Escort cards vs place cards: do you need both?

By Forever Farrah Published 2026-09-12, last updated 2026-09-24.

The difference between escort cards, place cards and a seating chart, which one your wedding needs, and when you can skip cards entirely.

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Escort cards tell guests which table to go to, and sit at the entrance. Place cards mark each guest's exact seat, and sit on the table. You only need place cards if you assign individual seats, usually because meals are served to specific chairs. Most weddings need one or the other, not both, and a seating chart display or QR lookup can replace escort cards entirely.

The three ways to tell guests where to sit

Escort cards, place cards and seating charts compared
	Escort cards	Place cards	Seating chart
Tells guests	Their table	Their exact seat	Their table
Where it goes	Entrance to the reception	On the table, at each setting	Entrance, as a sign or display
One per	Guest or couple	Seat	Whole wedding
Needed when	You assign tables	You assign seats	You assign tables
Changes late	Reprint one card	Reprint one card	Reprint the display, unless it's digital

If you would rather skip the printed board, a QR code seating chart lets each guest find their table on their own phone.

What etiquette actually expects

The Emily Post Institute treats some kind of card as standard at all but the most casual weddings: either place cards preset at the tables, or cards laid out on an entry table by name with the table number on them. That second option is what most people now call an escort card. Handwritten is the ideal, but printing in a handwriting-style font is acceptable.

The same guidance is clear that assigning actual seats is usually reserved for the most formal weddings. Assigning a table and letting guests choose their own chair at it is the more relaxed and more common choice. That's why most weddings need escort cards or a chart, and only some need place cards as well.

Which one do you need?

Assigning tables only? Use escort cards or a seating chart. Guests choose their own chair at the table. See assigned vs open seating for why most weddings choose this.
Assigning exact seats? Use a seating chart or escort cards to get guests to the table, and place cards to put them in the right chair.
Open seating? You don't need any cards. A welcome sign is enough.

When place cards are worth it

Plated meals with choices. Servers can see who ordered what, especially if you mark the card with a small symbol for each meal.
A head table or a formal dinner where the order matters. See head table or sweetheart table for the traditional order.
Separating two people at the same table who shouldn't sit side by side.

How many cards you'll need

The average US wedding in 2025 had 117 guests, according to The Knot's 2026 Real Weddings Study of 10,474 couples. Here's what that means for the count.

Cards needed for a 117-guest wedding
What you choose	Cards	Why
Escort card per guest	117	Every guest finds their own name
Escort card per couple or household	Fewer, one per party	One card names everyone at the same table, for example "Mr. and Mrs. Garcia, Table 6"
Place cards	117	One for every seat, head table included
Escort cards and place cards	Up to 234	Both sets, which is why most couples choose one
Seating chart display	1	One sign, listed alphabetically or by table

For the per-household count, use your own list: every couple or family sharing a table needs only one card.

Escort cards or a seating chart?

Escort cards double as favours and look lovely, but they're a lot of cards: 150 guests is up to 150 cards to write, sort and lay out alphabetically. A seating chart is one display, listed alphabetically or by table. A QR lookup, where guests type their name on their phone, replaces both and needs no reprinting when plans change (do QR seating charts work?).

Laying out escort cards so guests find them fast

Sort by surname, the way guests will look for themselves. Couples with different surnames can each have a card, or share one filed under the name guests will look for first.
Break a long table into letter sections (A–D, E–H and so on) once you pass about 100 cards, so several guests can search at once.
Put the display where guests arrive, before the reception room, so no one walks in and then back out to find their table.
Leave room around it. Everyone arrives at once after the ceremony or cocktail hour, so a display against a wall with space in front beats one in a corridor.

Making them from your seating plan

Whichever you use, print from your final seating plan rather than typing names by hand. Hand-typed cards are where misspelled names and the guest seated at two tables come from. Print as late as possible, two or three days before, so last-minute changes are included. Keep a few blank cards and a pen at the display for the guest who turns up unannounced.

Forever Farrah prints escort cards and table cards straight from your seating chart, with meal codes if you use them. PDF export is part of the Celebration plan and above.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between escort cards and place cards?

Escort cards tell guests which table they're at and are displayed at the entrance. Place cards mark each guest's specific seat and sit at the table setting.

Do you need place cards if you have a seating chart?

Only if you assign exact seats. If you assign tables, the seating chart is enough, and guests choose their own chair.

Do you need a seating chart if you have escort cards?

No. Escort cards do the same job as a seating chart. Use one or the other to get guests to their table.

Should escort cards and place cards be handwritten?

Handwritten is the traditional ideal, but the Emily Post Institute says printing in a handwriting-style font is acceptable. Printing from your seating plan also avoids spelling mistakes.

Yes. One card per couple or household is common and cuts the number of cards. List both names and the table number.