Wedding Reception Forum

Place cards/Meal choices

My venue is only requiring total meal count per table, not by guest, but I was hoping to be more specific and indicate meal choices on the place cards.  On the RSVP card I asked to "initial an entree selection for each guest."  Well, that didn't work.  Out of 60 invitations sent, only about 5 came back with initials rather than "1 beef, 1 chicken."  What I'm worried about is that by the time the wedding rolls around, people won't remember what they ordered and someone who requested beef will say they ordered the chicken, etc, and that will screw up the meal counts the venue prepared.
Should I maybe do the place cards by couple and indicate total meal choices for that couple on the card?  Or just leave it alone and let the waitstaff "take orders" like they said they will, and hope everything works out well?

Re: Place cards/Meal choices

  • I would just let the waitstaff take orders rather than asking guests to indicate their choices on their RSVP cards.
  • We indicated meal choice on the escort cards and requested they be displayed on the table near each seat.  The worst that would happen is that any given couple may have to switch a plate among themselves, but that often happens in restaurants as well.

    The wait staff wanted to be able to see the cards to lessen the amount of interruption to the conversations of the guests at the table.
  • Well, did people not choose at all or did they not initial?   If they at least chose meals then can you issue folded place cards based on social unit and make marks on the back of them that color code the meal choices?  

    Ex: Mr. and Mrs. Robert Smith (on front) / 1 red sticker and 1 yellow sticker on back (means beef and chicken).

  • banana468 said:
    Well, did people not choose at all or did they not initial?   If they at least chose meals then can you issue folded place cards based on social unit and make marks on the back of them that color code the meal choices?  

    Ex: Mr. and Mrs. Robert Smith (on front) / 1 red sticker and 1 yellow sticker on back (means beef and chicken).


    I did the same thing as OP (asked for initials, didn't get very many) and got similar results. I did almost what Banana suggests here - I still made individual place cards, and just put one of the color codes on each. I figured that if I reversed people's preferences or they didn't remember, the couple could easily sort it out amongst themselves.
  • Yep, what banana said. If you're doing individual place cards, just split the choices they made on the card among the names, and they'll work it out. Usually, caterers will also prepare a few extra meals of each choice in case anyone switches the day of. If you've got any guests with severe dietary restrictions (nut or seafood allergy, etc) you might want to just make sure those are called out specifically, but again, most caterers are good about keeping those separate.
  • I think you should stick to the way your caterer wants to do it, and is used to doing it. If they are experienced, they know what they're doing. We at about 170 people at our wedding, and the meal choices were just by table, and everything worked out fine. 

    If the catering company/venue and waiters are all trained to do it a certain way, and do it that way at probably 2 weddings per week, 50 weeks a year, I'd stick to that. I wouldn't want to be the one event asking them to learn a new way and not mess it up!
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