Insanely Creative Escort Cards and Seating Displays

July 27, 2011

These unique ideas for escort cards and seating charts won't just blow your guests' minds—they'll guide them to their tables.

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Credit: Amber Gress

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After the ceremony and cocktail hour, your guests will be looking for their reception seats. That's why you're currently looking for ideas to guide them there on the big day. Sure, you can go with classic seating cards, which are typically just pieces of paper with names and table assignments on them. But not everyone wants to follow tradition, and if you're one of those people, what's the fun in plain-white rectangles? Don't worry—your search for innovative ideas is over. Throughout the years, we've come across dozens of creative escort cards, as well as some incredible seating charts and displays.

You won't believe the things that couples have swapped in for stationery. We've seen items that doubled as wedding favors, edible goodies, and a whole lot more. Even if brides and grooms did go with paper goods, plenty have revamped the standard design by using cool colors, gorgeous calligraphy, and other memorable accents.

To plan your own seating cards or display, look to these examples from real weddings for inspiration. There are ideas fit for every kind of wedding, whether yours is modern, rustic, formal, whimsical, or something else altogether. As you'll see, others have turned to their themes, hobbies and interests, and many other things to dream up how to guide their attendees to their tables. We encourage you to do the same for cards or charts that truly speak to you and your partner, and for a design that'll amaze all of your celebrants, too.

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Calligraphed Cloches

Credit: Ashley Sawtelle

Go Inside This Summer Wedding

A Vintage Affair, Park Floral Design, and Taryn Eklund teamed up to create this cloche seating display, which showcased pretty blooms covered by glass that was calligraphed with the guests' names and table assignments.

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Lollipop Wall

Credit: Ashley Crawford

This idea by Lovestruck Events was both pretty and tasty. Lollipops were used in lieu of escort cards and arranged on a white wall.

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Romantic Cards

Credit: Michael Radford

Go Inside This Beyoncé-Inspired Wedding

Xs and Os were found throughout this celebration, including as wooden escort cards by The Pointed Nib.

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Clear Chart

Credit: Sophie Epton Photography

This see-through The Inviting Pear chart displayed a seating directory, as well as the couple's initials, wedding date, and a cactus motif.

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Map Display

Credit: Sara Weir Photography

Go Inside This Old Hollywood-Inspired Wedding

This California wedding was inspired by the location, all the way down to the state-themed seating chart.

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Inside Jokes

Credit: Corbin Gurkin

See More from This Ranch Reception

This bride and groom matched their tables with illustrations related to some of their inside jokes. The drawings were put on escort cards that were clipped to hang on a display.

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Marbled Lucite

Credit: Jerry Yoon Photographers

Get More Lucite Ideas for Your Wedding

A lucite board guided guests to their seats at this reception. It was painted in purple with a unique, marbleized design.

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Paper Flowers

Credit: Patricia Lyons Photography

Go Inside This Colorful Wedding

For this flower-filled celebration planned by Pineapple Productions, paper zinnias by Cheree Berry Paper were calligraphed by Arney Walker Studio to display attendees' names and their table assignments. They were pinned to a board covered in green fabric—the whole thing resembled a garden bed.

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Beach Balls

Credit: KT Merry

See More from This Personalized Wedding

This couple worked with Karson Butler Events to plan something truly unique—they used black-and-white beach balls as escort cards, and stored them in their venue's pool. Synchronized swimmers were on standby to find them and hand them to guests!

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Cards with Seals

Credit: Ryan Ray Photography

Check Out the Rest of This Garden-Themed Wedding

Blush paper squares were calligraphed in green ink by Julie Song for this event. White wax seals displayed each guest's table number.

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Hanging Bells

Credit: Abby Jiu Photography

See More from This Christmas-Themed Wedding

Talk about wedding bells! At this Christmas-themed celebration, paper "ribbons" were calligraphed by Laura Hooper Calligraphy with names and table numbers. Then, they were attached to vintage ringers. Finally, the escort "cards" were strung from the ceiling; Lauryn Prattes Styling and Events staff helped guests retrieve them.

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Arrows on Target

Credit: Amber Gress

See More from This Camp-Themed Wedding

Designs by Ahn created this incredibly-imaginative, camp-inspired display of escort arrows on a target board.

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Chart Surrounded by Greenery

Credit: Natalie Probst Photography

This pretty display included text written in a fun font. The board that they were on was framed by thick foliage.

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Cards on Soap

Credit: Elizabeth Messina

Go Inside This Chic Wedding

These on-palette bars of soap served as favors, but they also held escort cards calligraphed by Nicole Miyuki.

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Watercolor Cards

Credit: Carrie Patterson

Check Out the Rest of This Airy Wedding

How lovely are these blue, hand-painted escort envelopes with The Left Handed Calligrapher writing? They were displayed on a linen board at this airy wedding.

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Wooden Structure

Credit: Katie Grant Photography

Seating cards with botanical designs were attached to standing wooden structures at this event. The displays were also spruced up with greenery, and had lanterns hanging from them.

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Cards on Fruit

Credit: Paige Jones Photography

See More from This Spring Wedding

For this wedding, escort cards were calligraphed by Joya Rose and then stuck into citrus fruits, which matched the display's floral arrangement.

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Flower Vases

Credit: Merari Photography

Pretty vases of assorted Cress Floral Decorators flowers were tagged with seating assignments for this couple's event.

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Luggage Tags

Credit: Amy Fanton Photography

Go Inside This Elegant Wedding

Guests traveled to their seats with the help of these leather luggage tags, which doubled as useful favors for this reception.

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Dog Cards

Credit: Betsi Ewing

Get More Ideas for Honoring Your Pet at Your Wedding

Incorporate your love of your pet into your seating display. This couple chose to have cards with pop-up dog cutouts.

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Apple Barrel

Credit: Aaron Delesie

See More from This Mediterranean-Themed Wedding

Attendees picked their Deborah Delaney Design cards from a bin of over 500 apples at this wedding.

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Hanging Mirrors

Credit: Steve Steinhardt

Beth Helmstetter planned this tropical wedding, where table assignments were scribbled onto suspended, ornate mirrors.

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Pressed Flowers

Credit: Corbin Gurkin

See More From This St. Louis Wedding

This wall, titled "Our Favorite Wallflowers," held pressed-flower seating assignments. Guests' names were written in pretty calligraphy.

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Hanging Plants

Credit: Studio A + Q

Get More Ideas for Hanging Wedding Décor

At this destination wedding, flower-filled vessels hung from seafoam-green ribbon, on which simple white escort cards were placed.

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Boxwood Wall

Credit: Julie Livingston Photography

Check Out the Rest of This Charming Wedding

The Left Handed Calligrapher wrote these guests' names, which were displayed on Color Box Design & Letterpress cards. The paper flowers were placed on a boxwood wall, where real blooms also laid.

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Illustrated Chart

Credit: Stephanie Hunter Photography

Storybook-worthy animal illustrations adorned this sweet seating display.

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Tasseled Cards

Credit: onelove photography

LVL Events organized this spring wedding, using yellow tassels to spruce up the seating cards.

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Insanely Creative Escort Cards and Seating Displays

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Calligraphed Cloches

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Lollipop Wall

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Romantic Cards

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Clear Chart

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Map Display

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Inside Jokes

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Marbled Lucite

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Paper Flowers

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Beach Balls

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Cards with Seals

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Hanging Bells

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Arrows on Target

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Chart Surrounded by Greenery

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Cards on Soap

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Watercolor Cards

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Wooden Structure

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Cards on Fruit

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Flower Vases

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Luggage Tags

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Dog Cards

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Apple Barrel

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Hanging Mirrors

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Pressed Flowers

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Hanging Plants

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Boxwood Wall

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