28 Paper Place Card Alternatives That Your Guests Won't Expect

By Chloe Gorman
Aly Carroll Photography

Make waves with these bold takes on this tabletop staple.

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Aly Carroll Photography

Like many elements of your wedding, how you decide to seat your guests—using seating charts, escort cards, paper place cards, or a combination of all three—is entirely up to you. These options may be tried and true, but we're of the mindset that assigned seating can be playful and fresh if it's executed in a way that's memorable. That's why we think a great way to add another degree of personalization to your wedding is through your tables' place cards.

Place cards are typically made of tented paper and feature each guest's name and are placed at each seat, but some couples have strayed from tradition and sought out new and unique options for this reception staple. Ahead, we've highlighted some of our favorite fresh takes on place cards that don't involve paper at all. Non-stationery alternatives include calligraphed acrylic pieces, marble tiles, light bulbs, and eggs (yep!). As long as your place cards are personalized and polished, no medium is off limits.

On the fence about what to choose? We suggest drawing inspiration from your wedding's theme, locale, and even the season. That's exactly what Shelly Sarver Designs did for this fall reception: She calligraphed each attendee's name onto foliage for the ultimate autumnal touch. Another couple, ahead, even used pumpkins for their seasonal markers. In the following photos from real celebrations, you'll find plenty of inspiration that will help you brainstorm your very own place cards—sans paper. From rocks and geodes to vegetables and fruits, you're bound to find something that will help guide guests to their assigned seats in style.

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Shard

Tamara Grüner
See More Terra Cotta Wedding Décor Here

If plants are taking a starring role in your big day, try using shards of calligraphed clay pots (like these by Curate Events and Design) to denote each attendee's spot.

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Vegetables

Lisa Blume Photography

Planning a farm-to-table event? Consider having your calligrapher hand-letter each guests name onto vegetables, like Meant To Be Calligraphy did here.

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Light Bulbs

Sarah Street Photography
11 Ways to Add a Pop of Metallic to Your Wedding

For an industrial-style celebration, we're loving this unique Edison bulb idea: House of Flourish marked each bulb with copper calligraphy that matched the light's base.

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Green Leaf

Christina McNeill

A vibrant green leaf (these were provided by Loop Flowers!) will stand out beautifully against white linens—which makes them the perfect place card alternative. This couple tapped Palette and Ink and Jilly Ink to calligraph each guests' name onto the natural notes.

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Olive Oil

Elkin Cardona
37 Edible Wedding Favors Guests Will Eat Up (Literally!)

Mini bottles of olive oil can serve as both favors and place cards with a little bit of calligraphy. Komolmis Designs handled the script on these gifts.

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Eggs

Erin McGinn

We're not sure we've ever seen a more creative place marker than this egg option, featuring calligraphy from Heather Belle Ink.

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Rock

Flora + Fauna

Among soft linens, a rock place card (this one was calligraphed by Salvaging Eden) gives off a somewhat masculine vibe.

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Acrylic Leaf

J Wiley Photography
33 Tropical Wedding Ideas We Love

Your place cards can work in tandem with your other reception elements. These laser-cut, acrylic banana leaves, which were hand-lettered by Chasing Linen, echoed the real ones on this event's reception tables.

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Apple

The Gold Collective
Apple-Themed Wedding Ideas That Are Perfect for Fall

Make like Twinkle & Toast and spray paint name-tagged apples for a modern, but natural place card.

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Marble Hexagon

Whiskers and Willow Photography
39 Elegant Marbled Wedding Ideas

Note how the soft gray and white marbling in these markers by Libby Tipton echo the muted color palette of the tablescape.

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Western

Erica Melissa

A western-inspired wedding calls place cards with desert motifs. The Letter Boutique Co. created these leather luggage tag-shaped iterations, complete with wooden details and bull skulls.

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Stone

Taralynn Lawton

A small stone brings a natural element to any tabletop—a perfect addition to any outdoor event. These rocks were hand-lettered by Blushtype Modern Calligraphy & Design for this forest wedding.

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Pumpkins

Kurt Boomer Photography
33 Pumpkin Ideas for Fall Weddings

For your autumnal big day, look to the season's harvest as your muse. The Elegant Ninja did just that by utilizing sliced pumpkins as stands for these markers.

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Geodes

Tenth and Grace
20 Ways to Rock Your Wedding Using Geodes, Crystals, and Stones

Get in on the crystal trend and use rose quartz as your place cards. These were styled by Lindsey Zamora Events and calligraphed by Seniman Calligraphy.

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Calligraphed Plates

Megan Welker Photography

Marking guests' spots doesn't get much easier than writing their names right onto their plates, like these from POPPYjack Shop.

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Wreath

Michelle Young
28 Ideas That Prove Wreaths Aren't Just for Christmas

Wreaths don't just belong at holiday-themed weddings, as evidenced by this mini-option from Curate and Display, complete with a copper name tag.

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Macaron

Ryan Ray Photography

Treat guests to a sweet when they take their seat. Macarons by Buttercream Bakeshop, with hand lettering from Laura Hooper Calligraphy, sat under cloches at each attendee's place.

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Tropical

Rebecca Arthurs
36 Ways to Use Leaves Throughout Your Wedding

Pay homage to your tropical destination by transforming the surrounding foliage into place cards.

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Shells

Mai Fotography

Play up your wedding's beach destination by repurposing shells for your on-theme place cards.

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Clear

Someplace Wild

Pair your acrylic place cards with a darker napkin—an inky black linen, like the one seen here, adds an unexpected, moody moment to your tabletop—to bring out the names printed on the clear material.

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Marble Tile

Kayla Snell

Calligraphed muted tiles, like these by Goldie Design Co., will make a statement against bold table runners.

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Texture

Josh & Dana Fernandez

A stamped leaf print and gold foil adds a bit of natural texture to an otherwise modern tile marker; this one was calligraphed by Half Moon Lettering.

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Cactus Plates

Charla Storey Photography
See More Cactus Wedding Ideas

Let your place setting do the talking, like these terra cotta iterations that stated each attendee's name.

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Golden Leather Strip

Jessica Claire
The Prettiest Place Settings from Real Celebrations

Finish off each place setting with a simple, calligraphed leather strip.

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Calligraphed Napkins

Jesse Chamberlin/Our Labor of Love

Calligraphed napkins will make for great keepsakes that guests will use even after the wedding is over. Erin Taylor of Bustle Events handmade these shabori-style linens.

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Leather Napkin Sleeve

Charla Storey Photography

We love when items have more than one use. These thick leather straps were both place cards and rustic napkin holders.

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Menu Booklets

Corbin Gurkin
33 Pretty and Unexpected Wedding Menu Ideas

Get not one, but two uses out of your place cards. These booklets doubled as menus, too.

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