THE ART OF ESCORT CARDS

Assigning seats for your wedding reception is a daunting yet important task.  Hours upon hours will be spent trying to ensure guests are 100% happy and that no seat is left empty.  There are many platforms to help clients create seating charts. We love what All Seated does to support their clients in seating design.

After the seating plan is finally set, the fun part is designing the display. Luckily, there are endless creative and unique ways to present escort cards, and event partners to help bring your vision to life.  And while a table with cards can certainly look classic, there are so many innovative ways to let guests know where they are seated. Engagement with the escort card display is one of the first interactive moments of the evening for your guests, so why not make it a “wow”? 

KEEP IT TRADITIONAL

The traditional folded paper tent presented in an elegant manner on a beautifully arranged table is always in style! It has proven to be timeless and will continue to be on trend for years to come. This gorgeous floral tree with dripping crystals and orbs anchors the display, and escalates the display of the classic cards. It turns the escort table into a show-stopping, focal piece. 


 

Not looking for a classic presentation of place cards? There are so many other ways to showcase names and invite guests to their seats.  Below are some fabulous ways couples have livened up their escort card tables.

GET CREATIVE

Don’t be afraid to get creative! This couple incorporated flowers into their display and even decided to omit the table all together! An airy display with intertwining flowers is an innovative way to elevate the ever daunting escort card display. Incorporating your wedding colors highlighted through brilliant, bright flowers weaving through the design will create some well-deserved admiration from your guests as they find your seat!



Take escort card displays a step farther by integrating a party favor into the design. At this wedding, the bride and groom created a beautiful boxwood wall and attached champagne glasses containing the guests seating assignments to the wall. How fun!


 

MAKE IT UNIQUE

The artsy, modern bride may choose to push the design envelope and create a unique sculpture that will leave guests speechless as they find their seats. Shayla Hawkins Events and Hens and Chicks designed this extraordinary one-of-a-kind display table at a recent wedding!  The cotton candy colored florals within the modern, printed, acrylic vessels were the perfect preview to the elegant reception space.  Guest names were printed on the acrylic, creating such elegance in the design.  An eye catching display such as this one will leave guests dazzled from the beginning of their evening.



For brides that want to let their inner Disney princess shine through,  we love this whimsical creative glass dome idea which can display guest names at the tables themselves. These domes evoke major Beauty and the Beast vibes that your guests and sets the mood for a night of romance and love.


 

WARM AND WELCOMING

An easy and affordable way to redesign a traditional escort card table is by hanging the name cards on large wooden pallets or panels… and we kinda like the idea of a table without legs!  This charming, rustic design element will warmly welcome your guests into the reception of your dreams. While this vibe is the antithesis of some of the other romantic elegant options above, we are all about this design! Again, each example sets the stage for your decor and creates a moment that will ultimately “tease” the concept for the rest of the night. So, make sure the ideas are cohesive and blend together nicely throughout the spaces for your guest experience to be holistic.


 

ORGANIZING ESCORT CARDS

In addition to a beautiful display, there are other key tips to consider when making the escort card display. For one, be sure to keep the cards legible to guarantee easy reading for your guests. To do this you can digitally print the cards with an appropriate font or hire a professional calligrapher.  Alphabetizing guest names on the table card is also a great way to keep things easy for guests, and we recommend having this done well in advance to make the setup on site easy. Remember, there tends to be small seating changes in the final days before your event when a guest may cancel (or suddenly be free to attend!) so be sure to allow for flexibility in the display of names and table numbers as you create your design. 

Escort card tables will forever be an essential part of any wedding reception. But what isn’t essential is stressing about it! Designing your escort card display can be fun. Make it an exciting project by allowing your creativeness to flow. Whether you are envisioning a traditional simple display or something grand and magnificent, your guests will love what you create because it ultimately is a reflection of your desires and dreams!