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Melissa
Master March 2018

Place cards vs seating chart

Melissa, on December 24, 2017 at 5:10 PM Posted in Planning 0 22
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I was originally planning on doing a seating chart. But we relocated to SC in November and now I’m trying to just make things easy. Our invites go out in a couple weeks, rsvp date for March 5th. Final numbers due March 17th. I don’t see me being able to do a displayed seating chart:
A) In time,
B ) getting it back to NY without damaging it.
C ) Ordering one to be sent to NY and see something is wrong with it when we get there 3 days before the wedding.
We have 62 invited guests, expecting about 50 to come. Did anyone do one vs the other and find it easier? I really wanted a displayed one but I just don’t think it’s going to happen.
Also did you hand write the place cards or print them?

22 Comments

Latest activity by Vanessa, on December 27, 2017 at 5:07 AM
  • Jill
    Expert August 2018
    Jill ·
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    I think place cards are easier. Laid out on a long table alphabetically makes it easier for guests to find tjemselves, instead of everyone standing in line crowded around a single chart.
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  • C
    Dedicated March 2023
    Catherine ·
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    We’re doing a seating chart but when they come in, they’ll pick up their first wedding favor with your name and table number on it, then go to their table to find their place cards. I’m not a fan of big seating charts that you display, so instead of something like that, maybe you could have a trinket (one of my friends did origami cranes) with their name and table number?
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  • Nicole
    Dedicated May 2018
    Nicole ·
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    I was going to do something super cute and elaborate, but we are just having the lady who's making our invites make our cards. I don't think anyone remembers them, and if you hand write them it's easy to add one real quick if you need to.

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  • Rachel Langerhans
    Expert October 2015
    Rachel Langerhans ·
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    We did a seating chart (no place cards). I just printed table assignments on computer paper and taped them to poster board. Decorated the board a little and that was it. The table assignments were typed (we had about 90 guests), the note on the board was painted by hand.
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  • Ginggotthering
    Devoted August 2018
    Ginggotthering ·
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    The only thing that is bad with seating charts is when to order them with the correct name of the guests attending. My friends were rushing to order theirs 2 weeks before the wedding because people weren't rsvp'ing by the date. It became such a nightmare.
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  • BoudreauToBe
    Master July 2018
    BoudreauToBe ·
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    I am leaning towards escort cards

    A) because I always have to look at the chart 2 or 3 times to remember my table number
    B) everyone looking st the chart kind of bottlenecks the entrance in my experience

    I plan to print them but probably do them myself with Avery labels so I can make changes last minute if need be.
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  • Munchkin9218
    Master September 2018
    Munchkin9218 ·
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    I’m leaning toward place cards simply because the guests will choose their meal in advance and it will make it easier for me to color code them so they waiters know who to serve what to
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  • Melissa
    Master March 2018
    Melissa ·
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    This is exactly what I’m afraid of and why I think I’m going to just do the cards. Plus I can get the cards for less than $10.
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  • Adriana
    Expert October 2017
    Adriana ·
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    I really wanted a seating chart, and had the fear of getting it back to NJ from NC. We ordered a template from Etsy, set it up, went to a staples near us, had it printed on regular printer paper to check over it, and then had it ordered and printed on foam board from a staples near our parents. We honestly had no issues with printing.
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  • LB
    Champion November 2016
    LB ·
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    I've never been to a wedding with a seating chart, only escort cards.

    We ordered ours from minted, they print them for you. They came SUPER fast.
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  • GoodMOB
    April 2018
    GoodMOB ·
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    Adriana, that's a great idea to order from one Staples to another. Thanks for the tip for brides who travel for weddings!

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  • muriel
    Champion June 2018
    muriel ·
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    Melissa, you are referring to escort cards, not place cards. Escort cards are displayed alphabetically to help guests find their assigned table. Place cards are found at the table to indicate assigned seats at the table.

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  • Melissa
    Master March 2018
    Melissa ·
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    Sorry yes. I know they’re different I’ve just called them the same thing.
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  • danilaughs
    Expert August 2018
    danilaughs ·
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    I had been leaning towards a chart, but now I’m leaning towards cards. Definitely would be less bottle necking and forgetfulness, especially since we’re expecting 150 people.
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  • muriel
    Champion June 2018
    muriel ·
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    It's also easier to make last minute changes with escort cards. Order a few extrs.

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  • danilaughs
    Expert August 2018
    danilaughs ·
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    Good advice, thank you! Smiley sexy
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  • ET
    Devoted March 2018
    ET ·
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    I'm having a similar dilemma. I love the idea of a framed seating chart, but ordering the actual chart at the last minute just seems like such a huge headache. We are either displaying tented escort cards on a table, or flat escort cards attached to a "find your seat" kind of board. Seems like a much less stressful way to account for last minute changes.

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  • Orchids
    Master March 2018
    Orchids ·
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    I'm doing place cards this time because for my first wedding we had two no-shows and a crasher and the hand-written stuff on the seating chart was really obvious and bothered me a lot.

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  • Future Mrs B
    Super July 2017
    Future Mrs B ·
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    Place cards might be easier for you with your timeline. You could start writing them as you get the rsvps back. After that you can put the table numbers on.
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  • An
    Super September 2019
    An ·
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    I think escort cards are perfect. I think seating charts are often more difficult to read and can be kind of an eyesore unless they are done really nicely.

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