We always recommend having a wedding with assigned seating, it makes for a perfect guest experience! There are three different options that you can choose from to show your guests to their seats: seating charts, escort cards, and place cards. Wondering which one you should select for your wedding? Let’s chat through the options!
Seating Charts
Seating charts should have all your guest’s names and tables clearly written out, either in alphabetical order or by table number, this way your guests can quickly find their seats.
Planner Tip: If you have more than 150 guests, we recommended that your seating chart is organized in alphabetical order by last name, this is the fastest way for your guests to locate their name and assigned table.
Seating charts are typically the easiest seating option. You will need an easel, if you don’t have an easel check with your venue before you buy one, they may have one that you can borrow! If your venue doesn’t have an easel, you can purchase one or order one through your wedding rental vendor.
Add a touch of elegant details to your wedding with a beautiful custom mirrored seating chart! Alex + Doug held their wedding at Bella Collina, they had a mirrored seating chart display draped with greenery and dressed up with candles from Orlando Flower Market. Many of our couples either rent a custom mirrored sign or purchased a mirror and contract a calligrapher to handwrite their guest names. Bonus: You can repurpose your mirrored seating chart as home decor after your wedding.
Check out these beautiful Seating Chart Displays Provided by Ocean Hawk Rentals!
The possibilities for what your seating chart are endless: mirrors, acrylic, wood… you name it!
Escort Cards
Escort cards have your guest names and table numbers written on them, and occasionally their meal indication. You can have an escort card for each individual guest or you can group couples on the same card. Depending on the size of your wedding, you can include first and last names and depending on the formality, you can include “Mr.” “Ms.” “Mrs.” and “Dr.” or leave those prefixes off. Unlike seating charts, escort cards will need to be set up somewhere the day of your wedding, either on a table, escort card display or board of some sort.
Get creative with your escort cards! Think of different materials to use, incorporate colors from your wedding, and arrange them in unique way!
Check out these unique custom seating cards designed by Andi Mejia.Co
For Leigh Anne + Tim’s wedding at Dr. Phillip’s Center of Performing Arts we had custom mirrored escort cards placed on a champagne wall designed by Ocean Hawks Rentals.
Photography: KV Photography
Pros of escort cards, they’re interactive! Your guests will walk up to a table, board (or in this case a champagne wall) and then find their card to bring to their assigned table. They can also double as favors! Get creative with the theming of your wedding and your guests can take home as a keepsake from your wedding. (Guests LOVE seeing their name written in pretty calligraphy!) Plus, doubling as a favor can cut down the costs of having an additional favor added to your wedding!
Your escort cards can also be used to indicate what meal each guest has requested, so your catering team knows what meal each guest requested when they RSVP’d. You can purchase these escort cards on Minted, Zazzle, TheKnot, or Etsy just to name a few!
Place Cards
Did you know? There is a difference between escort cards and place cards! Escort cards direct your guests to a specific table. Place cards direct your guests to a specific seat at that table. Place cards are pre-placed by your Blush planner at their seat, hence the name “place” cards!
For Leigh Anne + Tim’s wedding, they had assigned seats at their reception. These beautiful mirrored place cards tied in with their stunning reception details. They definitely were the perfect touch, and their wedding guests loved the customization!
Photography: KV Photography
