Make Seating Your Wedding Guests Easy With Stylish Place Card Holders

Once all of the wedding invitation responses have been returned it's up to the bride and groom to determine where each attending guest should be seated. It sounds like an easy task, but it often isn't. Before long, the bride is remembering that Uncle Fred refuses to speak to Aunt Mary, and a couple of the groom's friends have just had a falling out over a girl. Then there's the group of ten friends that you want to have sitting together, but your tables only seat eight people. Obviously you can't let guests wander into the reception hall and choose where they'd like to sit, so the fun job begins of sorting everyone into somewhat amicable groupings where hopefully no one's feelings will be hurt.

Place card holders can come in handy at weddings, especially for larger groups of people. They can be used in several ways, depending on your preferences. Place card holders can be set up at the entrance to the reception hall where guests can find them as they enter. In this case, the cards should list the guest's name and their table name or number. The guest can then bring their place card holder to their table and use the holder to save their place.

An alternative to this is to already have each place card holder set at each place setting. This does not allow the guests an option of choosing their seat at their assigned table, but it does mean that you can more easily keep some distance between guests who may not see eye to eye. One drawback to this option is that earlier guests who don't like their seat may start to rearrange the place card holders to better suit themselves. If you're concerned this might happen, have a member of the bridal party watching as guests enter the hall.

If you have a smaller wedding and aren't as concerned with where everyone is sitting, or if you have a table guide listing each guest and their table number, you can still incorporate place card holders as fun keepsakes for your guests to take home. Instead of using them for names, you can print a thank-you message on the cards, or even a line or two of romantic verse. By using them in a less practical way, you can a bit of fun and whimsy to your reception decor.

The great thing about place card holders is that they are available in a huge variety of shapes, colors and themes. You can choose the more traditional looking miniature frame, or you can opt for coasters, luggage tags, tealights or keychains just to mention a few. Whatever your theme, you're sure to find the perfect place card holders for your wedding.

Oh, and once you get the seating arrangements figured out, don't forget to add an extra place or two for guests who show up even though they said they wouldn't be. There will always be a surprise or two, and it's better to be prepared. -- iS