Place cards with no names, just meal choice

If you assign tables but not seats, you should be able to give them a meal count for each table. As in table 4 has 5 chicken, 2 fish and 1 steak. I would think that would be sufficient as opposed to actually putting it on the table. I would ask your venue if that would be ok. Otherwise maybe just put a slip somewhere discreetly by your table number for the waitress to pick up. I think if you label each seat your guests may be confused, or they would try to sit at the meal they ordered which would defeat the purpose of no escort cards.

View Quoted Comment I did ask about giving them a meal count per table but they like to serve every table at the same time rather than one by one to be more efficient.

Honestly this sounds complicated. Is there a reason you don’t want to just do escort cards? I never remember what my husband and I ordered at weddings so it would be difficult for me to just sit down at the right meal indicator.

We are also doing a seating chart for everyone to find there tables, but we are not have "assigned seats" at those tables. We will be having a menu card at each table setting, but allowing the people to choose their seat at their assigned table.

View Quoted Comment I guess I don’t want to give more work to the guest and I also don’t trust them all to find their card lol

We did escort cards and they were just lined up on a table in alphabetical order. It took guests less than 10 minutes to enter, find their cards and be seated in our reception hall.

View Quoted Comment I don’t understand how it would be more work for them? Usually they just grab their name from a table or wall and they are in alphabetical order. As long as they are in alphabetical order they shouldn’t have trouble finding their card.

I agree with Kelly. Have escort cards with the name and food choice indicator. Guests sit at assigned table, then are served the correct meal. Far less complicated.

View Quoted Comment So should I just include the table number on the card too instead of displaying a seating chart?

That's what I would do. Something like "John Smith, Table 5" and then I've seen either a food choice in a corner of the card, or a colored sticker that indicates which food option they picked. Set them up in alphabetical order and people won't have any trouble finding it.

Another advantage of escort cards (with the table numbers on them) is that they are SO much easier to make adjustments with than a big seating chart. If something changes last minute you can just replace/change a couple cards. With a chart, the entire thing may need to be redone/reprinted.

At the very least, assign people to a table and let them pick their seat.