One of the biggest challenges outside of deciding the guest list for the nuptials is the seating arrangement at key events such as the reception and the ceremony itself.
Seating charts at any major event are important as they can indicate the level of importance associated with each guest or be used as a form of passive diplomacy to keep people who might not have high opinions of each other from sharing a table.
This is where the importance of place cards is evident.
The purpose of a place card is to make it easy for your guests to find their determined seating without much fuss.
Properly designed and placed these pieces of stationery make the execution of your seating plan that much easier.
A wedding has so many moving parts to organize and the more efficiently executed the less likely the potential for wedding day crises to occur.
So when choosing your place cards here are some tips to keep in mind.
First make your place cards and their holders colorful and noticeable.
The whole point of having them is to direct people to their seating.
They are not effective if people can't see them.
Of course make sure to match the color theme of your wedding.
It becomes counterproductive to have cards that are easily noticed but clash with the ambiance you are trying to create.
The placecard holders are also another way to add distinct style to your nuptial events.
As much as the table settings or floral arrangements these items can act as another set of decorations contributing to overall theme of the wedding.
Second don't be afraid to use bold designs.
As said earlier the point is that the cards need to be seen so people can find seating.
Simple and understated will only make this task harder for your guests.
Use designs that catch the eye immediately.
Of course choose designs that are within reasonable harmony with the look you want to achieve but as with other forms of aesthetics never be afraid to accessorize.
Third make a reasonable budget for all contingencies and value.
The main point is to make sure you are prepared for any situation you can imagine.
This means making sure to have back up copies of cards in case there are mistakes in the first batch.
This will prevent the last minute scramble to find a place that can make you new ones.
The overall goal is to provide a stress free event that flows easily from one transition to another.
It also means controlling costs.
Unless you have a huge expense account focus on balancing the needs you want to address with the value of what you are paying for.
After a certain point it becomes ridiculous and over the top especially if you get place holders made of rare paper or embossed in 24 ct.
gold.
The point is simple don't spend more if you will only get the same result.
This will give you money to purchase other important items for the wedding.
Finally go over the entire seating plan to check and double check for discrepancies.
This is probably the most important as you can have all the backups in the world but if the original seating arrangement has mistakes you will still have problems to deal with later on.
Double check your arrangement and keep in mind who has affirmed their coming and the possibilities for absences.
The goals is to make your final order as accurate and flexible as possible.
This makes it easier for you to adapt to most situations that might crop up on the day of the event.