How to do a seating chart for a destination wedding?

Can you do escort cards instead of an actual chart? That would be much easier to transport, and as a guest, I prefer them. They are usually arranged on a table in alphabetical order and guests can just grab them and go without having to crowd around a large sign looking for their name. Plus, if they grab it earlier, they can always refer back to it since it's on them, if they forget their table assignment. It's also much easier to make last minute changes since you just need to reprint a card or two rather than the whole chart. We were able to do them very cheap by buying small tented Avery cards on Amazon. Avery has free templates, so we were able to just print them on our home computer.

I agree with PP, just do escort cards.

Escort cards are so much easier.

I agree with the PPs, escort cards would be a lot easier to transport

If you don't want to do escort cards and are set on having a seating chart, you should check with your onsite coordinator (assuming you have one) to determine whether they will allow you to ship it directly to the site and then mail it back to you after the wedding.

View Quoted Comment If you skip a seating chart and do escort cards, do the guests just seat themselves in any which way at their table? Or did you also have place cards at each seat?

View Quoted Comment Yes, I haven't been to any wedding where there was assigned seating specifically, but if so, place cards are necessary. Even if you have a seating chart, place cards at the seats would still be necessary. The seating chart and escort cards only tell the person what table they are seated at. I feel like a seating chart with actual seats assigned would be difficult, as people would forget which seat was theirs by the time they got to the table, and unless it was huge, it would be hard to read the print to begin with.

View Quoted Comment Thanks for the explanation! I can only recall the seating at one wedding which was completely assigned via tented name cards at each seat. I like the idea of escort cards and letting people pick their seats at the table.

View Quoted Comment Yeah, unless it's a very VERY formal event (like the White House Correspondence Dinner) or you're doing one or two long banquet tables, assigned tables are enough.

I’m doing string lights (link) each table is a card with all the names (like in the photo, but not sure if I’m doing some board, easel or crate behind it yet)... the lights are small when in their box and you can leave them behind since they’re pretty cheap. Hopefully this helps give you some ideas or inspo https://www.amazon.com/Dopheuor-Operated-Halloween-Thanksgiving-Christmas/dp/B07V9WRR4Z

This is so interesting. All the weddings I've ever been to here in Australia, you're assigned a specific seat at the table - I've never gone to a wedding with escort cards. I see how it would work for round tables, but I guess what I can't get my head around is how this would work if there were big long banquet tables, which is what our venue has.

The way our tables will be, is like an E shape - the back of the E will be the bridal table, and the legs will form the guest tables. Presumably escort cards wouldn't work, since we want our closest family and friends to sit closest to the bridal table at the top. If we just did escort cards, couldn't second cousin John or whoever just get in first and take a seat right down next to the bride and groom, so the parents of the married couple have to sit further down?

View Quoted Comment Yes, if you're having banquet tables, then place cards make sense. I can't speak to all of the US, but all weddings that I've ever been to or have heard about directly have round tables that seat around 8-12 people.

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Fair. Thanks for sharing I think escort cards do look fun, and they're unusual for here, so I'd be into them if there was a way we could have them!