Placecards at wedding receptions
This is a thread that was started in our old BlissWeddings.com forums by 4Jeannie on 04/03/2004.
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posted by 4Jeannie
My daughters wedding is being held on the beach, and we are incorporating the beach theme into the reception decorations, etc. I've only been to small weddings, so have never seen an actual "seating chart" set up. We decided early on to decorate 2X3 picture frames with sand and shells, and use them as placecards. Now that we have 100 of these done, I'm thinking that maybe I shouldn't have used place cards at all since the catering manager tells me that they have an easle for our use, and we are supposed to make a posterboard size chart of the table locations with table numbers and guests names with table numbers. We have already stenciled table numbers onto large sanddollars for each table. Is this going to be too redundant- Chart with table locations, guest names & table number, then table numbers on the tables as well as placecards??? I hate to not use the frames now that they are all done.
Thanks so much for any help you can give me!
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posted by wedgirl
You don't have to use an easel if you don't want to. Personally, I dislike them. I think it's wierd to have a bunch of people standing around a chart trying to find their name, figure out where the table is, etc. We put our guest names AND table numbers on the placecards, and set up all the placecards in alphabetical order on a table outside the reception. That way, all a guest needed to do was find their placecard with their table number on it, and then go into the reception and find the corresponding table. (This made it easier for the guest, instead of having to wander around the room trying to find their placecard on the tables. But, you can still simply set the card on the table in the reception hall, and let the guests "find" their seat that way.) I love the idea of the decorated frames - I would definitely use them! I don't see why you couldn't tell the catering manager that you don't want to use the easel - I think that would be a bit redundant.
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posted by feb-bride
We set up our placecards the same way wedgirl did. We had a table at the entrance to the reception hall. All placecards were set up alphabetically and had the guests' names and table assignments on them. The guests simply had to grab their placecards and find their tables. Everyone was seated relatively quickly and there were no hassles.
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posted by 4Jeannie
Hi Guys- Thanks so much for the input. I would like to do the frames (placecards) that way. Do you think that everyone will know to pick theirs up and find the right table? (I guess I'm not saying much about some of our guests intelligence) Also, the frames we decorated are all different shapes- square, rectangular, rounded, etc., and each is decorated a little different. (originally I thought it would be easy to find inexpensive, wallet size frames- WRONG!) I'm wondering if I will have room for 80-100 frames lined up in the reception hall (the tables provided for this are small, half ovals mounted on the wall) My sister suggests going ahead and putting them on the tables, so I would still need a seating chart with maybe just names and table numbers. Could anyone that has time to respond let me know what they would think of so many wallet size picture frames together (none the same)Thanks so much.
Now I wish we had just used the tent fold cards..........
THANKS AGAIN!
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posted by wedgirl
If you are going to put the placecards on a table, I would suggest trying to locate a long rectangular table to place them on. (I can't imagine a reception hall not having one of these!) I think it would look fine if you use a rectangular table like that; I don't know that there would be room on the small half-oval tables that you said are already in the reception hall. You might try it out and see if it works with the smaller tables. I don't think the fact that they are different shapes matters a whole lot - I think it would look interesting and cute! Also, people generally figure out the whole name card thing. You can also arrange to have someone at the door to the ballroom, directing people to pick up their place card, if they haven't already. Also, unless you are going to use them again, you might make an announcement to let people know that they can take their placecard frame home with them - kind of a bonus favor gift.
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posted by 4Jeannie
Thanks for the reply wedgirl. Can you believe that the catering manager wanted us to put the wedding cake on one of these tables as well? She acted as though bringing in another table was weird or something. (She also never heard of placing the champagne bottles on the tables- said that would be considered "serving minors". I pointed out that every time my husband orders wine with dinner, it sits right there at our table!) We've had little things like this happening since we booked the place. (The only place on the beach we can afford in So. Calif.) But it's a beautiful ballroom style room, and the location is right on the sand, so we couldn't pass it up. Just wish I had the money to hire a wedding coordinator! Thanks again for the advice!
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