I recently wrote a whole blog post on wedding invitations and save the dates, along with answers to so many FAQs I get in regards to wedding stationery. I am now here to tell you all about the wedding stationery you will need for the actual day! There are many options, whether you want to go all out simple, or whether you want to keep it simple, but I am here to help you decide what you actually need.
Still working on your pre-wedding stationery? Read part 1 of our wedding stationery blog here: What Wedding Stationery Do I Need?
Place cards
An essential part of the day if you are having a sit-down meal with a table plan, otherwise how else will your guests know which seat has been designated for them?! You can of course just have a table plan, tell guests which table they are assigned to, with guests then making the decision on which seat they take. This can be an issue for your caterers if you have dietary requirements or a choice menu. If you have dietary requirements, or if your guests have made the choice of what they would like to eat, do not make the mistake of not having place cards!
You can of course go all out informal and have no seating plan at all. This only works well if you are having informal food to match this, such as street food trucks or a BBQ for example. This set up also only works well if you have approximately under 60 guests. Any more than this and it can just cause chaos! Also be aware that if you opt for no table plan, you will need to have a set up for more table settings than guests, which will then leave some empty seats. If you have exact table settings for guests, you can then be left with situations where people are left with the only seat remaining.
Timi Oshin
What are wedding escort cards?
There are a couple of different ways you can use your place cards. You can either opt for a table plan, directing guests to their table, with place cards then on each place setting, OR you can go for an escort service, where place cards are all popped onto a table with the table number written on the back. The guest then picks up their place card and can then see which table they are on. They then either place their place card where they want to sit on the table, or you then have a second place card on the table. This works well if you think you may have a lot of drop outs which will then ruin the table plan!
Table plan
A table plan is essential for any wedding, unless you are opting for escort cards. This generally comes in the form of a board on an easel, but I’ve also seen couples opt for frames, mirrors, even pot plants! The table plan lists each table, with a list of which guests are then sitting on each table. Tables are generally even numbered or named.
The table plan is then displayed in the drinks reception so guests can start to look at what table they are situated on, to save a bottle neck of people looking once everyone begins to sit down. The table plan is then placed at the entrance to the wedding breakfast for anyone who hasn’t check or can’t remember!
Elizabeth Jayne
What if I need to change my table plan?
Ok so yes, inevitably the guest list can change last minute! People drop out for illness and all sorts of other reasons! They may just drop out, which you can just leave them on the table plan, but ask the caterers/co-ordinators to take their spot from the table. The issue comes when you then want to replace the guest. If it’s just one of two, you could just tell them to sit where the previous person was, but if you then need to rearrange some seats, (which happens quite often!) this is when your table plan will need correcting. You can ask your stationer to print it at the last possible point, but this is usually a week prior, which doesn’t avoid those last minute drop outs.
If you are thinking there may be people who could drop out last minute, and will then try to replace them, perhaps you know there are certain situations where it’s not a definite yes for some guests, perhaps you’ve paid an expensive catering bill so would want to replace them, in this situation I would opt for either escort cards, making your own table plan which can be edited, a table plan with a card per table where you only need to print the affected table/s or using something such as a mirror with names stuck on which can then be peeled off.
Timi Oshin
Menu Cards
I would always highly recommend having menu cards on the tables as part of your wedding day stationery, so people know what they are eating, especially if it isn’t a pre-selected menu! Another option which also looks beautiful is to have a menu per person, with the guest’s name written at the top – merging both menu and table plan into one. If you are having a choice menu, I would highly recommend having a menu per person with the options the guests have chosen on the menu – people tend to forget what they have chosen for the wedding breakfast!
Order of service
An order of service is always required for a church service. You can design these with your vicar/priest etc. The order of services contains the hymn lyrics and the prayers so guests can follow along and join in. For civil ceremonies and blessings, some couples do decide to still have an order of service on the seat of each guests, newspaper style is even becoming popular! These contain information such as the names of the bridal party, information of what is happening at what time.
Elizabeth Jayne
What wedding signs do I need?
Signage is crucial for the day if you want people to go to a certain place or to do a certain thing, I have some suggestions below:
Welcome sign
The welcome sign can just be a lovely way to greet your guests at the entrance! A place to begin. It can also be a sign that this is the location of your wedding day – yup you’ve made it to the right place! Also works very well as part of your wedding day stationery if there is more than one wedding at the venue….
Order of day
Order of day boards are also very popular for wedding day stationery, listing what time the wedding breakfast is, the band begins, the evening food etc – people love to know what is happening when! You can even get beautifully designed order of day boards, with personal illustrations linked to your day. Check out Pink Peony Weddings specialist order of day board here.
Joanna Ranson
Menu signs for buffet/sharing food stations
Whether it’s signs for a smores station, dessert boards/tables, wedding cake flavours, drinks options, evening food, or cocktail bars, signs are perfect to let guests know exactly what they are about to dive into! Guests can be shy from tucking in if they aren’t quite sure what the food item is, or if it contains certain allergens. You can get some lovely signage nowadays with beautiful illustrations to add into the aesthetic of your day.
Joanna Ranson
Directional wedding day signage
Whether it’s directing guests to the toilets, where the car park is, where to party or where to eat, it’s always good to have signage included in your wedding day stationery so guests know where they are going! Especially important if you have your wedding on land or at a large venue where different elements of the day are spread out and could be difficult to find.
Timi Oshen Photography
Instructional
Want guests to do something? Complete a guest book? Take a photo on a polaroid camera? Tell them! Whether you want to inform them that you want no phones during your day, or an unplugged ceremony, instructional beautiful signage is the best option! You can either add signage to thank guests for gifts, or to ask guests where to send the photos they have taken to.
Miki Photography
Did this give you lots of great ideas about your stationery? Pop on over to the rest of the blog for more tips and inspiration here, and you can also follow us on TikTok and Instagram for even more!