What’s The Difference Between A Place Card And An Escort Card?

What’s the difference between a place card and an escort card? An escort card tells guests which table they will be seated at. A place card tells guests which seat they will be seated at.

You’ve just finished your seating plan. Now it’s time to decide how you are going to tell people where they are going to be sitting. This can be done using either place cards or escort cards. 

Let’s discuss exactly what each of them is a bit more. How to choose between them, and look at some inspiring ideas that you could use for your wedding.

Place Cards

Place cards are cards that have your guest’s name upon them. Put them exactly where you would like your guest to sit for your reception, hence ‘place’ cards. They are used for more formal weddings and are typically paired with a seating chart. 

A seating chart lists the names of the people at each table on a large sign. This sign is often near the entrance to the venue or in the cocktail area. Use it to show guests who is sitting with whom. Use it as a map too, so guests can find their table at a large venue.

Guests typically view the large seating chart to find out what table they have been designated. Then when they reach their table, place cards will show exactly where each person is sitting.

What Are Escort Cards?

Escort cards are little cards that have the name of a guest and which table they are sitting at. You can either have an escort card for each guest or you could group couples on the same card.

An escort card lets your guests choose which seat they sit on at their specific table. It also lets them choose who they sit next to. This makes them perfect for more informal weddings. Escort cards are usually left in a group together, generally near your reception’s entry point. 

You can also choose to pair escort cards with a seating chart. Doing so means that people can use the seating chart to tell where their table is in the room. If you don’t want to go with a seating chart then having a table number or a visual cue that pairs a table with the escort card is a great option as well. 

You can choose to get escort cards that match your wedding theme or even just be a bit of fun.

Should You Choose Escort Cards or Place Cards?

It depends on how much you want to curate your wedding guests’ experience. Do you want to assign people to tables and let them freely choose where to sit at the table? Or do you want to make sure that certain people sit next to each other? Or perhaps make sure that some people don’t sit next to each other? 

You could even choose to use both cards. In fact, many couples who are hosting a formal wedding do. The escort cards tell people which table they are sitting at, while the place cards show them their specific seat. Couples with an informal wedding are likely to omit both of them altogether.

There is one more thing to consider. Escort cards and place cards make lovely keepsakes for guests to take home after your wedding.

Whichever name card you go with depends on your personal preferences. If you are unsure about your current seating plan you could review the pros and cons of the different seating plan types and why you would use them. 

What will you choose for your wedding?

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