Stupid question - escort vs. place cards

jenjlgsings · August 2012

Are escort cards and place cards the same thing? I keep seeing posts about escort cards but I've never heard of anything called that before. Every wedding I've gone to people have referred to them as place cards. Are they one in the same? Or are they two separate things?

bibliophile2010 · August 2012

I would say that they are probably the same thing for you.

Escort cards are the ones placed to direct your guests to their assigned table. Place cards would be at a table to assign a particular seat to a particular guest.

Calypso1977 · August 2012

what bib said.

i personally dont care for assigned seats at tables - just assigned tables. so, in that case, the escort cards would be all you'd need if you just wanted people to know what their table was.

professorscience · August 2012

I think escort cards are a lot more efficient, especially if you have a large number of guests. At our wedding, the escort cards were on a table out where cocktail hour was, with everything in alphabetical order. If you put them directly on the tables, people are going to be wandering around searching for their name.

lalaith50 · August 2012

But to add to the confusion, I am sure that some people use the terms interchangeably! So, yes, I think many people refer to what is properly called an "escort card" as a "place card." (probably myself included!)

Ciardasully · September 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_stupid-question-escort-vs-place-cards?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:9df629a3-1aab-47e1-b8bf-6849135ea512Post:ee237e31-9750-4121-9ae4-f2132f94a90e">Re: Stupid question - escort vs. place cards</a>:
[QUOTE]But to add to the confusion, I am sure that some people use the terms interchangeably! So, yes, I think many people refer to what is properly called an "escort card" as a "place card." (probably myself included!)
Posted by lalaith50[/QUOTE]

Our reception venue has a table for"place cards" but after reading this thread, I know they are really escort cards :-)

As long as the guests know what tables to sit at, I am good.

ootmother2 · September 2012

I just spent an hour going over this one on EPost and I still can't see any difference.

They are both to inform you where to sit. Tables are numbered or named but seating isn't assigned.

agapecarrie · September 2012

I know assigning tables or seats are "the thing to do," but I have an unpopular opinion.

I have a huge family and have been to many many weddings. Until I started going to friend's weddings in mid 90s, I had NEVER been assigned anywhere to sit. Not even a specific table.

Only a few weddings have I been assigned a place to sit, and I absolutely hate it more than anything. I feel its disrespectful and I feel like I'm being treated like a child in school that has to be told where to sit. I'm an adult, and I'm a guest, and I should be able to sit with the people I want to sit with.

jenjlgsings · September 2012

Thanks everyone!

Agape - interesting. All but two weddings that I went to have had assigned seating. One of the ones was AWFUL because there was no head table or reserved table for the bridal party. They got there late because of being late with photos and by the time they did, if they hadn't asked other people to move, there would have been families that wouldn't have been able to sit togeher (i.e. husband, wife and kids). The other one, seats ended up being "reserved" by those that knew there wouldn't be place cards and by the time I got there (only about 5 minutes after the start time for cocktail hour) I had to go from table to table asking "is anyone sitting here" It was sort of embarassing to me.
So I guess each way has its positives and negatives.

stantokm · September 2012

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_stupid-question-escort-vs-place-cards?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:615Discussion:9df629a3-1aab-47e1-b8bf-6849135ea512Post:443da7ae-cedd-451b-a031-7204209f1a40">Re: Stupid question - escort vs. place cards</a>:
[QUOTE]I know assigning tables or seats are "the thing to do," but I have an unpopular opinion. I have a huge family and have been to many many weddings. Until I started going to friend's weddings in mid 90s, I had NEVER been assigned anywhere to sit. Not even a specific table. Only a few weddings have I been assigned a place to sit, and I absolutely hate it more than anything. I feel its disrespectful and I feel like I'm being treated like a child in school that has to be told where to sit. I'm an adult, and I'm a guest, and I should be able to sit with the people I want to sit with.
Posted by agapecarrie[/QUOTE]

I can see why you feel like that, but I don't think that it's disrespectful. If you have a huge reception hall and extra seats at tables, I don't think that assigned tables are necessary (and I don't really think that assigned seats are<em> ever</em> necessary), but if you pretty much just have a seat for every person, it can be very awkward for people who don't know anyone else at your wedding. It can also be hard for a couple to find two seats together or a family to find four or five at one table. I'd be horrified if my 80-year old former boss attended and instead of sitting with strangers around his age, winds up with strangers who have nothing in common with him because he doesn't know another single person there.

lalaith50 · September 2012

I am generally a HUGE fan of assigned tables, b/c like has been pointed out it eliminates the need to rush to get a seat and crossing your fingers that you'll find room with people you know, but one time, DH and I were at a wedding where we only knew a few people, but they seated us with random family members of the bride, including the bride's grandmother! um, AWKWARD! So, if you're going to assign tables, try to not do that, lol!

Resa77 · September 2012

I am a fan of assigned tables. but agree with Lalaith that people should really try to be thoughtful in the assignments. I've been assigned "bad" seats before lol! I have also been to weddings without assigned seats, where everyone I knew sat at one table, and there wasn't room for (dateless) me. I felt like the kid picked last in gym class. It was humilating and I wanted to leave. At least if you're assigned to a table where you feel awkward, you can blame it on the assignment!

Stupid question - escort vs. place cards

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