If you’re wedding planning, you might hear the terms "place card” and “escort card” being thrown around, and you may be wondering what the difference is. A lot of people will use the term “place card” interchangeably with “escort card”, but there’s actually a key difference between the two!

Escort Cards vs. Place Cards

Escort cards tell your guests which table they will be sitting at. Then, they choose their own seat at that table. Place cards tell your guests exactly which seat they are sitting in. They are often already laid out at each place setting!

Escort Card Example

Your escort cards might say something like:

Mr. & Mrs. John Smith
Table 5

They would often be set out on one table for guests to select to find which table they are assigned, and bring to the table with them! Alternatively, instead of escort cards, you could also choose to use a seating chart to tell your guests which table they need to go to!

Burgundy escort cards with gold calligraphy

Emerald green escort cards with white calligraphy

Place Card Example

Place cards may have a first and last name, or even just a first name! They are often already at the table indicating the exact seat that the guest should sit in. For a small and intimate event, guests may just walk along the table to find their spot, or for a larger event, these would be paired with a seating chart! The seating chart would indicate the table the guest needs to go to, and the place card would indicate their spot.