Escort Cards vs. Seating Charts

Receptions can be chaotic, nobody knows that better than the wedding planners! On the day you say "I do," the last thing you want to be is stressed out. Making sure guests are in the right place at the right time is one of those small details that will help your day go a lot smoother!

Cutting down guest confusion starts with the seats. Whether you choose to do escort cards or display a seating chart, there are certain things you want to make sure you do with both.

Escort cards can add another dimension of personalization to your wedding. Make sure they're alphabetized though, or else that could present a problem with guests trying to locate their seats. Also, escort cards are also better suited for plated dinner receptions, allowing the caterer and servers to differentiate between meal choices. Make sure that you mark them clearly though! For example, light green and dark green isn't a strong enough contrast.

Here are some cute escort cards we've seen recently...

Lemoncello Escort Card

This couple used these Lemoncello-filled bottles as double-duty escort cards and favors for their Little Italy themed wedding! Just another small detail to personalize your wedding. I bet this was a wedding favor guests actually used too!

Grassy Escort Card Field

Getting a small patch of grass to display the escort cards is a great idea! They are all upright and it adds a pop of color to an otherwise potentially boring area.


Now, on the flip side, displaying a pretty seating chart would be less expensive and environmentally greener. Unless an escort card is exceptionally pretty or useful, guests don't tend to hold onto them.

Take a look at some of our favorite seating charts we've found:

Blush Seating Chart

How pretty is this! And again, fairly easy and inexpensive to make. The list is alphabetized by the last name so guests can easily find their seat.

Window Seating Chart

This is one of our favorites. It's surprising easy to find discarded windows, and they look so nice and original! What a great idea :) Again though, arranging the names alphabetically, instead of by table, would make it easier for guests to find themselves.

Escort cards or seating charts, pick a side!

What style do you prefer?