Seating Arrangements for the Reception

Like the invitation, your seating arrangements are a great way to communicate to guests the theme of your reception. If you are having escort cards done, they are likely to be sitting on a table or hanging in a tree outside the reception area and they are the first thing your guests will see of the reception. They present an opportunity to be as unique or as traditional as you and your groom want to be. Above, cards in Copperplate script and Bickham script.

It is customary to have an escort card (the card that has the guests name and table number telling them where they are to sit) but some like to have a placecard as well (which tells each individual where they are seated, once they get to the table). The two above are simple, yet elegant ways to inform your guests of where they are seated.

Placecards inserted in a wine cork are an excellent choice for a charming wine country wedding. These were envisioned by wedding designer Tiffany Cannis and photographed by Jennifer Rau. The calligraphy is in my font style, Chaucer. Each of these placecards were printed by Lucky Paperie and then calligraphed individually.

I'm sure you have seen the hand-painted sand dollars. These were for a beach wedding in Cabo San Lucas. They double as a favor and are sure to delight your guests. They can be displayed in several ways: In a box of sand and seashells or orchids, or hanging from a tree. Either way, they are stunning. For the same wedding, the bride chose to have printed menus, but at the top she left a space for me to write each guests' name. This way, they function as a menu, a placecard, and a keepsake for each individual. These here were printed in brown and had the name written in gold. Both are written in my Costello script.

These cards above were for an island wedding, the bamboo holders were put together by hand by the bride. Below, escort envelopes were inserted with gorgeous white orchids in tiny round vases, flower design by Always a Bridesmaid. When it comes to seating arrangements, nothing is more enchanting than hand-lettered calligraphy. It adds an air of elegance and sophistication that simply cannot be matched by computer-generated cards. Calligraphy in the Copperplate script.