Personalized Wedding Seating Cards: Diy Guide And Tips

Wedding seating cards are an important part of a wedding reception. They help your guests feel at ease and can even help vendors with food and beverage service and directing traffic. There are many ways to make your own seating cards, from printing them yourself to hiring a calligrapher. You can also get creative with the design, incorporating your wedding theme, colours, and personal touches. Before you make your seating cards, you'll need to create a seating chart to guide your card design and content.

Choosing a theme and colour scheme

Consider your wedding venue and season:

Think about the setting and season of your wedding. If you're having a summer wedding in a garden or by the beach, you might want to choose light and bright colours like pastels, yellows or blues. If it's a winter wedding, you might opt for deeper, moodier hues. The venue can also inspire your colour choices. For example, a wedding in a grand castle might call for elegant neutrals like gold and cream, while a rustic barn wedding could feature earthy tones and natural elements like eucalyptus or agate slices.

Decide on a main colour or two:

Select one or two colours as the main hues for your seating cards. These colours can be drawn from your wedding palette or chosen to complement your wedding flowers, bridesmaid dresses, or other design elements.

Add secondary colours:

Choose one or two secondary colours to support your main hues. One of these should be a neutral colour like cream, taupe, grey or brown, which will help blend the focal colours seamlessly.

Incorporate an accent colour:

Add a fun accent colour, such as metallic gold or silver, to use sparingly throughout your seating cards. This could be in the form of a wax seal, a colourful border, or a pop of colour in the font or design.

Match your theme:

If you have a specific wedding theme, such as rustic, modern, vintage, or whimsical, choose a colour scheme that complements it. For example, a vintage wedding might feature soft, romantic colours like blush, peach, and green, while a modern wedding could showcase bold, vibrant colours.

Get creative with your design:

Your seating cards can be more than just a piece of paper. Consider incorporating unique elements like pressed flowers, feathers, crystals, or even miniature caricatures of your guests. You can also play with different card shapes, such as circles or hexagons, or use unusual materials like vellum, agate slices, or laser-cut wood.

Calligraphy and fonts:

The font you choose for your seating cards can also enhance your colour scheme. Cursive letters and serif fonts are more formal, while modern, clean fonts might suit a contemporary wedding. You can also add a calligraphy flourish to the names and table numbers, either by hiring a calligrapher or trying your hand at artsy writing.

Remember, your seating cards should tie in with the overall theme and colour scheme of your wedding, adding a special touch to your reception tables.

Selecting the right materials

Paper or Cardstock

The traditional choice for wedding seating cards is paper or cardstock. When selecting paper or cardstock, opt for a thicker weight, such as 110lb or 90lb, to ensure the cards are sturdy and durable. This will prevent them from blowing away or becoming damaged before your guests have a chance to find their seats. You can also choose from a variety of finishes, such as white matte, to complement the overall style of your wedding.

Calligraphy or Printing

Adding a calligraphy flourish to your seating cards can elevate their look and make them more elegant. You can hire a calligrapher, ask a friend with decorative writing skills, or even purchase a calligraphy pen and create your own artsy style. Alternatively, you can use a computer and a printer to create a digital design, allowing you to experiment with different fonts and styles.

Decorative Elements

To make your seating cards stand out, consider adding decorative elements such as crystals, feathers, or a colourful border. A tiny crystal glued in the centre of the card or a feather attached to each card can add a touch of glamour and tie in with your wedding décor. Using a decorative hole punch in the shape of a heart or a starburst can also add a unique and intricate detail to your cards.

Foldable Cards

Foldable cards can add a sophisticated touch to your seating cards. You can write a personalised message inside, such as a note thanking your guests for attending or a romantic quote. This also provides an opportunity to include additional information or details about the wedding that your guests might find useful.

Place Card Holders

In addition to the cards themselves, you may want to consider place card holders to ensure they are displayed properly. Some options include eucalyptus bauble holders, wooden blocks, or even small plants or candles with the cards placed around them. These holders can add to the overall aesthetic of your wedding décor while also ensuring the seating cards are visible and easily accessible for your guests.

Remember to choose materials that reflect your personal style and wedding theme, and don't be afraid to get creative! With the right materials and a bit of imagination, you can create seating cards that are both functional and memorable.

Using calligraphy

Wedding place cards are an important part of a wedding reception. They help with planning and crowd control, and they can even double as wedding favours. If you're looking to make your own seating cards, using calligraphy is a great way to elevate your paper goods.

Choosing a calligrapher

You can either hire a calligrapher or, if you're feeling creative, have a go at writing them yourself. If you decide to hire a professional, you can find one by asking for recommendations on wedding forums or by looking on websites such as www.wedding-calligrapher.com. If you're working with a stationery designer, they may also be able to put you in touch with a trusted calligrapher.

Learning calligraphy

If you want to write the place cards yourself, you'll need to allow enough time to learn and practice. You can find plenty of tutorials on YouTube, and there are also short tutorial videos on websites such as www.toptableplanner.com. When you're learning, it's a good idea to use lined paper to practice on, and you can also use a ruler and pencil to create guidelines for your final piece.

Materials

There are several options for the materials you can use:

• Calligraphy marker pens come in a variety of sizes and are a good choice for beginners.
• Calligraphy dip ink pens produce a clear thick/thin variation in your lettering but can be harder to use.
• A scroll pen creates a stylish two-line effect.
• You can also buy pens with left-handed nibs, or even make your own pen from a duck or turkey feather.

If you're using a dip pen, you can choose from a wide range of coloured inks, and marker pens are also available in different colours.

Holding a calligraphy pen

The trick to using a calligraphy pen is to hold it at an angle where you can make a thick line with one stroke and a thin line with a stroke in the opposite direction. You should always write so that the pen strokes are towards you, not pushing away, and never write using the corner of the pen.

Fonts

Before you start on your place cards, you'll need to practice a simple calligraphy font to gain confidence and accuracy. As you get more confident, you may want to try a different font. Some calligraphers have created their own typefaces and fonts by developing digitised versions of their handwriting, which can be a more affordable option.

Paper and ink

Choose paper and ink that match your colour scheme. White or silver on a deep colour background can look particularly stunning, and you could also consider adding gold leaf for an authentic gilding effect.

Adding decorations

Calligraphy

Add a creative flourish to the names and table numbers by hiring a calligrapher or, if you're feeling crafty, buy a calligraphy pen and create your own style. You could also ask a friend with decorative writing experience to help you out as a wedding gift.

Crystals

Add some bling to your cards by gluing a tiny crystal to the centre of each card. Use tweezers to place self-stick or glued-backed crystals, and opt for clear or coloured crystals to match your wedding theme.

Hole Punch

Use a decorative hole punch in the shape of a starburst, heart, or bird in the corner or centre of each card. Detailed hole punches can look like expensive laser-cut invitation accents.

Stamp Art

Check your local craft store for pretty rubber stamps and stamp pads to create a rustic, Victorian, or embossed effect. You could even use a special embossing set for a shimmery silver or gold finish.

Feathers

If you're using feathers in your centrepieces or wedding décor, glue a feather to each place card to tie your design together.

Colourful Borders

Choose place cards with colourful borders and write your guests' names and table numbers in the same colour pen. This is an easy way to add flair and keep your cards looking elegant.

Folded Tent-Style Cards

Write a message inside folded tent-style cards, such as a thank-you note or a romantic quote. Be sure to hand-write these, as stickers or labels may look tacky and don't fit with a formal wedding style.

Illustrations or Photos

Include illustrations or photos on your seating cards, such as drawings related to inside jokes or photos of your guests. You could also use pressed flowers, especially if your wedding has a garden theme.

Creative Shapes

Choose a creative shape for your seating cards, such as pineapples or animals, and group them by table. For example, use elephants for one table and tigers for another.

Personalized Notebooks

Use wood grain-covered notebooks with guests' names calligraphed on bands. Include the table assignments on the first page of the booklets.

Window Frame Display

Place a piece of glass in a window frame resting on an easel, and write your guests' names with a white paint marker. This adds a rustic and crafty touch to your seating card display.

Tags and Ladders

Use tag-shaped cards with guests' names and table numbers, strung between two ladders for a warm, rustic look.

String Display

Write guests' names on wooden blocks and string them from a structure for a unique and creative display.

Marble

Instead of paper, use marble slabs with guests' names calligraphed on them. You can also use other materials such as shells, tiles, rocks, mirrors, or candles.

Colourful Accents

Use colourful accents like paper "ribbons" or paper leaves in vibrant greens, with guests' names calligraphed on them.

Favours

Double your seating cards as wedding favours, such as leather luggage tags, small notebooks, or personalized wooden nameplates.

Themed Displays

If you have a themed wedding, incorporate this into your seating cards. For example, use black-and-white beach balls as escort cards for a beach-themed wedding or hang seating cards from vintage oars for a camp-inspired wedding.

Quirky Charms

Add a touch of whimsy to your seating cards with quirky golden charms or other fun accents.

Remember to consider your wedding venue, theme, and colour palette when creating your seating cards, and don't be afraid to get creative!

Finalising the design

Calligraphy:

Consider adding a calligraphy flourish to the names and table numbers. You can hire a calligrapher, ask a friend with decorative writing skills, or buy a calligraphy pen and create your own style. Practise beforehand to get comfortable with the artful writing style.

Embellishments:

Add a touch of sparkle or a personal touch with small embellishments. You could glue a tiny crystal at the centre of the card, perhaps within your monogram. Use tweezers to place self-stick or glued-backed crystals neatly. Alternatively, use a decorative hole punch in the shape of a starburst, heart, or bird, or glue on a feather to tie in with your wedding décor.

Stamp Art:

Check your local craft store for pretty rubber stamps and stamp pads. This effect can add a rustic or Victorian flair to your cards, and you can even find special embossing sets that create designs or letters in shimmery silver or gold.

Colourful Borders:

Choose a place card with a colourful border that matches your wedding theme. Write your guests' names and table numbers in the same colour to tie the design together.

Folded Tent-Style Cards:

Write a personal message inside folded tent-style cards, such as a thank-you note or a romantic quote. Always hand-write these messages, as stickers or labels may look tacky and don't fit with the formal wedding style.

Double-Sided Cards:

A useful tip is to write the guests' names on both the front and back of the cards. This way, when guests at the table introduce themselves, those sitting across the table can also see their names.

Printing and Paper:

If you're creating your seating cards digitally, choose a calligraphy-style font to mimic the look of hand lettering, which is very popular. There are many free calligraphy fonts available for download on sites like Font Squirrel, Dafont, and Google Fonts.

When it comes to printing, use card stock for a sturdy and elegant finish. Cut the cards to a unique and modern size, such as 3 x 3 inches, which is not too big and not too small.

Final Checks:

Ensure that your seating cards are easy to read and sturdy enough to withstand any wind or AC gusts. Store them in a cool, dry place, and have a plan for transporting them to the venue, along with who will place them on the tables and when.

Now you're ready to finalise your seating card design and bring your creative vision to life!

Frequently asked questions