Photo by Virgil Bunao
Once the reception is underway, your guests will be looking for their seats and you’ll need a creative escort card idea to get them there. While the sky’s the limit when it comes to seating-chart ideas—we’ve seen everything from fresh fruit and calligraphed river rocks to hand-lettered Spanish tiles—sometimes, simpler is better.
If you’re looking for an idea that’s elegant and easy to execute, enter the humble picture frame. You could purchase multiples of the same photo frame and display a printed list of guests seated at each table; or you could mix-and-match different frames for a more eclectic look. Arrange the frames on a table during cocktail hour or hang them on a wall to create a gallery-style display. Another idea: Frame each escort card individually in a miniature-size frame that will also serve as a take-home favor.
Looking for more creative ways to incorporate frames into your seating display? Keep reading for some of our favorite ideas.
See more: 9 Fall Wedding Escort Card Ideas
Freestanding Seating Display
Photo by Charla Story Photography
At this couple’s al fresco wedding reception, guests could locate their dinner table by perusing a large display. Sheets of deckle-edge paper were calligraphed with guests’ names and assigned table number; each sheet was framed and decorated with lush-green smilax vines.
Mix-and-Match Picture Frames
Photo by Carmen Santorelli Photography
This is an easy and elegant DIY idea: Group guests by their tables and print out each seating list; collect a handful of picture frames and display them on a table during cocktail hour for guests to browse. Ask your florist to decorate the table with a handful of simple bud vases filled with fresh greenery and blooms.
Oversize Frame
Photo by Kayla Barker
Individual escort cards were pinned to a framed, linen-covered corkboard and displayed on the porch during the outdoor cocktail hour.
Miniature Frames
Photo by Jack and Tina Fussell
Tiny mismatched frames serve double-duty as escort cards and as take-home favors. Each frame featured a corkboard insert pinned with guests’ seating assignment.
Framed Ferns
Photo by Jose Villa
If your wedding has a botanical or woodland feel, we love this escort-card idea. Affix various pressed ferns and greenery on cards that have been calligraphed with guests’ names and table numbers; display the escort cards in individual metallic frames alongside arrangements of fresh greenery.
Framed Family Photos
Photo by The Style Salon
We love how this couple framed the reception-seating details alongside photos of family members on their wedding day. Using monochromatic frames in the same shade of grey keeps the overall look cohesive and consistent.
Miniature Copper Frames
Courtesy of Jose Villa
Copper picture frames containing seating information were hung from nails on a wood-paneled board—the overall look is perfectly elegant yet rustic.