30 Fresh Wedding Escort Card Ideas

escort card cloche — Photo by Jen Rodriguez

You've celebrated with Champagne at cocktail hour, and now it's time for everyone to find their way to dinner. This is where these wedding escort card ideas come in. And, boy, are they important, considering the hours and hours you spent fine-tuning that seating chart. (After that much work, you definitely want your friends to sit in the seats you oh so carefully selected.) But here's the thing: You don't want that chart to look so much like a chart, right? That's why we scoured our real wedding features and our favorite Instagram accounts, wedding photographers, and designers to find creative solutions to this dilemma.

Escort cards are markers that direct guests to their specified table. Unlike place cards, which are placed at the table to designate an individual's seat, escort cards are displayed at the entrance of an event.

And here's the newest trend in wedding escort cards: Choose something that can do double duty. Or you can go with a wedding escort card that's also a favor, like mini succulent plants (everyone loves those) or a personalized illustration of each guest (again, love). Basically, your guests are going to love anything with their name on it, so give them something that they can keep. It's a physical guarantee that they'll remember your big day forever. (Well that, and the fact that you're throwing a damn good party.)

Keep scrolling to find the prettiest escort card inspiration that best matches your wedding theme.

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Cheers

Greer Gattuso, owner of Greer Gattuso, photographed this striking reception display made of lush greenery, blooms, and Champagne flutes. “I love the attention to detail with all the florals and the way the cards were displayed in Champagne glasses for each guest,” says Gattuso. It truly made for a unique experience for guests to find their seat.

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Watercolor Blooms

“The couple took inspiration from the deep blues of the Pacific in nearby Carmel,” says Rosemary Hattenbach, owner of Rosemary Events. “The romantic, indigo watercolor lettering style by Chelsea Pejata was a consistent detail featured throughout the wedding,” Hattenbach adds. Guests' names were beautifully lettered on simple square cards and accented with vines and vibrant pops of coral peonies.

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Words of Love

“We wanted to create something a little more unique and different since we only had about 100 guests,” explains Kelly McLeskey, owner of A Savvy Event. The bride selected her favorite quotes about love to be incorporated into the seating chart. “We had these laser cut, so it stood out on the board and didn't look completely flat,” McLeskey adds. The edges of the escort card were a rose gold foil to match the wedding invitations.

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Bottoms Up

“Our clients love rap music, great food, and fun drinks,” says Laura Ritchie, principal event designer at Grit & Grace, who crafted this charming take on the reception card display. “The blush tone of the Himalayan sea salt caught my eye as an unexpected way to keep this radical idea still in the theme of their modern, romantic look, while also being reflective of who they are.”

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Charming Cloches

Glass cloches embellished with fresh blooms and white calligraphy made for an unconventional escort card display that brought an equal balance of charm and character. “Some of the cloches featured arrangements underneath them, almost like a botanical greenhouse presentation,” explains Anna Le Pley Taylor, owner of Anna Le Pley Taylor. When finalizing ideas, think outside of the box when it comes to non-paper materials.

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Floating Hearts

Infuse the florals, textures, and themes of your wedding into the design of your escort card display. “Don’t be afraid to stray from the norm and incorporate a vertical display instead of tented cards on a table,” advises Allyson Joseph, principal event producer at Bob Gail Special Events. Integrate the design of your escort card display into the natural setting by incorporating furniture pieces and potted plants. “So the piece looks as if it belongs in the space,” Joseph explains.

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A Fresh Take

Escort card displays are such a fun place to make an impression. “However, it needs to be functional as well. You don’t want a long line of guests hunting down their names,” notes Sherry Spencer, partner at Southern Blooms. “We built this by covering foam board in gray silk and framing it out with white trim,” she explains. Sprigs of assorted greenery gave a fresh element to this chic display.

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Sealed With Love

“We love placing a monogrammed wax seal on our escort cards,” says Lindsay Jani, owner of Simply Sunshine Events. "It shows attention to detail and is a fun way to brand your day-of paper goods memorably and unexpectedly.” Here, a pop of red created a vibrant focal point to the cards' all-white base.

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Swinging From the Chandelier

At this backyard California wedding, a hanging escort card display looked like a modern chandelier. How fun! We can even imagine the soft rustling sounds as the pieces shift in the breeze.

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Missing Puzzle Piece

Escort cards — Photo by Christy Wilson Photography; Planning & Styling by Randi Events

Love is like finding your missing puzzle piece so this couple chose to include their guests in the feeling. Names were calligraphed on translucent tiles that looked as pretty together as they did apart. We like to think of this as a mosaic of loved ones on your special day.

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All Hung Up

Sometimes, simple is best. Here, square escort cards are printed in gold script and attached to twine. Colorful flowers add a whimsical touch that definitely won't go unnoticed.

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Lavender Sprigs

Everyone loved the lavender escort cards at this Newport wedding—so much so that the men put sprigs in their lapel pockets. The oh so French detail is sure to envelope any event in its soothing aroma. Bonus: Mosquitos hate these blooms so the escort cards will work double duty and keep bugs away!

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Colorful Love Notes

At this rainbow-colored wedding, the couple hand-wrote each guest a "love note" to thank them for attending. They placed each letter in a colored pocket, where the guests found their table number—and a sentimental surprise.

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Animalistic

Elephant Escort Cards — Photo by Corbin Gurkin Photography; Design by Tara Guérard Soirée

Elephant heads add a bit of fun—party animals, anyone?—to this mossy escort card table. We love the modern-meets-natural aesthetic of the all-white art pieces against the wild bed of moss.

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Full Circle

Circle Escort Cards — Photo by Erin McGinn

If you haven't heard, circle installations are all the rage. Here, thin escort cards were attached to rings of greenery for an organic display.

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Family Photographs

Photo Escort Cards — Photo by Larissa Cleveland

This escort card display is the epitome of personalization. The bride and groom selected their favorite photos of family and friends and used them—in black and white for a cohesive vibe—to lead everyone to the proper table.

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Delicate Discs

Mother-of-pearl-like discs, when calligraphed in pretty pink script, make for the perfect beachside escort card. If thin capiz discs prove difficult to find, write on shells that are native to your locale for a beautiful finish.

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Pressed Petals

For this flora-loving bride, framed, pressed botanicals finished with guests' names and table assignments provided plenty of decor. Plus, they make for a lovely parting gift that guests are sure to hold on to for years to come.

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Rustic Driftwood

If you're saying "I do" in a rustic, lakeside ceremony, these are the escort cards for you. We love the mix of fonts on the natural wood and the sustainability factor of it all, too.

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Trellis Display

Escort Cards on Trellis — Photo by Gayle Brooker; Design by Kristin Newman Design; Calligraphy by Elizabeth Porcher Jones Calligraphy

At this outdoor reception, white calligraphed cards were showcased on a trellis covered in greenery. The display tactfully fulfills its purpose without competing with the lush natural surroundings.

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Boho Dreams

Calling all boho brides! This escort card display combines a sweet call to action with a plethora of dreamcatchers to set the mood. Finding a love like yours is like living a dream, after all.

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Pop of Pink

Fuchsia bougainvillea added a bit of color—and local flora—to this otherwise neutral display. The bright pop is wonderfully refreshing against the all-white palette and ensures your guests won't miss their seating details.

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Dip-Dyed Darlings

To create this boho-meets-rustic display, hand-calligraphed cards were dip-dyed in a warm blush tone and pinned to hanging threads with clothespins. The sweet, feminine hue and textured twine soften the wooden backboard to create a more balanced focal point.

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Freshly Squeezed

If you're marrying in the orange state (or even if you just love oranges), consider this unexpected prop. Here, mini scrolls were added to citrus fruits for a delectable pop of color (and maybe even a snack).

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Inside the Box

This organic-looking display brings flower box creativity to the next level. And we think it's perfect for your outdoor garden party, even without the flowers.

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Homegrown Details

Limoncello and fresh lemon escort card display — Photo by Bottega 53 Studio; Event Planning & Design by Eva Clark Events

“The lemon garden was the perfect backdrop,” recalls the bride of her venue. “Playing off of Italy’s famed fruit, we incorporated lemons into the cocktails as well as the escort display, which contained bottles of limoncello and fresh lemons. The chic bottles acted as both a guest favor and an escort card.” Is there a more fitting touch for a vibrant destination wedding in Tuscany?

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Rooted in Love

Everyone knew where to "plant themselves" for this reception, thanks to seating assignments tucked into mini terra-cotta pots. Such a delightful way for guests to take home a memento and watch it grow in tandem with your love.

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A Focal Point Arrangement

Floral installation escort card display — Photo by Kiyah C Photography; Event Planning by Simply Breathe Events; Floral Design by The Rosy Posy

“The seating chart was one of the many highlights of the reception,” says the bride of the escort card display at her Gilded Age Washington D.C. wedding. “Tiffany and our incredible florist, Lisa Gloff from The Rosy Posy, created the most amazing floral seating chart: a floral installation where every table was a different type of flower and guest names were hand-printed on the petals.”

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Bottle Service

San Pellegrino bottles and custom monogram escort cards — Photo by Ninety Three Creative; Event Planning by A Charming Fete

Libations are always a must for summertime alfresco weddings when all that glorious sunshine could leave guests parched. Surely the wall of citrus-hued, custom monogrammed San Pellegrino bottles leading the way to assigned seats was a welcomed sight at this colorful Cincinnati wedding.

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Baggage Claim

Luggage tag escort card display — Photo by Chris & Ruth Photography; Event Planning by Dana Akhtar of Akiin Tulum; Escort Cards by LetterandLeather via Etsy

If you have guests traveling to a far-flung wedding locale, you might as well make their trip to their designated seats worthwhile. These customized leather luggage tags made for thoughtful, jet-set-themed escort cards (and favors) at this destination wedding in Tulum.

Wedding Escort Cards vs. Place Cards: What's the Difference?