How to organize wedding seating cards

By Catalogs Editorial Staff

Organize wedding seating cards in a clear, beautiful way

Assigning tables at your wedding is a smart way to ensure the beginning of the reception runs smoothly. Guests arrive, find their names and they immediately know where to go. With the decision made for them well in advance, they simply need to find their seat and enjoy the festivities.

The magic tool that makes this all happen is the escort card. There are all kinds of simple and creative ways to organize wedding seating cards. Be sure to keep in mind how many people you?re expecting in order to avoid a bottleneck at the door.

Where to put them

People like to find out where they?ll be sitting as soon as they arrive. This way they can set down their things before mingling. It?s a good idea to arrange the cards within sight of the entrance.

Set a table right at the door and before you know it there will be a line to get in! Try and place the arrangement enough distance from the door to control the flow of traffic. When deciding between different types of arrangements, remember to weigh style and logic. How it will look matters, but you also want people to be able to figure out where they?re going so the party can get started already!

ABC is as easy as it gets

Placing guests? names in alphabetical order is a simple way to organize wedding seating cards. The more people expected, the cleaner and simpler you may want to go. Have the cards set on the table or tacked up in clean rows so people can quickly scan for their name.

Table chart

One alternative option is to make a large seating chart by table. The trouble with this is it takes more time for people to find out where they?re going and some people may need help if the font is too small.

Visual arrangements

One advantage to keeping the guest list short is it leaves room to play with the details. One way to get creative is to tack the seating cards on colorful picture frames. Set the table number within the frame or include a photograph collage of the people at each table.

Treats for all

This is your wedding and the seating cards are one of the first things people see! Welcome them with some libations. Attach peoples names and table number to a beverage bottle or stick the card in a cupcake. This way once they get to their seat, they have a treat to tide them over while the wedding party poses for photos.

Go vertical

Not every venue has a good spot to place a table for escort cards, but they have plenty of wall space. You can still arrange the cards alphabetically and make it look special. One way to do this is to clip each column down a bead curtain with a pretty clothespin. Space each string of beads enough so multiple people can grab their names at a time.

Managing many names

As you know, there are only 26 letters in the alphabet. If your lengthy guest list starts to feel overwhelming, remember this. Organize the escort cards not only alphabetically, but separated by first letter. Again, this will spread arrivals out and reduce a traffic jam.

For an outdoor wedding reception, you can line the walking path with benches or cocktail tables dedicated to each letter of the alphabet. These tables can later be used to hold appetizers during cocktail hour. For indoor venues, you can dedicate a shimmery streamer to each letter and hang them in order around the cocktail hour location. Try this vertical or skirt the walls clothesline-style.

Consider setting name cards at each place setting so guests don?t compete for ?good? seats or drape their coats over chairs to reserve them!

There is no wrong way to organize wedding seating cards. Choose a classic, elegant arrangement or get creative! Just make sure the wedding planner or a few guests know your system and can help people find their way if needed.