How To Turn Frames Into Escort Cards and Displays for Your Wedding

These unique ideas will add a subtle beauty to your reception ambiance

by Heather Lee
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Heather Lee is the managing editor for Minted's lifestyle blog, Julep, and a former Brides editor. She has written for Bon Appétit, Sunset, and Shape.
Updated 10/24/17

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Painted Picture Frames

Photo by Jane Beadnell Photography

For a more whimsical, vintage-inspired look, opt for mix-and-match frames that you can paint in bright colors to complement your wedding palette; display the frames on a panel of weathered wainscoting alongside fresh greenery and blooms.

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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.

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