Place card vs. Escort Card

teachmegs1

• Sorry if someone has asked this either in the etiquette board or somewhere on here.  I looked quickly for a thread, but couldn't find one.

 

• I'm starting to think that our original idea of reserved tables for immediate family and bridal party with their SO's, then doing open seating for the rest, may not be in ours or our guests best interest. So with that being said, I have plenty of time to still work out and put together an oh so lovely seating chart. I have a question as I am online researching place cards. What is the difference between the place card and escort card?  

• I would assume that the place card is what is at their actual seat when they sit down, and an escort card is what they pick up from a table out in the doorway or entrance and take into the room where the tables and the rest of the reception is taking place?  Am I right, way off, warm...lol

 

• I just want to know if both need to be purchased?  What is a scenario in which one may be purchased, but the other is not? I guess when I think of place setting, it makes me think of people who create those big boards and put it out in the entrance of the venue telling them where they sit and when they get to their seat, a place card would be there. And an escort card would be picked up at the door, you take it in and place it down at any particular seat at the table. Do people just create one of those seating chart boards and buy nothing? What would you prefer?

AddieCake

Yes, that's correct. Escort cards indicate tables; place cards indicate seats. It's better to just assign tables rather than seats, honestly. There's no reason for people to have to sit in a specific chair at the table. Our escort "cards" were rocks. We wrote guests' names on one side and the table number on the back. Then the tables had wooden numbers on them. 

teachmegs1

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_place-card-vs-escort-card?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:e74ac1f1-32eb-409d-bb60-b86f74f433b8Post:6c81e8c3-bd3b-4199-98b4-61c6e3718fd4">Re: Place card vs. Escort Card</a>:
[QUOTE]Yes, that's correct. Escort cards indicate tables; place cards indicate seats. It's better to just assign tables rather than seats, honestly. There's no reason for people to have to sit in a specific chair at the table. Our escort "cards" were rocks. We wrote guests' names on one side and the table number on the back. Then the tables had wooden numbers on them. 
Posted by AddieL73[/QUOTE]

Awesome, thanks a bunch!

Peledreamsofrain

For our wedding, we didn't bother with specific seat assignments (which is what placecards are for).

Instead, we had a table full of escort cards.  Each had a guests name, then the table number on the bottom right of the card.  Guests knew which table to sit at, but then had the freedom to pick whatever seat they wanted at that table.