Place cards for a large wedding

ltgmullally

How did you all handle seating arrangements for your large wedding receptions? We are likely to have about 300 people and can't figure out the best way to communicate the seating arrangement to our guests. We will be assigning tables (but not seats) and I can't picture having our guests go through 300 place cards on a table to figure out where to sit. 

HELP! Thanks! 

HobokensFury

We did place cards and laid them out in alphabetical order. FYI I've never heard of assigning seats at a wedding. You just tell the person which table to sit at.

Summer2011Bride

Ditto PP. We did escort cards alphabetically which guests picked up on a table as they entered the reception venue. I would also just assign tables but not specific seats at that table.

Summer2011Bride

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_place-cards-for-a-large-wedding?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:ffadf078-288a-4b75-bdfc-c507ad19e583Post:0c58dba1-9269-4292-b072-b65c9558e5d5">Re: Place cards for a large wedding</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Place cards for a large wedding : For my wedding i will be having the same kind of thing. For the place cards put them in alphabetical order to make it a bit easier. When we have our guest enter the room we will have my fiances little sisters and my younger cousin in the front greeting people. One will be asking people to sign the guest book, one will be taking gifts and placing them on the gift table, and one will be next to the place cards. When people come up to start looking for their place card the FSIL or my cousin will ask them what their name is and since they will know where everything is at the girls can pick it up for them and hand it to them.<strong> By having these jobs for the girls it will make them feel a little bit more important and part of the wedding because it is something we really need. It is a good job to give to a person you want to feel special with out having to have them in the wedding.</strong>
Posted by vbandell[/QUOTE]

No. This is not good advice. I do understand that some jobs that adults would hate, younger relatives actually enjoy doing. I get that. But telling OP to assign these jobs to somebody who didn't quite make the cut to be in the WP is not good advice. Unless a relative or someone OFFERS to do this or wants to do this, these are jobs, not something fun or something that people feel "honored" to do.

Guests are smart enough to figure out how to find their name alphabetically, they know where to put gifts, and they know how to sign their name in a guest book. They don't need somebody standing there telling them how to do these things. At best, it's boring for the person(s) assigned these tasks and at worst it's insulting that you ask them to do these jobs because they weren't good enough to be in the WP or do a reading.

jessicabessica

<div>In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_place-cards-for-a-large-wedding?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:ffadf078-288a-4b75-bdfc-c507ad19e583Post:fe66fc96-1dec-4d3d-b674-180c32573609">Re: Place cards for a large wedding</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Place cards for a large wedding : You know lady I absolutely hate it when people tell me this. It is my wedding and NO they know I dont want them in the bridal party. Why because they are 13 and stress me out. And im not close to them. But when people sit and tell me that those are horrible jobs to give them atleast they have something to do, they get to participate in fun stuff before the wedding as well, but they are just not close to me. So you may have not done that for your wedding but that doesnt mean you have to hate on the idea. Because I actually really liked it before all these stupid people have to go and hate on the idea! God fucking pissed! and you know what pisses me off the most about these kind of post from people?!  Those kind of post really make me question if i even want to have a wedding because apparentally the way i would actually like to do things, all of my ideas are just "horrible"
Posted by vbandell[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>Relax.  If you don't want people to tell you their opinions on details about your wedding, keep them to yourself, or at least don't post them on a public forum on the internet.</div><div>
</div><div>OP, have alphabetical escort cards.  Make sure there is enough space in between them so that people can actually read the cards.  If you have a venue coordinator or day of coordinator, s/he can stand near the escort table and help anyone that needs help.  Also, people generally move to the reception in groups if they are talking and mingling after cocktail hour (or even the ceremony), so it won't be 300 people all at once descending upon the place card table.
</div></div>

Maggie0829

Another idea, if you don't want to fuss with so many escort cards, is to make-up a seating chart on a large poster which you can put into a nice frame.  Then group the names alphabetically and place the guests table number next to their name...this way your guests can do a quick glance at the poster and move on.

Here is a pick of what I am talking about.



Oh and Vbandell chilax.  Like PP said, if you don't want to hear other people's opinions then I suggest you not post your ideas on the boards.  But Summer2011Bride is correct, those are sh*t jobs and if these 13 years old stress you out so much and are not close to you why even include them in anything wedding related anyways...you are just asking additional stress by doing this.

Summer2011Bride

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_place-cards-for-a-large-wedding?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:ffadf078-288a-4b75-bdfc-c507ad19e583Post:fe66fc96-1dec-4d3d-b674-180c32573609">Re: Place cards for a large wedding</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Place cards for a large wedding : You know lady I absolutely hate it when people tell me this. It is my wedding and NO they know I dont want them in the bridal party. Why because they are 13 and stress me out. And im not close to them. <strong>But when people sit and tell me that those are horrible jobs to give them atleast they have something to do, </strong>they get to participate in fun stuff before the wedding as well, but they are just not close to me. So you may have not done that for your wedding but that doesnt mean you have to hate on the idea. Because I actually really liked it before all these stupid people have to go and hate on the idea! God fucking pissed! and you know what pisses me off the most about these kind of post from people?!  Those kind of post really make me question if i even want to have a wedding because apparentally the way i would actually like to do things, all of my ideas are just "horrible"
Posted by vbandell[/QUOTE]

Melodramatic, much?

You know what I hate, "lady"? When people think others should be HONORED just to have a job in their wedding at all, as indicated by the bolded. Uh, no. Unless you ask me to be a BM or be a reader, I will not feel honored to be able to hand out cards in alphabetical order. I would be more honored just to be a guest. Your wedding (no one's wedding) is the end all be all. People should not be throwing themselves at your feet just to get a JOB at your wedding, and they aren't. So get that mentality out of your head.

What I did for my wedding has no bearing on my advice to you and other posters. What DOES have a bearing is etiquette and being polite. If you noticed in my other post, I acknowledged that sometimes, younger relatives ASK to do these jobs, and in those situations I think it's fine. You obviously don't have good reading comprehension skills or chose to just get on your high horse. ON top of that, you don't seem to even favor these relatives all that much, so why ask them to be a part of the wedding at all? You obviously have other issues if you are getting this worked up over a wedding website and saying you just won't have a wedding anymore. If a PARTY (which is what a wedding is) is causing you this much stress and angst, I think you need to take a break from planning it and from this website. These forums are obviously not for you.

vbandell

You know I am a bride as well and these post are about sharing ideas to people who need some ideas, so yes I shared my idea, that doesnt mean that all of you need to go and make known that all of you think my ideas are horrible.

[Deleted User]

We had over 400 guests and had two identical boards on sides of the entrance with guests names listed alphabetically, with their table number next to it

GinaV0822

I always hate when I think I have a good idea and someone shoots it down.  It's natural.  But of course, to each their own.  Whatever a person ultimately decides to do doesn't effect us, but if you ask a question expect an opinion.  That's all it is.  None of us are right or wrong.  And these were all nice responses.  Have you seen others on The Knot that are downright mean?  Don't take any of these the wrong way.  This is all supposed to be fun.

To OP, people have large weddings all the time with place cards.  If you have them alphabetical I think you will be just fine.  Maybe do a little sign with A-L and M-Z with a split in the middle so people have a little extra direction.  And, if you're having 300 guests, remember you won't have 300 placecards, as I'm guessing many will be couples.  

Good luck!

Summer2011Bride

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_place-cards-for-a-large-wedding?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:ffadf078-288a-4b75-bdfc-c507ad19e583Post:7387c657-b2a0-4dc0-96de-021a9a988bae">Re: Place cards for a large wedding</a>:
[QUOTE]You know I am a bride as well and these post are about sharing ideas to people who need some ideas, so yes I shared my idea, that doesnt mean that all of you need to go and make known that all of you think my ideas are horrible.
Posted by vbandell[/QUOTE]

Hang around the boards more. You'll find that we all don't make it a habit to condone rude or tacky ideas. The consensus is that it's rude to make your guests--your loved ones--WORK at your wedding rather than enjoy themselves. We are being honest, which is what your loved ones usually won't be to your face; doesn't mean they aren't thinking it though. So yes, if you choose to put your ideas out there on a public message board, be prepared for people to tell you if they think it's rude.

alithebride

put the cards in alphabetical order. dont make one card per person, make per couple or family-like mom, dad and their 2 kids on one if they'll all be at the same table.