Ideas For Place Cards That Convey The Guest Meal Selection?

LeanneP · September 12, 2016

Hi Everyone,

After several months of idea gathering, I am just starting to do up designs for the various paper goods (welcome letter, escort cards, signage, etc.) for my wedding in Mexico next March.

I have a few ideas for escort cards to get guests to the correct table (leaning towards the maracas, tequila shots or drink umbrellas), but am lacking any ideas of how convey to the serving staff which meal selection that guest has made. I assume I should have a stationary name place card at each table setting but am not sure how to present it so A. it won't blow away and B. so it will stay put and not be moved by the guest.

Any creative ideas ladies?

Edited September 12, 2016 by LeanneP

Janjin · September 15, 2016

Hi @@LeanneP - I struggled with this as well since I wanted to assign tables but not seats. We decided to use maracas as escort cards. We got pretty "business cards" from Vistaprint and wrote out people's names and table numbers on them and attached them with ribbon to the maracas. Then for meal selection, I used gold and silver markers to draw small symbols on the bottom. I think a silver star was the surf & turk and a gold triangle meant chicken. I also gave my WC a list of who would be at each table and what their dinner selections were. I think it worked out ok.

LeanneP · September 16, 2016

Hi @@LeanneP - I struggled with this as well since I wanted to assign tables but not seats. We decided to use maracas as escort cards. We got pretty "business cards" from Vistaprint and wrote out people's names and table numbers on them and attached them with ribbon to the maracas. Then for meal selection, I used gold and silver markers to draw small symbols on the bottom. I think a silver star was the surf & turk and a gold triangle meant chicken. I also gave my WC a list of who would be at each table and what their dinner selections were. I think it worked out ok.

Thank you Janjin. Yes, I figured I would use font colour or something like that to delineate the meal choices I just wasn't sure if the maraca would end up close enough to the person for the serving staff to figure out what they were having. However, since I do plan to have assigned seats, I can do as you did and just give a list to my WC. Never even thought of that! LOL

I think I may also do small favour boxes with sweets and label it with each guest's name coded for meal choice.

Thanks for the advice!

I see that you were married at the Azul Sensatori!! That's where we're getting married as well!!! I hope your special day was everything you dreamed it would be. If you have any advice, please feel free to share!!!

ludlows23 · January 17, 2018

I used place cards that I had printed in advance and then I bought a stamp at Michael's and stamped the place cards that had shrimp and left the beef selections without a stamp. I also gave the wedding coordinator a list of the selections and described the "code" to her. It worked very well. While it was breezy the day of the wedding, the place cards (folded over style) were low enough to the table that they didn't blow away. The table numbers, were another matter entirely. Despite having a heavy base for the stand, they all blew over, but people found their place anyway - we only had 5 tables so it wasn't that confusing.