Are you planning a party or reception and want to create unique place cards or table numbers? Would you like to save money by making some of the decorations yourself for your wedding, civil partnership, or birthday celebration?
I will help you.
As a florist specializing in events, my job involves creating decorations and floral arrangements for various spaces during a festive gathering. Among these, the reception hall typically serves as the key focal point of the decor, featuring centerpieces and table runners.
Today, I’m sharing with you my pro tips on place cards and table numbers, so you can create them yourself by drawing inspiration from the latest décor trends!
Whether you’re creating place cards or table numbers, it’s important that this signage seamlessly integrates with your decor while remaining highly legible. To achieve this, you can use the same colors and materials as the rest of your decorations. You can also nod to your floral arrangements by decorating your name tags with some dried flowers or placing your small signs in vases of fresh blooms. Don’t forget about the children’s table, which gives you a lot of creative freedom!
Want to know more? Keep reading to discover:
- The purpose of table numbers and place cards
- Who sets them up
- Whether place cards are required
- Easy decoration ideas based on your wedding theme
- Many photo examples that you can replicate or draw inspiration from!
What Are the Different Types of Place Cards and What Are They Used For?
When creating your seating plan, there are two key elements to consider:
- table numbers (or even table names, if you choose to provide them)
- place cards.
In the following lines, I will introduce you to their usefulness, as well as the planning required for their implementation.
Table Numbers
When you have a large number of guests, you can opt for one long table or several smaller ones. To avoid confusion when choosing seats, it’s often essential to create a seating plan. This organizational tool will also help you arrange your guests so that they sit with loved ones, while also giving them the opportunity to meet new people with whom they might connect.
👉 Are you wondering how to do it? Where to start? Check out our complete guide on this topic, where you’ll find all the essential tips for a successful seating arrangement!
Once the guests are seated, you will need to create a visual seating chart to be placed at the entrance of your venue. This will help your guests find their seats at a glance!
This is where the table numbers come into play: they will be displayed at the entrance, as well as on the tables, and will help each guest find their assigned table. Therefore, it’s important that this signage is very visible on the table, while also fitting well with your décor to create a harmonious overall look!
👉 Do you think table numbers are too traditional? You can also give your table a creative name! If this idea intrigues you, feel free to check out our article titled “What Table Name to Choose for a Wedding?.” It’s full of original and fun ideas!
Place Cards
Place cards, also known as name cards, help guests know exactly where they will be seated once they find their table. Typically, these are small signs that display their names.
Like the table numbers, these should be decor elements related to your theme, but they must remain very readable, so that everyone can find their seat quickly.
To help you remember everything, here’s a quick Q&A list related to this topic.
When to Implement Them?
You can set them up once the table is set and after the florist has finished the decorations. This is the final touch!
Who puts them on?
You can do it yourself, but there’s a good chance you’ll feel overwhelmed on the big day at the last minute. I recommend planning ahead and assigning this task to someone else, such as:
- to a witness or a trusted friend
- to your caterer,
- to your florist,
- to your wedding planner.
💁🏻 Be sure to clearly explain to this person in advance how the seating arrangement works, so you can ensure everything is set up correctly!
Is it necessary to seat each person individually at the table?
This is generally easier, especially if you have many guests seated at one or more large tables or if it’s a rather formal setting.
On the other hand, if your guests are seated at small tables and you’d prefer to let them choose where they sit, you can simply assign them a table number and let them arrange themselves as they wish.
This also applies to the kids’ table: most of the time, they don’t have a specific seat assigned to them and instead just sit based on their friendships and the visual connection they have with their parents!
And what about the guest gift?
Also on the list of items to place near the plates is a gift for each guest, whether it be traditional Jordan almonds or another type of gift.
If you want to save time and space, you can combine the two by placing a gift on each plate with a small name tag attached! Handy and economical! 😉
Inspiring Ideas Tailored to YOUR Theme!
Now that you understand the importance of table signage, let’s take a look at a few decoration examples, organized by trend. Most of them are extremely simple and you can easily recreate them yourself!
👉 Are you wondering which flowers to use to decorate your table, based on your tastes and the style of your wedding, party, or baptism? Check out this blog post that is entirely focused on decorating plates and tables!
Embrace flowers for a whimsical and rustic reception 💐
This decorating trend has become the highlight of events in recent years! To adopt it, simply adorn your place cards or table numbers with a small bouquet of dried flowers, or place a small single flower vase with fresh blooms next to the glasses, with the guest’s name written on it.
A Party in the Tropics! 🌴
Are you planning an exotic-themed party? Your décor will likely feature large green leaves, where you can use a white marker (like Posca) to write the names of your guests or the table numbers. Feel free to draw inspiration from a calligraphy alphabet you find online to create beautiful decorative letters!
Romantic Details for a Shabby Chic Meal 💞
This type of decor, which is both bohemian and elegant, pairs particularly well with pastel pink and white colors, as well as natural materials. Among the many options available to you, you can especially use:
- Some ribbons
- Jute twine
- Some light flowers, like Baby's Breath, a delicate little white flower
- Small pastel roses
- Some natural materials, such as wooden logs, twigs collected from the forest…
- Some ivy…
Simple and Elegant for a Natural Décor 🌿
Sometimes, you don’t need to do much to achieve a decor that makes a big impression! With succulents and some simple, clear signage, you can create unique place cards that will turn your table into a beautiful green oasis.
Would you like to make place cards using small succulent pots? They can also serve as a keepsake gift for your guests!
Name cards that celebrate Christmas and the New Year! 🎄
Since the holiday season is also a great time for creating beautiful table settings, I thought it was essential to discuss this topic, which will be explored in more detail in an upcoming article.
To create your own place cards, you can:
➡️ Foraging in Nature for beautiful natural items like wood, pine cones, holly, and fir branches…
➡️ Decorate them with gold or silver metallic spray paints, or with synthetic snow spray.
➡️ Use metallic pens to create unique and festive name tags!
Creative Ideas for the Kids’ Table 🍬
To wrap up this article, I’d like to dedicate a small paragraph to the children’s table, which typically offers a great deal of creative freedom in decoration!
If you’ve decided to give them individual seats, you can prepare small jars of candy with their names written on them. Then, just place them at their place settings!
Feel free to give them the opportunity to create by providing a large mural to complete, which you can use like a tablecloth, along with markers and creative supplies!
I hope these many examples have helped you to create unique and stylish place cards and table signage that reflect the event you are organizing!
Looking for decoration ideas for a wedding, party, or baptism? Visit our online store to explore a selection of floral decoration items that are both elegant and affordable! You’ll find decorative flower walls and stunning forever roses under glass. 🌹