Why Use Place Cards?

• Place cards are used at weddings to reduce confusion for guests, ensure each guest has a seat and to ensure that those closest to the bride and groom, such as parents or grandparents, have proper seating near the bridal table.
  
  

Placement of Cards

• At weddings, place cards are typically placed on a table near the entrance of the reception. According to Martha Stewart, place cards should be displayed on the table in alphabetical order and in short clear rows so guests can quickly scan for their names.
  
  

Style of Place Cards

• The look of the place cards can vary greatly depending on the design and style the bride and groom choose. However, in today's society it is common to use small tented cards that are slightly larger than a business card.
  
  

What the Card Says

• On place cards you will typically find the person's name and his or her table number. According to WeddingUSA.com, in a formal setting you should label the cards such as "Mr. Jones." However, if there is more than one "Mr. Jones" than you should use their first and last names, such as "Mr. Timothy Jones."
  
  

What About the Guests?

• Yes, dates of your guests are people, too. This is why it is important for you to get the full name of all those guests coming to your wedding. To make this daunting task a little bit easier on you, leave a place blank line on your R.S.V.P. cards where your single friends can write in the full name of their guests. According to The Knot, if you don't get names from the R.S.V.P. cards then you will need to call each guest to ensure you have all names and make a card for every guest.
  
  

Can I Combine Names?

• Just because two people are a couple doesn't mean they should share a place card. Each and every guest should receive their own place card. This will help lower the confusion when guests are quickly trying to scan the cards when they first arrive. This also includes children. An easy rule of thumb is if they are old enough to sit in a chair, they are old enough to get a place card.