Every dinner party is different, and most can benefit from place cards, a little sign at each place at the dinner table, telling guests where they are seated.
Place cards often have a reputation for being overly formal. But there are fun and funky ways to put guests’ names at places at a dinner table that will not only give seating assignments, but also add to your dinner party table décor.
Why Use Place Cards?
Are place cards necessary? No, but they can add to the success to your dinner party in several ways. Sitting down to dinner can be an awkward moment – Do I dare sit at the head of the table? Are we supposed to sit next to our spouses? Does the hostess want the chair closest to the kitchen? A host without place cards will hear, “Should we just sit anywhere?”
Dinner party place cards allow the host to decide who sits where, for the best dinner table conversation. As host, you get to decide how your guests should meet, mix and enjoy each other’s company during dinner.
If your dinner party is a large mix of people, place cards serve as a reminder for guests whose memory for names is lacking. When name tags are tacky or overkill, place cards offer a mid-party memory aid of fellow guests’ names.
The Best Place Cards for Purchase
- On the elegant side, Crane & Co has some beautiful formal place cards and place card holders for a proper dinner table.
- For more informal place cards, Beaucoup.com sells both paper and porcelain place cards in a variety of styles and themes.
Custom Made and Hand Made Place Cards
Some of the most attractive and creative place cards are hand made and hand lettered for a casual, comfortable dinner party. Use pretty papers and card stock from any craft store and create a patterned frame and solid center, write names on with colorful Sharpies, and fold in half for a tent place card.
- Microsoft Office has downloadable templates you can print out at home and customize with guests’ names.
- Cambridge Calligraphy and other online print stores allow you to order custom printed place cards.
Place Cards Don’t Have to be Cards!
Use your imagination and come up with some fun and funky ways to personalize your dinner party table. Think 3-D and consider all the ways you can put your guests names on a table without using cards
- Put cards with your guests’ names inside small picture frames. Your guests can take the frame home with them, as a dinner party favor.
- If you’re giving party favors, set them on the table with place cards attached.
- Make oversized gourmet chocolate chip cookies for your dinner party dessert. With chocolate icing, write each guest’s name on a cookie. Place the cookies on white paper doilies or pieces of organza and set them on the table.
- For a boat theme dinner party or a children’s table, try Martha Stewart’s idea for paper boat place cards.
- Martha Stewart has other ideas for place cards, including this cute idea for place cards attached to bags of candy.
- A wine glass or champagne glass at each place setting can be easily painted with the guest’s name, using glass paint.
- For an autumn theme dinner or Thanksgiving table, write names with gold paint onto leaves, real or fake.
- Small potted plants, with card-holding sticks, serve as both place card holders and take-home party favors. Or paint guests’ names right on the pots.
- Take some tips from bar mitzvahs and weddings, two events that put creative energy and emphasis on place cards.
