Escort Cards and Place Cards: What's the Difference?
Your RSVPs are in and now it's time to work out your seating plan. Beyond who sits with who, you have to figure out how guests will find their way to their seats. Do you need escort cards or place cards? I mean place cards and escort cards are the same thing, right?…Wrong!
I know from working with my couples that there can be some confusion around the difference between escort cards and place cards. Let’s clear it up!
Escort Cards
Escort cards are cards that will help escort your guests to their seats. They include the guest’s name and table number. These can also include a meal indicator so that catering knows what meal they are to be served.
Sharin Shank Photography
Place Cards
On the other hand, place cards are pre-placed on the table with the guest’s name to indicate a particular seat at the table. They may also have a meal indicator for catering depending on style of dinner service.
If you use place cards you will need to include a seating chart or seating wall of some kind so guests know what table to head to. The exception for this is if you are having a small dinner party and only have 10-20 guests, they could easily walk around the table and find their seats within a reasonable amount of time. But 200 guests looking at every table for their name would be too time-consuming. By the time everyone was seated, dinner would be cold!
Sharin Shank Photography
Ok, now that we have escort cards and place cards straight, we can start having some fun! You don't have to just use printed cards. You can actually use your escort cards and place cards as a fun way to get interactive for your guests. This can be a seating wall or a stunning seating chart paired with functional place cards. You can also think multi-functional like including the escort card as part of a guest gift or keepsake. The options are endless!
The important thing to remember is that you need to provide a way for guests to find their seats in an efficient manner while still communicating to catering if there is a specific meal, allergy, or special need that needs to be addressed. One tip for your meal indicator is to test it by putting the card on the table and standing behind a chair to see if you can see it. You want to be sure the server can see it, and it isn't too small. Other than that, let your creativity flow! Here's a few of our favorites.
Anna and Sydney’s Seating Chart and Place Cards
For the Hick’s plated dinner, we had a beautiful seating chart illuminated by candles and surrounded by greenery. At each table, the guests had place cards already set with their name and a wax seal to indicate their meal.
Credit: Samantha Joy Events and the Bride | Olga Polo Photography at Hotel Covington
Leah and Alex’s Escort Wall
This is an escort wall that also served as the guestbook. The wall designed mimicked their invitation suite. Guests took their escort card off the wall. Then replaced it with a Polaroid and keepsake note to the bride and groom. The escort cards were color-coded for their meal choice, making it really easy for the servers to see and identify.
Credit: Samantha Joy Events | Cheerup Press |Amanda Donaho Photography at Hotel Covington
Corbin and Dan'S Seating Chart
This is a seating chart with escort cards. The bride and groom had a stationed dinner, so guests could take their card if they wanted to before finding their seat.
Credit: Samantha Joy Events| Cheerup Press|Laura Katie Photography at Dayton Art Institute
Rachel and Brandon’s Seating Chart and Place Cards
The beautiful floral motif background for this seating chart worked so well with our color palette. The backdrop is actually custom size wallpaper that we sourced as part of this design. The bride worked with her stationery to create the panels with grommets for easy hanging and was able to keep the wallpaper after the wedding. The place cards at the table were finished with a wax seal that also accompanied their invitations.
Credit: Beautifully Noted | Kaleigh Turner Photography at Hilton Netherland Plaza
Breanna and Dan’s Place Cards
For this design, the place cards also double as a keepsake for guests. We wanted to use succulents in a fun way, so we repotted them and added a name flag. It’s small details like this that really make a wedding personal and is something your guests will notice.
Credit: Samantha Joy Events | Anastasia Gentry Photography
Kaity and DJ’s Escort Wall
For this escort card display, all of the individual escort cards pinned were pinned to the display which used a fabric that coordinated with their reception linens. Each guest pulled off their cards and brought it to their seat. In the corner, there was a color that indicated their meal choice.
Credit: Samantha Joy Events | Molly Ann Photography at Hotel Covington
Mandy and X’s Escort Tags
These keepsake gifts were inspired by vintage hotel keyrings. One side had the guests name and the corner had the table number. Since it was a buffet dinner, we didn't need to indicate a meal.
Credit: Blooms 'n More at Mills Park Hotel
