Ideas for Unique Table Numbers

It seems like such a trivial part of your wedding table decor, but you have to wonder what ever happened before the invention of table numbers? For planners, they are a dream come true- a simple way to make sure guests get to their seats in a swift and timely manner- saving many a headache.

For most of you, at the majority of weddings or large parties you have been to, your tables were probably marked with a simple number or table tent. But don't miss out on an easy way to make your wedding more personal. Many of these table number ideas are DIY and you and your guy can have fun making them together at home (if only you could convince him)! How do I love thee table cards? Let me count the ways...

Simple with a spin...

Keep it simple with these iron numbers that resemble house numbers you might find in your neighborhood. There's a very high chance you will be able to use them again- some way, somehow. 

Lose the numbers...

You don't have to stick to the norm. Try naming your tables along with the theme of your wedding, after historic places in the city you wedding is taking place in, or some of your favorite things as a couple. You can put the name of each of these, or simply the picture and have your guests find the picture that matches the name on their place card. The picture below is from Beverly and Chuck's wedding, where they had us print their table cards with their favorite places to eat in the city!

Beverly and Chuck's Wedding
Photo courtesy of Lindsay Docherty Photography

Hold the number...

Literally! Take a bunch of photos of you and your man holding numbers- switch up the scene, change outfits, make funny faces, whatever you like. It will give your guests a good look into your fun personalities. 

Chalk it up...

Find little chalkboards at the craft store or buy a can of chalkboard paint and make your own! Use white or colored chalk to make a handmade table card that can easily be used again and again- at least to teach your future children how to count from 1-10!

Find the wine to dine...

Use wine bottles with personalized numbered labels and place them at the center of each table. Leave pens on the table for guests to sign their tables' bottle. The best part? You keep all the bottles at the end of the night- open table number 1 on your first wedding anniversary, table number 2 on your second and so on. Just like your love, wine gets better with age too.

Sarah and Andy's Wedding
Photo courtesy of Smirnov Weddings

Frame it...

Use matching or mix-matched frames to create a vintage and unique feel. Buy new or buy reused from any local consignment or antique store. These too can be used again for other parties or to decorate your new house!

Queen of hearts...

Not going for the classic look? Take a funky spin and use a deck of cards to mark your tables. Collect them at the end of the night and use them to play card games at the after party.

Street signs...

Lovers Lane, Bliss Avenue, Forever Alley...make it as cheesy as you want with table numbers named after wedding themed streets!

Light it up...

Multitask with table cards made out of lights and candles. They will add a nice glow to the room while also making it easier for your guests to spot their tables.

Read into it...

Get old vintage books at local flea markets and decorate them however you like. It's perfect for the book worm in you. 

Count it out...

Give your guests a challenge with this cute take on table numbers. Perfect for all those teachers out there!

Get creative...

Think of what each number means in your relationship...years you have been together, your anniversary date, number of kids you want to have, how many days you will be on your honeymoon, the list goes on.

If you don't have time to get crafty and creative with you table numbers but still want to make them more personal, consider having them made to match your color scheme! Or if you have a motif that was on your invitation, carry it through and have it on each table number. The possibilities are endless when it comes to ideas for your table numbers. This is one aspect of your wedding you definitely don't want to just settle on.

-Caitlin

*images not sourced were found through Google

Teaser Tuesday

We didn't let the crazy weather make our two weddings this weekend any less wonderful! Read on below about Amanda and Andrew's wedding and Stephanie and Josh's wedding. 

Snowfall in October?!? Sure!! Amanda and Andrew were married on Saturday, in the midst of a snowy Nor'easter but they didn't let it dampen their spirits one bit! The girls looked beautiful thanks to Meghan Cahill and Aleksandra Ambrozy, and Prime Time Limo made sure all got to the church on time (even though the roads were terrible!). Pastor Skip from St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Ardmore directed a beautiful ceremony, then Craig and the team from Jeffrey Miller Catering ran a great reception at the Baldwin School! Many thanks to Del's Groove for keeping the guests entertained and to Shelby from Sweet Pea for making the space look beautiful. Blossom Productions and Carden's Photography were also on board to capture the memories (and there were tons!!) for the couple! Thanks to Carden's Photography for the teaser below. If you look closely you can see Erin holding up Amanda's dress so that it wouldn't get covered in slush, that's dedication!

Stephanie and Josh were married on Sunday at Normandy Farms. Their reveal meeting was in the library and after they saw each other, they and their 16 person bridal party, braved the cold and took some great pictures outside. Serious kudos to all of them, they did an amazing job trekking through the snow, wet grass and large puddles to get some great images, without any complaints and we're sure the pictures are going to be worth it! They were married in front of all of their friends and family in the Grand Ballroom. During cocktail hour we flipped the room and when guests reentered, they saw the beautiful arrangements designed by Trevose Flowers. A huge thank you to Cindy Guessford Photography for sending us these teaser images! We can't wait to see the rest!!

Amy and Sean's Wedding

We thought it would be interesting to take a previous wedding and, instead of telling the story through our eyes, have the BRIDE tell the story from her own view point! Toss in a little Hurricane Irene action and add in the skills of guest blogger, local writer/editor and recent bride, Amy Kates, there is quite a story to tell!

"So. Remember that time you got married smack in the middle of a raging hurricane? No? I do! But let me tell you something: The memories- although rain-soaked, wind-savaged and minus the 50-plus day-of no shows who couldn't venture out due to bridge and road closures- are absolutely amazing, thanks to the ubertalented ladies at Proud to Plan who turned a hurricane into a hurri-CAN. 

I worked with Proud to Plan starting about a year out, and shared many a wedding-fueled breakdown with my gal pal Erin. But nothing could prepare me for the days counting down to my August 27th wedding the the Hurricane Irene dooms-day predictions started rolling in. To say I was "emotional" would have been an understatement. Every time the phone rang the week-of, I was terrified to answer, banking on cancellations from the venue and all my vendors, not to mention flight cancellations from friends and family flying in from Europe, South America and Canada. But Erin kept the faith that all would be well. Not just well, but rocking. She was right. Thanks to her, I found the strength to put on a happy face and go dance in the rain. 

Our wedding was a cluster of vintage random. My must-haves were books, vintage hodgepodge, and peacock feathers. There were the three concepts I gave to Erin, and she ran with them. I had total faith in her to make the venue- moved from the original outside plan, clearly, to inside a tent at the beautiful Brandywine Manor House- sing. It sanggggggggg. When I walked into the venue that day, I couldn't believe how spot on they were with everything. Proud to Plan's instinct for design is unparalleled. 

All our vendors were just as fabulous: No little hurricane prevented Kurt from Synergetic Sound and Lighting from doing his thing...well, at least until the power went out! The divine Laurie Sasko Designs braved the storm and arrived with all her gorgeous florals intact. The creatively artistic Kylene Cleaver from Leave It To Me Photography provided the images, and was gracious enough to extend a do over session in the sun. Our paper products, made with love from Greenleaf Paperie, stayed dry and pretty. Big ups to Posh Salon for making the hour-trek up to the venue in the storm, and Samantha Julian for feeding the people!

Aside from an early end to the evening due to Irene's rising waters and that pesky power loss, it was the best WeddingCane I've ever been to."

And here are a few images from their day after portrait session! A big thanks to Kylene from Leave It To Me Photography for doing this for Amy and Sean. They are a gorgeous couple and the pictures are amazing! Congratulations Amy and Sean!

Aisle Decor

The wedding ceremony will be the most memorable part of the day. One of the first things that your guests will notice when they arrive at your wedding is the aisle decor at the ceremony. The aisle decor sets the look and feel of your wedding dramatically. Whether you're planning a classical church ceremony, a casual beach ceremony, or a romantic garden wedding; the aisle decor really can set the stage for the rest of your event.

Classic or romantic ceremony decor for your aisle could include floral pomanders, rose petals, candles or luminaries, and/or potted plants. Rose petals could line your aisle, or if you're looking for something altered, ask your florist to arrange the rose petals in a pattern or design down the aisle. Using luminaries can light the way down the aisle, adding an intimate feel to your ceremony. Even tall trees overarching the the aisle way could incorporate a dramatic entrance.

Jennifer and Eddy's Wedding
Photo courtesy of Justin & Mary Photography

Mary Lee and Lenny's Wedding
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Childress Photography

Vintage weddings in venues such as mansions, a rose garden or even an old barnyard, aisle decor is almost inevitable. Glass mason jars are a great option for this instance. In the jars, you can place a flameless candle or a small cluster of flowers. The jars can easily be hung by ribbon off the side of the chairs lining the aisle or could be placed on the ground lining the aisle. Very cute, yet very simple! To add more height to your ceremony space, you can hang lanterns on sheperd's hooks. Incorporate a candle and simply decorate with flowers and ribbon to complete the look. 

Katie and Brady's Wedding
Photo courtesy of Sarah DiCicco Photography

Kaylan and Dan's Wedding
Photo courtesy of Lloydlee Heite

Modern ceremonies can typically display the more out-of-the-box concepts, such as garlands made from paper, fabric or yarn pom-poms, paper pinwheels, wreaths, pew bows and much more. Simple, yet beautiful, wreaths represent the circle of unity that you are celebrating with your marriage vows. Consider hanging wreaths by ribbon of your chosen color over the end of the pew. Ribbons also leave room for creativity; try something different and attach many long strands of think, colorful ribbon off the back of your ceremony chairs. Pinwheels can also be used and are whimsical, happy touches. Instead of flowers, use pinwheels to decorate a lawn aisle. Pinwheels can be made out of interesting paper or certain colors, or get really creative and use maps of where your honeymoon will be taking place!

Beth and Mike's Wedding
Photo courtesy of Misty Dawn Photography

Liz and Mike's Wedding
Photo courtesy of Kerry Harrison

An aisle runner is perfect for either an indoor or outdoor wedding ceremony. These runners add interest to your wedding photographs and protect the bride's dress. Wedding aisle runners in a variety of colors and you can get them customized to add a personal touch.

Chrissy and Joe's Wedding
Photo courtesy of Laura Eaton Photography

Melissa and Carl's Wedding
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Childress Photography

-Amanda

A Recent Thank You Note

We received another fantastic Thank You email last week! This time, our stationery stole the show :)

"Hi TJ-

I can't thank you enough for the absolutely beautiful programs, signs, seating chart and napkins you made for our wedding. Every single piece was absolutely perfect! Our guests were raving about everything, especially the seating chart and programs. One of my friends told me she has never seen a more gorgeous program at a wedding!

I was so impressed with how responsive you were throughout this entire process and your ability to create a suite of pieces that was exactly what I was looking for! I knew the hardest part of the wedding planning process was going to be the small details that tied it all together, and because of your products I was able to do that easily.

I will (and already have!) recommend you to anyone and everyone who will listen! Please don't hesitate to contact me if I can ever serve as a reference or write a testimonial. I will sing your praises anytime!

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for helping to make our wedding day so very memorable. 

--Courtney"