Seating Chart Display Trends & Ideas For Clients
Once the event seating chart is created, it becomes time to consider how it’s displayed.
We’re no stranger to the seating chart setup, but I think we can all agree that we’ve witnessed a creative transformation in how these displays have been presented in recent years, as opposed to the traditional place-cards that used to be the norm. These industry pros share their unique ideas for you to incorporate into guest seating for your next client wedding!
Pull inspiration from your client’s destination
If your clients are getting married away from home in an exotic locale, this is your chance to wow everyone by embracing culture and traditions from the area. Megan Velez of Destination Weddings Travel Group suggests, “For a Mexico wedding, you can attach each seating card to a small bottle of tequila. If you’re celebrating in Hawaii, display a fun wall of leis as your guests find where they’re sitting. These local items can also double as wedding favors!”
Photo Credit: LEGACY Photography & Design, https://legacytheblog.com/
Even for local couples not straying too far from their hometown, some guests are likely still traveling to be with them for their big day. For example, welcoming out-of-towners with a similar gesture (local beverages like craft beer or wine) to pair with their escort card.
Incorporate personality and décor
We’re seeing more Pinterest-worthy concepts in the way of using uncommon objects as seating charts, most notably circling back to the beautiful black canvas of an antique mirror (as we’ve all likely seen by now!). This remains to be a popular choice, but there’s recently been an uptick in more customization than we’ve previously seen, with artists elevating the displays to become fully-fledged photo backdrops.
Photography: Kaysha Weiner, https://www.kayshaweiner.com/
Calligraphy: Heidi Davidson Design, https://www.heididavidsondesign.com/
Planning: Pure Lavish Events, https://eventsbypurelavish.com/
Morgan Montgomery of Paisley & Jade says, “Custom seating charts are a great way to incorporate the theme or design elements of your event! Because our in-house artists are working with a blank canvas (such as chalkboard or mirror), they can easily design something that is cohesive with stationery suites, event graphics, or other thematic elements. This is a great opportunity to include wedding monograms, specific font choices, or small graphic details (such as greenery or florals) that are present in other areas of the event!”
Utilize nature
Don’t stop at embellishing your client’s seating chart with flowers – go the extra mile and make the setup part of the venue’s greenery itself! This, of course, goes especially well with outdoor venues, but you can also surprise your couple by bringing the outside in as well.
Photo Credit: Kim Stockwell Photography, https://kimstockwellphotography.com/
Jamie Chang of Mango Muse Events notes that this is one of her top tips for display. “Use your surroundings! If you can utilize a part of the venue (like a cool tree or part of the structure) to display the seating chart or seating cards in a way that’s personal to [the couple], it’s a win-win!”
Creating small details such as these will make the couple’s wedding feel much more bespoke, and guests will love the attention to detail!
Meghan Ely is the owner of wedding PR and wedding marketing firm OFD Consulting. Ely is a sought-after speaker, adjunct professor in the field of public relations, and a self-professed royal wedding enthusiast.
