Seating Display Inspiration
As a wedding stationer, I have had the privilege of bringing to life a variety of seating displays over the years. From unique to trendy to classic and functional, I wanted to share some highlights from the past few seasons. I love when clients bring creative, personal, and new-to-me ideas that we get to bring to fruition on their wedding days. Bonus points if it becomes an interactive experience for your guests!
A clear seating display is an essential part of the guest experience. Most importantly, their purpose is to quickly direct your guests to their assigned table. The goal to avoid any long lines in front of the display and make it easy to know exactly where they are going. If you are feeling stuck on your seating display, this post breaks down some of my most popular items. I hope they can be inspiration for you as you are planning your day!
Champagne Wall: At this wedding, large shelving units were used to display rows of champagne glasses. Each guest would find their name tag tied with silk ribbon to their glass, providing both a drink to sip on during cocktail hour as well as guiding them to their table. Even better - this helps distribute the line for the bar so guests can grab their first drink off the display. You can personalize this idea with your drink of choice, from Diet Coke to a custom cocktail.
2. Natural Elements: Drawing upon the existing nature of the New England region, I have done calligraphy on oyster shells and beach rocks to bring in an organic touch. Whether written directly on the item or attached to a paper tag, these coastal elements can double as both a favor and name card.
3. Tented Escort Cards: A timeless classic, yet they don’t have to be boring! Whether printed or hand-drawn in calligraphy, your escort cards are still a part of the design. Seen below are examples of cards where we tied in a subtle floral pattern and vintage artwork from other areas of the stationery suite. This helps create a seamless and consistent design across all your wedding paper goods.
4. A Touch of Life: Fresh details, such as flowers or fruits, can help bring some life and color to your seating display. I have done calligraphy on potted plants, stuck cards into a wall of hydrangeas, and attached paper leaves to fresh lemons. Bonus points when your existing floral displays can be doubled as a seating chart!
5. Seating Chart: If you opt for the traditional seating chart route, this can often include large-scale builds in order to fit all your guests’ names. A destination-friendly alternative is linen signage! Fabric can easily be folded and packed into a suitcase or a box for transportation, allowing for a smooth process. These signs look great when hung on a stand, such as this example, or tied with ribbons.
Have you ever attended a wedding where the transition into the reception took forever because no one could find their seat? Or maybe the seating chart wasn’t displayed in an accessible location, creating a bottleneck. The longer it takes to get everyone into the reception space and seated, the more the timeline gets impacted. This can lead to delays in getting the food served, toasts shared, and opening the dance floor. In order to support the flow of the event, these displays cannot be an afterthought. When hospitality is at the forefront, they are intentionally designed to ensure your guests get their questions answered and clearly communicate their next step.
A big thank you to the photographers who shared these images from real weddings of past clients: Abby Jiu, Caroline Winn, Eva Alexandra, Megan Holloway (The New Romantic), Kaitlyn Phipps, Anee Atelier, The Libbys Photo & Films, Nicole Baas, and 515 Photo Co.
