You may be wondering what exactly is wedding day stationery. Well, I’m here to help you understand what it is and if you need or want it for your big day. Wedding day stationery includes your menus, table numbers, place cards, escort cards and programs. After you finish reading this post, you should have a better idea of what you want and what you need for your ceremony and reception.
A program will help your guests better understand and follow your wedding ceremony, as well as list all those who are participating. Programs also make a nice keepsake.
Seating for the reception can be a little tricky. Assigning each guest to a specific table may seem a little too formal for some, but you will be doing your guests a huge favor by doing this. You’ill be assuring that none of your guests end up at a table alone. You can accomplish assigning seating two ways, a seating chart or escort cards. A seating chart is a large sign that’s placed prominently near the entry to the dining room. Besides table assignments, it will usually have the bride and groom’s names and often the wedding date. Sometimes it will also be the welcome sign. Escort cards are place cards with a guest’s name and the table number on each card. They can be arranged in alphabetical order on a table near the entry to the dining room. Your guests will find the escort card with their name and table number on it and then find their table. If you’re having a sit-down meal, and your guest’s have pre-selected their entrée, place cards are usually required by the venue to assist the servers in placing the correct meal in front of each guest. For a pre-selected meal, the place card will also have the meat choice indicated on each card.
Table numbers are a must if you have decided to help your guests find a seat together. Some venues have table numbers you can use – they are usually very generic so they will go with most any theme. If you would like table numbers that match your theme, have them made. They can be a simple card with the number in your theme’s font and colors, they can also have decorations on them – florals, leaves or whatever else goes with your theme. They can be made of card stock, wood, metal or acrylic. If they’re card stock, they can be placed in a holder specifically for table numbers, or they can be placed in a frame and set on the table.
Menus add sophistication and polish to any table setting, and let your guests know exactly what is being served. Whether it’s a pre-selected meal or buffet doesn’t matter, everyone likes to know ahead of time what they’ll be eating.
Do lots of research to figure out what will work best for your wedding day. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact me. 760-550-0184