Unless your wedding is going to be an informal celebration, don’t use abbreviations or nicknames—write “Samantha” instead of “Sam” and “William” rather than “Bill. ” An escort card for an unaccompanied guest might simply read: “John B. McLemore. ”
Special titles like “Dr. ” and “Father” can be reserved for distinguished guests as a way of showing respect. [3] X Research source It’s usually okay to address children under the age of 13 without titles.
You might also be able to get away with using the couple’s last name alone if it’s a smaller wedding and there are no other couples with the same surname in attendance. Married couples should always be listed together on the same card.
If you have a close male friend who is bringing his new girlfriend, you would write “Leslie Schaeffer and Christopher Hudson. ” When addressing an escort card to a same-sex couple, you have the option of either listing the names alphabetically or starting with the name of the guest you’re better acquainted with.
A card reading “The Gutierrez Family” can account for any number of related guests who have RSVPd to confirm their attendance. Putting whole families down on the same escort card saves you the trouble (and extra materials) of making cards for each person individually.
If your teenage niece is coming with her best friend who you’ve never met, instance, writing “Allison Tremont and Guest” will allow you to formalize her escort card without making her friend feel left out. Failing to acknowledge an attendee’s guests could offend both parties unintentionally.
Envelopes are not only more formal, they also add an element of fun and surprise to the proceedings, since guests will have to open their cards to find out what table they’ve been assigned to.
The major benefit of tent-style cards is that your guests will be able to pick them out and read them much faster, preventing a traffic jam at the entrance to the reception area. However, it also involves less work for you.
Someone with the last name “Adams,” for instance, should be able to spot their card closer to the front of the table than a couple by the name of “Watanabe. ” If you have more than 1 married couple with the same last name, include the husband’s first name so it’s clear who you’re referring to (“Mr. and Mrs. David Johnson,” as distinct from “Mr. and Mrs. Steven Johnson”).
Table cards are large placards used to identify each table in the reception area. They’re typically numbered, but you could also assign your guests to tables named after your favorite flowers, songs, authors, or world wonders—get creative! Place cards display the names of the guests at a particular table so that everyone knows who everyone else is. It will be necessary to print a separate place card with a unique seat number for each guest, rather than grouping them together the way you did on the escort cards.
