QuickPassMaker
Escort Cards vs Place Cards: The Difference (and Which You Need)
They look alike, and half the wedding blogs use the terms interchangeably — but escort cards and place cards do two different jobs, and mixing them up is how couples end up printing twice. Here's the difference in one read, and which your reception actually needs.
The two definitions
An escort card lives at the entrance and tells a guest their table. Guests find their name on a table near the door, pick up the card, and "escort themselves" to Table 7. One card per couple or household is standard, since its only message is the table number.
A place card lives at the table and marks the exact chair. It sits at each setting with one name on it — one card per person, never shared — and it's how a guest knows which specific seat is theirs once they've found the table.
Memory hook: escort cards get you to the table; place cards get you into the chair.
Side-by-side comparison
| Escort card | Place card | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Entrance display, alphabetized by last name | At each place setting |
| What it says | Name(s) + table number | One name (optionally + table number and meal marker) |
| How many | One per couple/household | One per person |
| What it assigns | The table | The chair |
| Required for | Any reception with assigned tables | Plated dinners with seat-level meal choices |
| Can be replaced by | A seating chart poster | Nothing — if seats are assigned, you need them |
Which one your wedding needs
The service style decides this for you:
- Buffet or family-style, assigned tables only: escort cards (or a poster) alone. Guests find their table and sit where they like. This is most weddings, and skipping place cards saves real money and time.
- Plated dinner with meal choices: both. Escort cards route guests to the table; place cards tell the servers which chair ordered the salmon — many caterers require a discreet meal marker on each card (a colored dot, a small icon) and will tell you their preferred system.
- Open seating (cocktail-style, under ~50 guests): neither. Don't print cards for a party that doesn't need them.
Still deciding whether to assign seats at all? The seating chart guide walks through that call — the short version is that assigned tables are almost always worth it above 50 guests, and assigned chairs usually aren't unless the caterer needs them.
The escort card display — or a poster instead
Escort cards need a display: a table near the entrance with cards in tidy alphabetized rows, or a wall of hanging tags. That's real setup labor, and one bumped table reshuffles your alphabet. The alternative that's taken over: one large seating chart poster, alphabetized by last name, on an easel at the entrance. Same information, nothing to knock over, and you proof the whole thing at once instead of checking 80 cards. The seating chart maker builds the chart with drag-and-drop tables and prints the poster directly. If you love the escort-card look — they double nicely as favors — budget 30–45 minutes of day-of setup and assign a person to it.
Going the poster route? Drag guests onto round, rectangular, or banquet tables and print an entrance poster — free to build and preview in your browser.
Open the Seating Chart Maker →Wording rules for both
- Escort cards: couples and households share — "Mr. & Mrs. Daniel Rivera" (formal) or "Daniel & Sofia Rivera" (modern), plus "Table 7." Unmarried couples get both full names on one card. Write "Table 7," not a bare "7," and alphabetize the display by last name.
- Place cards: one name per card. Match formality to the invitation — titles and full names for black tie, first and last otherwise. First-name-only fails the moment you invite two Sarahs.
- Both: spell-check against the RSVP list, not memory — "Kathryn" vs "Katherine" is the classic day-of wince.
For sizing, fonts, and printing details, the place card guide covers the full production side.
Make both from one guest list
The costly mistake is building escort cards in one file and place cards in another, then fixing a name change in only one. Keep a single source: paste or CSV-import your guests into Attendees once and bulk-generate a personalized card per guest — escort cards, place cards, or both — from place-card and pass templates, each able to carry its own QR code. The Design Studio's multi-up grid then tiles many cards per page with cut lines. Your list stays in the browser; nothing is stored server-side.
Build and preview every card free. Downloads use tokens — 3 free at signup, one-time packs from $9. No subscription.
Start your cards in the Builder →FAQ
Do I need both escort cards and place cards?
Only for plated dinners with assigned seats. Buffet or family-style receptions with assigned tables need only the escort layer — most weddings skip place cards entirely.
Can a seating chart poster replace escort cards?
Yes — one alphabetized poster at the entrance does the same job with nothing to knock over. Escort cards still win when they double as favors or meal-choice markers, or when you expect late seating swaps.
Do couples share an escort card?
Usually yes — one card per couple or household is standard, since it only announces the table. Place cards are the opposite: strictly one per person, because each marks a single chair.