Which is better for you; wedding seating charts or escort cards? Perhaps you’re even wondering if either are really necessary. The short answer is YES!
Following pandemic restrictions, weddings got recently the green light for small celebrations. Now more than ever, assigning guests to a specific seat is very important. Your guests will truly appreciate you for taking extra precautions to ensure the safety for all by carefully planning who will be sitting at the same table. This applies to every scale of wedding.
Keep in mind that both seating charts and escort cards serve the same purpose which is for your guests to know which table number to be seated at. To find out what will work best for your wedding it helps getting familiar with the terminology.
Seating Chart
Located at the entrance of your venue, a seating chart lets you view at a glace a listing of all the guests and the table number they’re assigned to.
Escort Cards
Escort cards are also displayed on a table at the entrance of your venue and are individual cards written with the name of each of your guests with the table number they’re assigned to.
Place Cards
Place cards are individual cards set at each place setting letting your guests know the specific seats at their assigned table. This is perfect to make sure special guests have the best view from where they’re seating. The place card is also where you indicate the meal selection for each guest.
Scroll down for additional information on wedding seating charts and escort cards.
Don’t forget to pin your favorite ideas for later!
Wedding Seating Charts
A seating chart is a listing of the names of everyone attending your wedding along with a specific table number they are assigned to. It’s sort of a floor plan of all your tables.
Suitable for all size events, a seating chart is most preferable for large wedding since it will save you time and money on buying and setting up escort cards.
To perfectly match your wedding style of theme, a seating chart can be written or printed on a poster board, acrylic, mirror or table cards. If you’re considering table cards, it is best to display a set at the entrance of your venue just like a a seating chart. Otherwise you’ll get a traffic jam with your guests going from table to table to find the card with their name on it. From rustic to glamorous, and anywhere in between, the options are endless to fit your personal taste and budget.
Your chart can be done horizontally or vertically either by listing the names of each guest seating at a specific table, or alphabetically using the last names. For a larger reception a listing by alphabetical order is quicker for your guests to find their table as opposed to having to go table by table on your chart to find their names and table numbers.
You can opt for a custom seating chart that is entirely done and ship to you or you can save for money by purchasing a downloadable template that you can easily customize and bring to a printer. I strongly recommend that you don’t finalize and have your seating chart printed too early. Addition and subtraction of guest will happen more often than you would like so 2 weeks prior your wedding is a safer bet.
Displayed at the entrance on your venue, set a wood stand or metal easel accentuated with a flower swag of greenery at the top. Your seating chart is a practical and decorative element that sets the tone of your wedding theme. If you’re considering table cards instead of a seating chart, it’s best to display them at the entrance of your venue just like a a seating chart.
Custom Wood Hand Written Seating Chart
Frosted Acrylic (Alphabetical Order) Wedding Seating Chart
Handwritten Calligraphy Wedding Seating Table Cards
Wood Pallet With String Wedding Seating Chart
Mirror Wedding Seating Chart Decal
Wedding Seating Chart (Download Template)
Alphabetical Order Wedding Seating Chart (Template Download)
Calligraphy Wedding Seating Chart Cart (Template Download)
Wedding Escort Cards
Another option to help your guests easily find their tables is to set up a table at the entrance of your venue and lay down an escort card for each person attending your reception. Each card has a name of a guest and a table number written on it. So has each guest enter the venue, he needs only find his name, pick his escort card and go to his assigned table.
From a simple card tent, a champagne flute, to a succulent vase, an escort card can have a dual function which is to guide your guests to find their tables and also serve as a favor to thank them for attending your special day. A good example is an antique key bottle opener. Unless the escort card is a favor for your guests, it is perfectly fine to only assign one card per couple.
The writing on the cards should be impeccable and easy to read. They should be enough lighting for everyone to be able to retrieve their card promptly to avoid bottlenecks. Instead of setting up the escort cards at the entrance you could also set up a table at your cocktail area. While your guests enjoying mingling while sipping on their drinks, it also give them the opportunity to find their own escort card at a more leisured pace.
The possibilities of escort cards are endless!
Champagne Flute Wedding Escort Cards
Magnolia Leaf Wedding Escort Cards
Twisted Fork Wedding Escort Cards
Moroccan Tassel Wedding Escort Cards
Skeleton Key Wedding Escort Cards
Wedding Escort Cards With Wax Seal Table Numbers
Wedding Seating Charts vs Escort Cards
If you are still undecided between having a seating chart or escort cards to seat your wedding guests simply get the best of both worlds with a combination of both like these beautiful options shown below!
Antique Frame Escort Card Cork Board Wedding Seating Chart
Unique Escort Card Photo Board Wedding Seating Chart
You may also like:
Easy Seating Chart Planning
How To Create Your Wedding Day Timeline
