No, I’m not talking about glorified hookers just trying to pay for college. I’m talking about one of the key elements to your wedding…the escort card table!
Back in da day (I assume…I’m not old enough to know) escort card tables were boring and blah. Thank God we live in the age of Martha Stewart, Chartha Stewart (yours truly…a moniker bestowed upon me by one of my dear friends), and Pinterest. The inspiration is everywhere, and brides today know that an escort card table is one of the first things your guests see before entering the reception area….so it better be fancy! This is a place you can go nuts with creativity…and it’s not too much work to do so!
Some of my favorites:
This is one that I worked with Janet Flowers Wedding & Event Design on for my clients Courtney and Robb. You can see more of their fab wedding here I love how sophisticated this design was….the flowers were so lush and so chic!
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I love how elegant this one is…mixing the rough element of the wood with the bling of the crystals…so glam!
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I am all about the drama and this definitely brings it! Forego the table…just have a tree! Guests names hang from the branches, which has a stunning effect. Drama is right….just wait until guests are crowding around searching for their names…great idea in theory, but a logistical nightmare!
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I love love love the look of a round escort card table…and love even more that it helps with crowd control as it disperses people around the table as opposed to all crowding together at a rectangular display. The petals in between rows of cards make this look so stunning!
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I am NOT a fan of lollipop arrangements (those huge tall flower arrangements that have a big bouffant of flowers on top of a skinny vase), however I actually love the one in this escort table design. I think it works so well because it’s outside and not in a stuffy hotel ballroom…and the other arrangements with it make it look fresh and modern, not boring and overdone.
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Obvi I love this. Candlelight, elegant white flowers, clean and simple…you just can’t go wrong!
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This pretty vintage inspired table design is giving me LIFE! Love the assorted lace ribbons to give it a true vintage look…so much better than using the same ribbon for every row.
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Yes, Yes, YESSSS! A simple bed of hydrangea holds these simply pretty escort cards….perfection! Sometimes simple makes the biggest impact!
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I love this one done with carnations too!
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This is the most creative idea EVER! Perfect for the bride with a kitschy, casual wedding…name each table after one of the sodas, then put guests names on the soda bottle…how fun!
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I just TOLD YOU how succulents were a big wedding trend…how fab is this? The potted succulents act as both escort cards and favors..obviously this would work with any flower/plant
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These vintage key escort cards are just so sweet…perfect for a vintage inspired or garden wedding!
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LOVE these boxes of matches for escort cards….perfect if you’re doing a sparkler sendoff!
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Or, you could always go the other direction and do a candle escort…the cuff around the bottom of the candle has the name and table number….love this!
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And last but most creative…escort drinks! Have waiters with trays greeting your guests…each glass has a band around the top with the guest name and table number…genius!
No matter what you decide to do for your escort card table setup, remember the most important thing:
STAY ORGANIZED! I could give you PLENTY of nightmare stories where brides were not organized in their numbering, alphabetizing, or seating charts. Follow these tips to make sure you don’t end up with a wedding day DISASTER:
1. Have all the escort cards in alphabetical order so that your wedding planner can set them up easily. With all the things that happen during an event set up, this is one thing that can be done quickly and efficiently and without any extra effort as long as it is organized from the beginning. Check and double check!
2. Make sure that your seating chart is correct! It’s important to triple check this. It can get hectic as the wedding day nears, with last minute responses or declines…make sure that your table numbers, seats at each table, and escort cards correspond with each other. If you end up with too many people assigned to one table, it can be fixed. Your caterer and wedding planner should always make sure there are extra place settings/chairs on hand for a situation like this, but then someone ends up feeling awkward and out of place…you don’t want your guests to feel that way! Another reason people who do not RSVP to weddings are the RUDEST people ever.
3. Make sure you sit people together who want to be together. Don’t separate families or close friends! Also…if you have people that hate each other attending…do yourself a favor and seat them on opposite sides of the room. No one wants a Theresa Giudice table flip at their wedding!
4. If you are doing table names instead of numbers, be sure to include a key! Your wedding planner and caterer will need this during set up, as their floor plan will be numbered, not labeled.
