Seating Chart Displays, Place Cards and Menu Cards: Ideas, Formats and How to Print Them Yourself
The seating chart display is the first thing guests see when they enter the hall. It should look lovely, but above all everyone has to find their seat within seconds. With 100 guests in front of a badly sorted plan, a jam forms quickly. On top of that come place cards and menu cards, which you can print yourselves if you know a few things about format, paper and fonts.
The common forms
- Poster on an easel: The classic. A print in A1 or A0 on cardboard or foam board.
- Mirror or glass: Written on with a chalk marker or film. Very elegant, but only readable in good light.
- Wooden frame with cards: One card per table, on strings or clips. Easy to change if someone else cancels.
- Escort cards: Each guest gets their own small card with the table name to take along. Lovely, but more effort.
The right size
A name has to be readable from about one meter away. That means at least 12 to 14 point font size in print. For small weddings A2 is enough, from about 80 guests take A1, from 120 guests A0 or two displays.
Guests look for their name, not their table. An alphabetical list by last name with the table next to it is much faster at large weddings than a plan sorted by tables.
Where does the display go?
In the entrance area, but not directly in the doorway, so no line forms all the way outside. With room in front for several people at once. At large weddings, two displays in different spots help.
When to print?
As late as possible, about a week before. With cards in a frame you can still swap individual tables the day before. With a large poster print, changes are expensive.
Nothing annoys guests more than a misspelled name. Have someone from each family proofread the list.
Place cards
Place cards stand as a small folded card on the plate or in front of the glass. Folded cards of about 10 × 7 cm or flat cards in business card size are common. The name should be printed in at least 14 pt, as the light is dimmed in the evening. Delicate script fonts look lovely but are hard to read by candlelight. For names, rather use a clear font and save the script for decor.
If you mark dietary needs on the place card, a small symbol on the back is enough. The service staff see it, and it doesn't bother the guests.
Menu cards
One menu card per place or one per table? Both are common. One per place feels more festive, one per table saves paper. List the courses in the right order and include vegetarian or vegan alternatives.
Paper and printing at home
Cardstock of 250 to 300 g/m² is suitable for place cards. Test beforehand whether your printer can handle the paper. Print the cards only once the seating chart is really final, usually five to seven days before the celebration, and keep a few blank cards and a matching pen ready for spontaneous changes.
Home printers usually can't print to the edge. So print on a larger sheet and trim along the crop marks. For cards with color to the edge, give the file with bleed to a print shop.
Stationery checklist
- Seating chart for the entrance, alphabetical
- Place cards with names, possibly a menu symbol
- Table numbers or table names
- Menu cards
- Signs for the buffet, bar and guest book
What does a display cost?
The cost depends heavily on the material. A poster print costs a few euros, acrylic or wood considerably more. A small floor plan on the display is not a must, but it helps in large rooms with many tables.
The display as a PDF
Export the seating chart alphabetically or by table and print it in any size.