Take a Seat

Meredith-Peter-GUDZAK-0689 — Meredith and Peter at The Carriage House

There are a few options to consider when creating the seating plan for your wedding – place cards, escort cards or a seating chart. How do you decide which option is best for you?

Place and escort cards are very similar, they are typically tented cards that are displayed near the entrance of the reception and include the guests’ name and table number. Some couples get creative when making their place cards and incorporate the theme of their wedding. For example. couples having a beach-themed wedding could use seashells and attach the guests name and table number on a strip of paper, or create seating cards that resemble a beach badge (love it!). Some couples may also decide to give their guests an assigned seat, having the place card at the guests’ place setting at the table.

GUDZAK-0690 — Meredith and Peter at The Carriage House

Lindsay-and-Michae;-820 — Lindsay and Michael at Windows on the Water

Some venues don’t have space for an additional table where the cards can be displayed, so this is when a seating chart is the best option for your wedding. The seating chart is usually displayed alphabetically in a frame near the entrance of the reception, with a list of the guest names and their designated table. Couples can also get creative with their seating charts by displaying the names on something like an old glass window or getting colorful and writing names on a chalkboard.

Stacey-and-Jeremy-Wedding-052315-11459-copy — Stacey and Jeremy at The Rams Head Inn

Dave&Sharon_By_Brijohnson_0036 — Sharon and Dave at Rutgers Gardens

Some couples may opt to do both the seating chart and place cards, which works as well. Some venues require that guests have a place card with some sort of color-coding to signify what dinner the guest will be getting. Another option is to have your place cards double as an additional favor for the guests by attaching the names and table numbers to lollipops or bottles of beer.

There are a few different things to consider when deciding on place cards vs. seating charts, but both ultimately get the job done. To provide some inspiration, here are more of our favorite place cards, escort cards and seating charts from New Jersey weddings.