First of all, for the uninitiated to the minutia of wedding planning: the This is her real profile card is the card that tells guests at which table they are seated. It is an alternative to the use of a large seating chart. The escort cards are another part of the wedding that you can personalize to complement your wedding theme or style.
The classic escort card is a small rectangular tent card in heavy white or cream stock, with or without a border. The name of the guest or guests is written on the front of the card in black calligraphy with the appropriate table number. Married couples are done on one card. This is the traditional form of escort card, and there is certainly nothing wrong with it if you are having a very traditional wedding. These days, though, many couples want to add their own unique flair to every detail of their weddings, and the escort cards are no exception.
The general look of the card will often tie in with the wedding invitation. For instance, if your invitations were pale pink with dark brown lettering, then your escort cards should be done in the same colors. It is also nice to dress up your escort cards with any motif or monogram that you may be using in other parts of the wedding.
Embellishments are also a very popular way to create unique escort cards. At one wedding I attended, the bride had painstakingly crafted her invitations, and across the top of each one was a handbeaded row of tiny crystals and pearls to match the bridal jewelry sets worn by the bride and her attendants. In keeping with the idea of being inspired by their beautiful sets of bridal jewelry, the bride also stitched a few crystals and tiny pearls on the top of each escort card. It is that impeccable attention to detail that really makes a wedding stand out.
Brides are not only getting creative with the design of their escort cards; the manner in which they are displayed are another area that can be personalized. For a beach wedding, you can tie your escort cards to little shells. Winter brides can use a snowflake motif to display their cards. You could kill two birds with one stone by tying the cards to silver snowflake ornaments that would also serve as the favors for guests to take home. (In that case, you would do one for each guest, and not combine couples on one card.)
There are many other fun ways to set out your escort cards. You can “plant” them in a bed of wheatgrass or nestle them into a shallow box of sand. Escort cards can be hung with clothespins on a line or ribbon (a very popular trend) or delicately suspended from the branches of a small potted tree.
When you are dreaming up ways to personalize your escort cards, don’t forget about your table numbers. Sure, you could just do the basic “table 1, table 2″, etc.”, but it is much more fun to come up with your own names for tables. They can be anything that is meaningful to the bride and groom: names of your favorite places, songs, or words that tie in with your theme. You can be as clever and creative as you like.
Have fun designing escort cards that will add style to your wedding. If you personalize your escort cards, they can go beyond simply serving a function, and add to the overall design of your wedding. It is the little details that make your wedding feel unique.
