Set Up a Wedding Escort Card Table

If you use escort cards instead of a seating chart to tell guests their table assignments at your wedding reception, let your escort card table set the tone for your reception. Go with formal cards in envelopes or table tents on a nicely decorated table for a traditional approach. Alternatively, you can set up a creative or whimsical table or display that matches your wedding theme. Just remember to keep the cards in alphabetical order so guests can find them. If you’ll also have place cards at each table to assign specific seats, try to match these to your escort cards.

Steps

Creating Your Escort Card Display

1. Choose decorations that complement your wedding style. Include different items on the escort card table that reflect your theme, like pots of flowers, glitter on the tablecloth, or ornate picture frames. Create different layers on the table and cluster your cards and items together for an interesting display. Use candles or other lighting to brighten up your table.
   • Fill in open spots on the table with flowers, ivy, or other botanicals.
   • Put the escort cards in the picture frames and let guests take those home as favors.
2. Repurpose old furniture to hold your cards. Open the drawers in an old, distressed dresser to hold your display of escort cards. You can also use an old drawer or a large, antique mirror as a tray to hold the cards on a table. Decorate the drawer or mirror with botanicals around the cards.
   • Try displaying the cards in antique trays that are decorated with antique jewelry or items like antique clocks, compasses, and looking glasses.
3. Attach your cards to a board. Use an easel or cork board to hang pretty, tasselled escort cards. You can also pin colorful buttons with each guest’s name on a black or colorful board. Instead of a traditional board, create a display of antique keys or door knobs attached to a vintage door. Attach escort cards to each key or door knob.
   • Attach escort cards to distressed, antique shutters for a rustic look.
   • Pin luggage tags or escort cards that look like boarding passes, postcards, or antique luggage labels to a map for a travel theme or destination wedding.
4. Hang your cards. Use origami cranes as escort cards and hang these from the ceiling or a frame. Or hang ornaments or gift cards that have each guest’s name and table number from a small tree or topiary. Let guests keep the ornaments as favors.
   • Write a table number on large helium-filled balloons in your wedding theme colors and attach escort cards for the guests at each table to the strings of the balloons.
   • String up a line of escort cards between antique window frames or two wooden ladders. Attach the cards to the lines with clothespins or ribbons.
5. Ensure the writing on your escort cards is legible. Use calligraphy or other pretty fonts as long as guests can clearly make out their names and table numbers. Also choose a card design that clearly displays the name. Legible writing on a card large enough to be read will prevent confusion or guests clustering around the escort card table searching for their cards.

Setting Up Tables with Food and Drink

1. Put escort cards in cups or etch guests’ names on the cups. Use pretty wine glasses, decorated mason jars, or copper shot glasses. Have drinks available on the escort card table for filling the cups. Encourage your guests to use these throughout the reception and take them home as favors.
   • Try attaching elegant escort cards to the stem of a full champagne flute.
2. Attach escort cards to bottles of beverage. Depending on the vibe of your wedding, you can use mini booze bottles or colorful soda bottles. Arrange the bottles according to color or flavor and assign each color or flavor to a table, so guests have fun matching their bottles to their tables. Have extra bottles of other flavors available at each table during the reception.
   • You can also attach escort cards to colorful drink umbrellas. Provide drinks for the umbrellas on the escort table or from circulating waiters.
3. Pair escort tags with fruit. Put an escort card in little baskets of berries or cherries for each guest. Arrange these prettily in an antique dresser by putting some moss in the drawers and lining up the baskets on the moss. Write names and table assignments on little flags and attach those to the stem of pears or apples arranged in rows on a table. You can also put the flags in the tops of ripe peaches.
   • You can gild the apples or pears by painting them with gold paint.
   • Pin escort flags in mini cupcakes instead of fruit. Arrange these on pretty trays that are organized by table number.

Adding Greenery to Your Display

1. Attach flowers or plants to your escort cards. Use small buds that match the flowers in your wedding theme or bouquet. Paint succulents in metallic paint and attach your gift cards to those. Or you can get small terrariums or pots of plants and attach the gift cards to the those.
   • Let guests take home the terrariums or pots as favors.
   • For gardeners or a DIY look, attach escort cards to seed packets.
   • For a simple and elegant display, attach calligraphed escort cards to lavender bundles.
2. Put escort cards on a bed of flowers. Arrange a bed of flowers in your theme colors or that match your bouquet on your escort table and stick the cards among the flowers. For the holidays, put cranberries in golden trays, line up your escort cards in the berries, and arrange mistletoe around the cards. Create a vertical display by filling an antique frame or window box with flowers and propping the cards among the flowers.
   • Use escort cards with a floral cut-out detail. Set them up on a table covered in rose petals and votive candles for a simple and romantic display.
3. Create a display with moss. Line an empty antique garden fountain or bird bath with a bed of moss and stick calligraphed escort cards in the moss for a classic look. Or use an urn filled with moss and attach escort cards to wires stuck in the moss for another lovely display. Cover your escort card table in moss and arrange escort cards and other flowers on top of the moss for a green display.
   • Attach escort cards to pots covered in moss and use the pots as favors after the wedding.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Work for a Wedding Planner
• Be a Great Groom
• Be a Wedding Planner
• Choose a Wedding Chapel in Gatlinburg, Tennessee
• Stop Your Parents from Controlling Your Wedding Plans
• Choose a Rustic Wedding Dress
• Plan Your Wedding Cake Tasting
• Avoid Buying a Counterfeit Wedding Gown
• Accommodate Wedding Guests with Dietary Restrictions
• Choose Elegant Wedding Decor

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