Guide
Escort cards vs. place cards (and seating chart displays)
Escort cards
Escort cards wait on a table at the entrance to the reception. Each one shows a guest's name, or a couple's or family's, and their table number. Guests pick theirs up on the way in. Lay them out alphabetically by last name so people find themselves quickly. A common size is about 3.5×2 inches, flat or folded into a tent, and some couples make them double as favors.
Place cards
Place cards sit at each place setting and mark exactly where a guest sits. You only need them if you assign seats, not just tables. They're useful for plated dinners with several entrées: a small symbol on the card tells the servers who ordered what. Fold-over cards with the name on both sides also help tablemates learn each other's names.
Seating chart displays
A seating chart display is one large sign, often 18×24 or 24×36 inches on an easel, listing every guest by table or alphabetically. It does the same job as escort cards with one print instead of a hundred cards, which makes it popular for big weddings. For more than about 100 guests, an alphabetical list is faster to scan than a list by table.
Which does what
| Escort cards | Place cards | Seating chart display | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tells guests | Their table | Their exact seat | Their table |
| Where it goes | Entrance to the reception | At each place setting | Entrance to the reception |
| How many | One per guest or household | One per guest | One sign (two for big rooms) |
| You need it when | You assign tables | You assign seats | You assign tables |
Do you need both?
- Assigned tables, buffet or family-style meal: escort cards or a seating chart display. No place cards.
- Assigned tables, plated meal with choices: escort cards or a display, plus place cards with meal symbols, or escort cards with the meal marked that guests bring to the table.
- Assigned seats at a formal dinner: a display or escort cards, plus place cards.
- Open seating: neither. Put "Reserved" signs on the family tables.
How many to print
Escort cards: one per guest, or one per household if you'd rather. Place cards: one per guest. Table numbers: one per table. Print 5–10% extra blank cards for typos and late changes, and bring a pen that matches.
Free templatesPrint a seating chart display, 5×7 table numbers and fold-over place cards in seven matching designs with the free seating chart templates.
Headtable prints an alphabetical escort list and fold-over place cards straight from your guest list with Headtable Pro, and the free version prints the seating chart. Read how to make a wedding seating chart for the steps before printing.
Plan the whole chart on your phone.
Download on theApp StoreFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between escort cards and place cards?
Escort cards tell guests which table they're at and are set out at the reception entrance. Place cards sit on the table and show each guest's exact seat.
Are escort cards and a seating chart the same thing?
They do the same job: both tell guests their table. Escort cards are individual cards guests pick up; a seating chart display is one large sign. You need one or the other, not both.
Do I need place cards if I have a seating chart?
Only if you assign specific seats, for example for a plated dinner with different entrées or a formal head table.
How should escort cards be arranged?
Alphabetically by last name, in neat rows, so guests can find their card quickly.
What size are place cards?
A common folded size is about 3.5×2 inches. The free templates print fold-over place cards that fold to 3.5×1.65 inches, six per page.