Escort Cards vs Place Cards vs Seating Board: Which Do You Need?
Key Takeaways
- An escort card or board names a table; a place card names a seat, and they do different jobs.
- A seating board is one print instead of dozens of cards, and it works best under about 80 guests; past that, an alphabetical board or escort cards stop a queue.
- Add place cards when meal choices are served to the seat or when a table has a specific order, such as the head table.
- Sort an alphabetical board when guests are over 80 and mixed; sort by table when it is smaller and the layout is part of the display.
- Retyping every name by hand is where mistakes enter, so print from the guest list, not from a copy.
Escort cards, place cards and a seating board answer two different questions. The first and the third answer "which table am I at?" The second answers "which chair is mine?" Most weddings only need to answer the first.
The three, defined
- Escort card: a small card per guest or couple, usually with the name and the table number, laid out on a table at the entrance. Guests take theirs and walk to the table.
- Seating board (or seating chart sign): one large sign listing every guest and their table, in one place. Guests find their name and walk to the table.
- Place card: a card at an individual seat, with the guest's name. It decides the chair, and often carries the meal choice.
An escort card or a board gets guests into the right area of the room. A place card decides the exact seat once they get there.
Which do you need?
Use this rule.
| Your dinner | Use |
|---|---|
| Buffet or family-style, assigned tables | Board or escort cards. Guests choose their own chair |
| Plated, one meal for everyone | Board or escort cards. Place cards are optional |
| Plated, with a choice of entrée | Escort cards or board and place cards (or a coded marker) |
| Head table, or any table with a fixed order | Place cards at that table at least |
| Under 40 guests | Place cards alone, if you want to skip the escort step |
| Over 150 guests | Escort cards, sorted alphabetically, with two stations |
If you have to choose one, choose a board or escort cards. Place cards save you only the five seconds a guest takes to pick a chair, unless there is a reason the chair matters.
What each costs
Count cards by household, not by guest. 100 guests who arrive as 60 couples, families and singles need 60 escort cards. Place cards are one per guest, so 100.
| Item | Cost driver | Time driver |
|---|---|---|
| Escort cards, shop-printed | Price per card, so ask for a quote for your count | Laying them out in order at the entrance |
| Escort cards, home-printed | Paper, ink, and a cutter | Printing, cutting and sorting 60 cards |
| Seating board | One large print plus a frame or stand | Designing the layout and proofing every name |
| Place cards | Same as escort cards, but per guest | Setting one at each chair before doors open |
Time is the real cost, so ask who types the names. At our wedding I designed the printed seating board myself in Canva and had to retype the guest list into it by hand. If you design your own board, export the names from the guest list rather than retyping, and print one proof before ordering.
Alphabetical or by table
A board and escort cards can be sorted two ways.
| Alphabetical | By table | |
|---|---|---|
| Pros | Guests find their name in seconds; works for any size | Looks designed; guests see who they sit with |
| Cons | Looks like a list | Guests scan every table; queues form |
| Best for | Over 80 guests, mixed ages | Under 60 guests, a styled display |
For more than about 80 guests, sort alphabetically. Guests are standing at a board with a drink, and a crowd of 80 people waiting to read one sign is a queue at the door. A by-table board works at 40 guests, where a guest can scan five tables in ten seconds.
If you sort alphabetically, group by first name or last name, whichever your guests know. A family sorted under the wrong surname is the most common complaint. List couples under both surnames if they have different ones, and put a small note: "Dr Patel (table 4)".
A board of 150 names in a single column needs a big print, so split it into two or three panels by letter (A to H, I to Q, R to Z). That halves the crowd.
Sign wording
Put one line above the board or the cards:
Find your name, find your table. Seats are up to you.
When place cards are used:
Please find your table, then your name card. Your meal choice is marked on the card.
A shorter, warmer option:
Take your card and find your table. Dinner is at 6.
For the table numbers themselves, numbers are clearer than names. A table called "Paris" or "Aunt Maria's table" makes guests ask where it is. Use numbers, with a floor plan sign at the entrance that shows the table positions.
Mistakes to avoid
- Printing early. Cancellations arrive until the last week. Print at 7 to 10 days and keep spare blank cards.
- Misspelt names. Copy from the RSVP, not from memory.
- No board and no cards. Guests wander and fill the first table, which defeats the plan.
- Place cards with no meal marker for a choice dinner. Servers guess, and a guest gets the wrong plate.
The chart behind all of this lives in your guest list. Once names are assigned to tables, a tool that exports a guest list with table numbers saves you retyping them, which is the free seating chart route; for the question of when to print, see when to do your seating chart, and for whether to assign at all, see assigned vs open seating.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need both escort cards and place cards?
Usually not. Escort cards get guests to a table and place cards get them to a seat, so you need both only when a table has an exact order or each plate is different. For a buffet or a family-style dinner, escort cards or a board alone is enough and guests pick their own chair.
What is the difference between a seating chart and an escort card?
A seating chart is the plan that decides who sits where, and escort cards or a board are the way guests see it. The chart is your working document; the cards are a print of it. You make the chart first and print the cards from it.
How much do escort cards cost?
Printed cards from a shop cost the most per card, home printing costs paper and ink, and a board is one large print plus a frame or stand. Get a quote for your count before choosing. Count one card per household, not per guest: 100 guests in 60 households is 60 cards.
Should a seating board be alphabetical?
Yes, for more than about 80 guests. Alphabetical lets guests find their name in seconds, because they know how to scan an alphabet. A board sorted by table looks nicer, but guests have to read every table to find themselves, which queues up the entrance.
What do you write on an escort card?
The guest's name, the table number or name, and optionally the meal choice. For a couple, write both names on one card. Add a small dot or a short word for the entrée if place cards are not used, so servers can tell plates apart.
How far in advance should I print escort cards?
In the last week, once the headcount is closed. Printing earlier risks a reprint when a guest cancels. Order them 7 to 10 days out to leave time for printing, and keep a few blank cards and a pen for changes on the day.
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