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| topics: escort your guests with style |
Escort Your Guests with Style Joyce Scardina Becker |
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 Your guests should feel welcome at your wedding reception, and they should be able to find their way around with ease. Utilizing escort cards is a great way to help guests navigate through the reception, and they also provide a wonderful opportunity to showcase the theme of your wedding.
Photo: Grace Image
Escort cards are typically displayed at the cocktail reception (often alongside the guest book) and inform your guests where they will be sitting during the meal. They differ from place cards that designate the exact place setting where the guest will be seated during the meal. Usually, escort cards are arranged alphabetically on a beautifully decorated table. The traditional escort card is a small (approximately 2 ½” by 3 ½”) piece of cardstock with the words “You Are Seated at Table Number ____” preprinted on it and included a matching blank envelope. More recently, designs for escort cards have become very creative. A cleverly constructed escort card that expresses your wedding motif is particularly memorable. One couple incorporated the elements of their theme using Japanese paper dolls creatively adorned to capture the essence of the Orient. Manzanita branch “trees” perched in a low mahogany box filled with fuchsia dahlias, red magic roses, and black stones, presented guests with their escort cards. The Japanese paper dolls hung in a whimsical and enchanting interactive way to assist guests to their seats. Tables were named after revered Asian virtues, such as benevolence, energy, forgiveness, and honor, showing respect for the bride’s and groom’s heritage.
Even if you decide to use a more traditional form of escort card, think of something more inspiring than “You Are Seated at Table Number ____” – preferably a cleverly worded welcome that incorporates your design concept. At the very least, you can express your appreciation to your guests with a simple “Thank you for sharing this special day with us” before indicating the table assignment. Photo: Events of Distinction
While having separate matching envelopes and cards is another old tradition that some couples find dated, it does have one very practical advantage over the one-piece escort cards: If there are last-minute cancellations by guests due to illness or other unforeseen circumstances, you can easily shuffle around your seating assignments without needing to have any new escort cards printed. Pair the tradition of matching envelopes with the contemporary elements of your design concept in a clever way, like the beach wedding featured below. Chocolate brown envelopes with guest names handwritten in a sea-spray blue were arranged in a large box filled with sand, creating a personalized seaside display.
Photo: Todd Rafalovich
Whatever style escort card you choose, always try to incorporate the elements of your wedding motif and a personal touch to make your guests feel appreciated and welcome.
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If you’re having a destination wedding in Hawaii, a tropical Hawaiian tea leaf found on your invitation could also be hand-cut and used as an escort card. Hire a calligrapher to hand-write guest names and table assignments on the leaf and hang them from a tree. 
Depending on the style of escort card you choose, you may need a calligrapher to handwrite your guests’ names and table assignments, or you can run your escort cards through an ink-jet or laser printer. Consider these options as you select your escort cards. Test your printer to see if it can handle smaller cards. If you need a calligrapher, make these arrangements when ordering the escort cards, so the calligrapher can set aside appropriate time in his or her schedule, about two weeks before the wedding.