Please Be Seated

After you spend hours trying to place your guests at tables for your reception, you want to make sure they can actually find their seat! Though traditional place cards are most common, there are endless creative ways you can have your guests take their seats. Here are a few ideas to spark your creativity. 

Place Cards: Take a spin on the traditional place card and throw in some color or an image that matches your wedding. At this jockey and horse themed wedding, the couple added jockey shirts to the place cards to give it an extra touch. 

Erin and Rhett's Wedding
Photo courtesy of Bev Michel Photography

At The Table Setting: Sticking with the traditional place card idea, you can also put place cards at each table setting. This also assures each guest not only sits at a specific table but also at a specific chair. This can help make sure that no one moves around and that couples get to sit together. Plus, you can give grandma or your aunt a better view of you and the dance floor. 

Beth and Jon's Wedding
Photo courtesy of Campli Photography

In The Favors: Just like you would line up the place cards, you can also combine the favors and place cards into one piece. Guests can find their name in alphabetical order and pick up their favor with their seating number attached. It's also a simple way to make sure everyone gets their favor. 

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Keys: Pick up an old door at the salvage yard and hammer some nails into it and you're all set. Find some old keys in your attic or at a flea market or antique store and attach place cards to each. Hang them in alphabetical order so your guests can find the key to their seat. 

Amy and Sean's Wedding
Photo courtesy of Leave It To Me Photography

On A Board: Another way that often helps cut the cost and confusion, is a simple board display that lists each guest in alphabetical order with their table number following. Whether you get it professionally printed or do it yourself, it will get the job done. 

Erica and Gene's Wedding
Photo courtesy of Timeline Weddings

Chalk It Up: Going along with the board idea is the option to use a chalkboard. Again, just list the names in alphabetical order with their table numbers following. Using chalk also allows you to make any last minute changes to your seating chart right up until the day of. If you're not the best at writing with chalk, pick up chalkboard markers which write like a pen but come out looking like chalk- they're a life saver!

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Window Panes: Another common theme going around the wedding circuit is using old window panes as a backdrop to list your seating chart. You can write right on the glass with a dry erase marker or paint chalkboard paint right over the glass and use a chalkboard pen, whichever way you choose, it still makes for a creative and different approach. 

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Clothesline: If you want to simplify and save on paper supply this idea seals the deal for me. Perfect for an outdoor wedding, these act as fans, ceremony programs, menus and place cards! It's a true all in one piece and hanging from a clothesline just adds that extra touch. 

Casey and Will's Wedding
Photo courtesy of 217 Photography

Whichever way you choose, just make sure to confirm the week of the wedding that your venue and their catering staff, your wedding planner, and you are all on the same page with the seating chart so there is no confusion or changes the day of. 

-Caitlin