Congrats on your engagement! You have officially entered the fun, yet hectic world of wedding planning. At some point you will probably become overwhelmed with the enormous task of planning the most epic party of your entire life. But I’m here to help with my area of expertise - wedding signage.

If you’re new to this blog, I’m Allyson, owner of The Pemberley Creative. I offer a wide variety of hand lettering and calligraphy services, and I specialize in wedding signage. After reading this post (and downloading my free guide and checklist), you will be a wedding signage pro and have one more thing checked off of your wedding to-do list!

If you have any questions about what wedding signage to include in your wedding, or if you are interested in my calligraphy wedding sign services, I would love to talk more! Simply fill out my contact form and I will be in touch to discuss your wedding signage.

LET'S TALK!

Wedding welcome sign at elkins estate — *Wedding Welcome Sign at Elkins Estate | Photo by Laura Gares Photography*

What is wedding signage?

Wedding signage is a broad term used to describe any kind of wording on surfaces you may have at your wedding that are used to communicate with your guests. Wedding signage includes seating charts, welcome signs, table numbers, place & escort cards, menu boards, bar menus, signature drinks signs, “pick a seat not a side” signs…you get the picture. Wedding signs can range from very simple, black and white signs with plain text, to elaborate signs with flourished calligraphy and illustrations. The majority of wedding signs I create are lettered by hand and include some combination of modern calligraphy and plain text.

The main thing to remember is that signage is about communicating with your guests. You may be thinking to yourself, “What do I need to communicate to my guests?”, but there is plenty! You (or your wedding planner/coordinator) don’t want to be fielding questions all day long about small details that could have easily been handled by some clear cut signage. Your guests won’t have to wonder when you will be making your grand entrance into the reception if you have an “order of the day” sign. Your favors with the monogram you agonized over won’t be left on the table if you have a “please take a favor” sign to clearly show guests where they are located. Simply put, there is information your guests need (or you want them) to know, and wedding signage is a straightforward way to share that information.

Let’s break it down even further into the top two questions you need to ask yourself about wedding signage:

What information do you NEED to communicate to your guests? and
What information do you WANT to communicate to your guests?

What information do you NEED to communicate to your guests?

There are certain details that your guests NEED to know, because if they don’t, they may end up in the wrong place at the wrong time. This kind of signage is what I’m going to focus on today.

I would consider must-have wedding signage to fall into a few main categories, as explained in the following paragraphs.

Wedding Seating Plans & Table Numbers

Think back to your awkward middle school days. Remember when you entered the lunch room on your first day of middle school and you didn’t know where your friends were or where you were supposed to sit? In case the thought gives you a mild case of anxiety like me, remember that feeling - people like to know where they are supposed to sit.

The most important seating arrangement sign is, of course, the seating chart for the meal of your wedding. I would recommend having some variation of a seating chart for every wedding. The rare exception may be a very small wedding where everyone knows each other, but even then, without some form of a plan, seating could get awkward!

wedding seating chart on a mirror — *Wedding Seating Chart on a Mirror*

The seating chart is typically a large sign that lists names by table or alphabetically with the table number listed after the name. There are some really creative ways to display your seating chart nowadays, but if you want to keep it simple a single sign can still be a beautiful addition to your wedding décor. Just make sure the sign is large enough to be able to read all of the names that need to fit.

Another wedding signage term you have probably heard of is place cards. Place cards show which specific seat at a table a guest is supposed to sit at. Place cards are typically accompanied by a seating chart so that guests don’t have to search every table for their name. If you are having plated dinner service, you will need some way to mark which meal choice a guest should receive, so you may need to consider place cards.

Escort cards are a similar seating plan solution to a seating chart. You don’t need both a seating chart and escort cards - you pick one or the other! Each guest gets a card with their name on it along with their corresponding table name or number. These cards can be arranged in a creative display or simply laid out on a table for guests to grab as they enter the reception. You can also use escort cards to mark a guest’s dinner selection if you are having plated meal service.

That brings us to another must have sign for seating - table numbers! Your seating chart isn’t going to be very helpful without table number signs that correspond with the seating assignment on your chart. Again, legibility is key. Make sure the signs are large enough to see at a distance - 5x7” signs are plenty big enough - and that they are not hidden by your table décor.

*Wedding Table Numbers on Frosted Acrylic*

Wedding seating charts for the dinner portion of the day automatically come to mind, but don’t forget to address the ceremony seating arrangements. Make it clear to your guests whether or not you are going the traditional “bride’s side/groom’s side” route or if you’d like to encourage them to sit wherever. This is especially important if you have decided not to have an usher or greeter guiding guests into the ceremony space.

Pick a seat, not a side wedding ceremony sign — *Pick a Seat, Not a Side Wedding Ceremony Sign*

Direction Signs

If your wedding ceremony and reception are in different places, signs informing guests where to go are a must. Tell guests where the important areas are with directional signs. Don’t forget to point out any areas that are hard to find, such as the parking area or restrooms at an outdoor ceremony.

A wedding welcome sign with the names of the Bride and the Groom is a great way to inform guests that they are in the right place. These can also double as a reception sign by simply moving them to the reception entrance once the ceremony is finished. A welcome sign is especially important if there are multiple weddings going on at your venue. Nobody wants Grandma to end up crashing a stranger’s wedding!

Food Labels

You are bound to be inviting at least a few guests with dietary restrictions. Communicate to them which foods they can eat by explicitly labeling your food. This can be done on either a menu board or food labels such as at a buffet. This is also helpful for picky eaters, especially young kids. If you have a separate meal for kids, this is good to note on your menu board as well! Parents will appreciate knowing that there is a kid-friendly option they can request.

Common food allergies to look out for include (but are not limited to): dairy, eggs, nuts, fish, and shellfish. Some restricted diets include veganism, vegetarianism, lactose intolerance, and gluten intolerance. You can use the following shortcuts on your menu to list items friendly to these diets.

Vegan = VG
Vegetarian = VE
Dairy Free = DF
Gluten Free = GF

What information do you WANT to communicate to your guests?

So we’ve covered what I would call the “must-have” wedding signs. If you have signs related to seating arrangements, directions, and food labels, your guests will be sufficiently in the know at your wedding ceremony and reception. But if you feel like something is missing, there are a lot more unique wedding signage options still available to you that fall under the category of “want” signs. Below is a comprehensive list of common wedding signs that go beyond the ones I discussed above. You can find lots of examples of these on my wedding calligraphy page.

Reserved ceremony seating
“Unplugged” ceremony sign
Programs sign
Bar menu
Signature drinks sign
Photo booth sign
Guestbook sign
Wedding hashtag sign
Dessert menu
Reception activities sign
Cards & gifts sign
Favors sign
Remembrance sign
Other decorative signage (signs that do not serve a particular purpose other than being décor)

I go into full detail about all of the possible wedding signage options you may want to consider in my free guide, Your Ultimate Guide to Wedding Signage (plus a checklist!). You can get it now by signing up here.

Looking for more wedding signage ideas and inspiration? You can see some of my favorite pieces that I have created here.

Are you ready to take the next step and start planning your wedding signage?

Contact Me