When talking about Day-of paper goods, brides often ask me what is the difference between escort cards and place cards. These two little guys are often believed to be synonyms, and I completely understand the confusion because unless you grew up attending formal gatherings or you had a mom or grandma who loved traditions and followed the formal customs at holiday parties, you most likely never heard of the difference between an escort card and a place card.
So, what is the difference…?
Escort cards
These cards will keep everyone in order by smoothly guiding or “escorting” your guests to their designated table. Escort cards will have the name(s) of your guest(s) along with the table number.
Helpful tip: Make it easy for your guests to find their table by arranging escort cards in alphabetical order by last name. Also, rather than having an escort card for each guest, you can create a card for each party if designated to the same table. For example:
- Married Couple: Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Rohan
- Single with Unnamed Guest: Miss Alicia Rohan and Guest
- Unmarried Couple: Ms. Alicia Farinella and Mr. Patrick Rohan
- Family: The Rohan Family
Place Cards
Unlike escort cards, place cards do not have table numbers. These cards will have each guest’s name and will be place in advance by you on each seat you have assigned for each guest. Place cards are usually used in very formal or black-tie events and will literally let your guests know their sitting place once they arrive to their table.
