seats so you can serve dinner. How in the world do you do that?!
With place cards, escort cards, and seating charts! But do you need all three? What is the purpose of each one? Read on to learn more.
Note: As of 2024, I no longer offer seating charts, but still would love to create place cards or escort cards for you!
Mirror wedding seating chart. Photo by Jon Bilderback Photography
Seating Charts
A wedding seating chart is one sign that lists all of your guests name as well as which table they are assigned to. Typically, the seating chart is grouped by table (so Table 1, Table 2, Table 3), with the guests assigned to that table listed alphabetically. For larger weddings (100+) you will want to simply list all guests’ names alphabetically then note their table number.
With a seating chart, your guests will find their table and head straight there, eliminating the need for escort cards. This also gives your guests a sneak peak of who else is sitting at their table since everyone’s names will be listed in one spot.
Seating charts can be large displays resting on an easel, or perhaps for a smaller wedding or event, simply written on a piece of paper and framed on an entry table. What’s fun about seating charts is you can use so many different materials to write them - wood, glass, mirrors, acrylic, chalkboard, paper, canvas…the list goes on! - and they can be a really gorgeous statement piece that guests see as they enter your wedding or event reception. All of these options lend themselves really well to calligraphy! Imagine a large wood sign sitting on an easel draped in florals, with beautiful white ink modern calligraphy directing your guests where to go. Dreamy, right? You can also combine elements, such as writing each table on a small piece of paper and using a wax seal to attach it to a mirror. Need help designing your seating chart? Read about all the design considerations here.
The one thing event seating charts don’t do is tell your guests exactly which chair to sit in once they get to their table, which may or may not be important to you.
Escort Cards
Similar to a seating chart, escort cards tell your guest which table to sit at. But instead of one large display, each guest will pick up their own escort card with their name and table number listed. Escort cards should be arranged alphabetically on a large table, as as opposed to group by table number like on a seating chart. This will help your guests quickly find their name in a sea of names.
Champagne flute escort cards. Photo by Carly Fuller Photo
Similar to seating charts, escort cards for your event can be written on a variety of surfaces. A small piece of tented paper (think 2” x 4”) is standard for an escort card, but any relatively flat surface can be used, such as leaves, rocks, and shells. Escort cards is another great place to add calligraphy to your wedding day, as you can match the card color or ink to your event theme.
A wedding escort card can also double as or tie together your wedding favor, should you decide to have wedding favors. Imagine a mini-champagne bottle with a tag tied around it, or a box of chocolate with the guests name written in calligraphy on top. You can really get creative with this!
The potential con to escort cards is you need a table (or tables) large enough to fit all escort cards on them. Seating charts, while technically larger, potentially take up less space as you can use vertical space (think a large mirror) to get the same information across compared to 100 escort cards. And similar to seating charts, escort cards don’t tell your guests where at the table they should sit.
Place Cards
Finally, place cards, also known as name cards or place settings. Once your guests find their table either via the seating chart or escort card, you may choose to also have place cards telling them exactly which seat is theirs at the table. These place cards will only list the guests name, and perhaps a meal choice, but won’t list the table number again.
Personalized menu with guest’s name on vellum, attached with wax seal.
Photo by Callie Lindsey Photography.
The decision to use place cards really depends on if you want to assign specific seating at your wedding or event or if simply getting guests to the proper table is enough. If you have tables of 8 - 10, place cards may not be necessary as guests can usually figure out seating just fine. But if you are having longer tables of 20 or more, place cards can be really helpful to ensure no one feels uncomfortable!
Similar to escort cards, wedding place cards can be on a variety of surfaces, such as paper, acrylic, wood, leaves, and more, and are great way to showcase your style into your event. And place cards can also work as your wedding favor. For example, if you’re having a book themed wedding, a calligrapher can create personalized bookmarks for everyone that serves as their place card. My personal favorite is paper place cards with a wax seal on it. It’s simple yet tasteful and memorable!
Place cards can also be combined with your dinner menu for a chic look. Instead of having the printed menu and a place card on top, which can feel cluttered, these two elements can be combined into one. A calligrapher can help you find the perfect marriage (no pun intended) of a place card and menu.
After reading all this, you might think it’s easier to just let people sit wherever they want! However, allowing guests to seat themselves can lead to uncomfortable situations, people sitting alone, and empty seats. While it’s more planning upfront, using seating charts, escort cards, and/or place cards will make for a smoother experience for everyone at your wedding.
A calligrapher, like me, can help you think of creative and budget-friendly ways to get everyone in their seat. Plus, working with a calligrapher can help save you a lot of time and frustration. Sure, you can buy place card paper, type everyone’s names in a word document template, print the place cards at home, and hand fold them…but let’s be real, working with at home printers is fickle at best and this is a time consuming process. Your time can be better served planning other aspects of your event or shoot, simply relaxing knowing this is all being taken care of by someone else!
Interested in learning more about place cards, escort cards, and seating charts? Visit my Day-Of Details page and inquire below! I’d love to work with you to bring your event vision to life. While I’m a San Diego wedding calligrapher, I love working with couples and people all over the country!