I got a few questions regarding my escort card table in my last post, so here’s the dirt (or the rice, har har har 
). I was waiting for a good picture of it before I posted, so here we go!
(Pic courtesy of Dennis Lee. All calligraphy was done by moi )
It took me a while to find the right “tray” to hold all the rice and escort cards. I hunted far and wide online and in stores such as Pier 1, World Market, TJMaxx, Ikea, etc., but nothing was as large as what I had in mind. So after exhausting the tray search, I finally found the perfect vessel at Ikea after all! And it was… a picture frame!
A Ribba frame (mine was in silver), 1 ft wide x 3 ft long, flipped upside down. The underside of the frame is about 1 inch deep, and the perfect depth for my rice concept, voila! I bought 2 of them for about $20 each.
Other Materials:
2 packs of Stardream mini thumb cut sleeves, 2-1/4″ x 3-5/8″, $17/100
A pack of ivory perforated DIY business cards, available at any office supply store such as Staples, for under $15.
All of my guest tables were named after Paris landmarks that Mr. E and I visited last year (when he proposed!) So instead of tented escort cards, each couple received a little sleeve, and inside was a mini picture corresponding with their table name (pictures were taken by us during our trip as well).
On the back side of each card was the table name and number. Cards were designed in Microsoft Word using the suggested template and printed using a color copier. I actually used my Cutterpede to cut them down even though the cards were pre-perforated… I didn’t like the little ridges it left when you pulled them apart, haha. And Mr. E laboriously rounded each and every corner, bless his hard working fingers!
I did a trial run before the wedding and took pictures so I could show my Day-of-Coordinator how I wanted it set up. You can see in this pic below what I mean about the upside-down frame being “deep” enough to hold the rice. I bought 15 pounds of rice, but I don’t know exactly how much was actually used.
And there you have it! Are you doing anything unusual for your escort card table?
If I mail you my escort cards, can you write them out for me…pleeeeeez?! LOL, I loved that idea! Of course if I use rice, my parents will want dibs on taking it home to cook after it’s all done! =)
love the rice…simple but so cute. I am thinking about using trays similiar to what you have done and planting/buying grass, and sticking the cards in them, and the grass blades will hold them up. For the cards I am thinking of doing little envelope filled with wildflower seeds and adding a ribbon around it and a label with “love grows” and our names and the table they are at.
did the cards stand up on their own in the rice?
brilliant idea!
what a great idea! rice is so easy to come by too… and as long as you clean it, you can use it to make some bibimbap later!
We used origami cranes for our escort cards, strung them with monofillament and hung them from a huge arrangement of curly willow. It was a great and cheap way to decorate the cocktail hour space.
I love seeing different ideas and non-tent card escort cards. People get really creative!
Amy, yes, if the rice is 1/2 to 3/4 inch deep, the cards will definitely stand on their own.
Haha, when my mom found out I was using white rice this way, she frowned and said, “Make sure you have the hotel pack up the rice afterwards!” Except of course I forgot… not like I didn’t have 999 other things to haul home the day after the wedding (3 bellcarts worth), so I don’t think I could have handled another 15 lbs of rice!
I love, love this idea! So creative! I’m also curious if the cards stood up on their own in the rice.
i love this idea! 
i’m actually doing diy fortune cookies…
http://weblog.xanga.com/MoChoJo/608734940/do-it-yourself-diy-fortune-cookies.html
since my fi and i come from families who own/owned chinese restaurants, we wanted that theme.
originally, i thought i was going to just place them on the table, but now you’ve inspired me to think of something more creative. maybe they can each be placed in a little tray with something that looks like a check but has our menu on it. ooh….
I don’t have any need for escort cards, but yours are so clever that I wish I did!
Thanks for sharing. I’ve been looking for a container similar to what you used for awhile to put sand in for my escort cards - I never thought about using a frame. Problem solved! Thanks, Mrs. Emerald!
These are awesome my date twin! I’m sure you’ll have lots of girls using this FAB idea. It makes me wish we’d had enough guests and tables to need them 
I did however LOVE my placecards (we had assigned seating). I used lavender bundles — our florist tied our mini-moo cards that had our engagement photos (all different) on one side and their name calligraphed on the back with brown ribbon to match the rest of the day. See them HERE: http://tinyurl.com/2qnamu
Can I just say how GENIUS you are for figuring out the whole “picture frame thing”? This might be the most steal-able idea ever. Great find Mrs E!
Thanks for the tip!!! i was looking for a tray deep enough to hold sand and starfishes…. plus you still get a picture frame out of it in the end!
Wow, I love love love it! Those pictures are so gorgeous and tell Mr. E that I love the rounded corners!
oh thankyouthankyouthankyou!!!!! i had the sleeves, but no idea how to make them “stand up!” you are the best!
This is great, and the sleeves are creative. You have a great hand at caligraphy. Nicely done!
The most daring thing I did was have the cards labeled as what we called people (”Aunt Sue”) but arranged alphabetically by last name (which didn’t appear). I was able to lay them all out myself; otherwise that would have been a mess.
irene - the only time I learned calligraphy was back in junior high art class when we did a week-long segment on it. Somehow, its a skill (if you can call it that) which has stuck with me for the past 15 years! But it might be worth a shot to take a class and practice practice practice!
I’m doing Oscar statues.
REALLY like this idea. I was trying to figure out what you used. Ask my FI if he could make me something out of wood and then paint it. But I think this would be waaaaaaaaay easier. THANKS!
okay so if i do end up with the need for escort cards, i’m so stealing this idea. i love it!
Hi Mare!
That’s the same thing I want to do! There was a post about this a while back - discussed using jelly roll pans, etc. We should put our noggins together, I love your ideas!
Back to this particular post - I think the rice is gorgeous and so delicate yet i wouldn’t be afraid to drag my fingers through it a bit. Clever and awesome!!!
I love these. a belated congratulations!! I don’t know if I already contratulated you or not, but your wedding was lovely from all the pictures!
what a wonderful idea! i loved how everything looked and the rice idea is awesome! congrats again….
Hi - I keep coming back to this post because I love love love your escort cards! I#’m going to do something similar but wanted to find out if you used the Opal (gold coloured) or Quartz (ivory coloured) Stardream mini thumb cut sleeves? They turned out beautifully but am trying to find some way of purchasing them here in the UK because the website don’t ship internationally and I can’t find them in any stationary shops over here!
Thanks X
Mrs. Emerald, Chicago
Age and Occupation: 26, Hospitality Administration
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Paralegal
Engagement Date: October 8, 2006
Wedding Date: September 2007
Blogging Since: November 29, 2006
Venue: Hyatt Lodge, Oak Brook IL
About Me: I have been dreaming about my wedding forever, and flipping through bridal magazines since high school, so I am in my element! I am calling our theme "Vintage Inspired French/Asian Fusion." Mr. Emerald is very involved in the planning process, but of course he generally defers to me cuz I have a strong opinion of how I want everything to be :-).
Beautiful! Did you learn calligraphy after you became enagaged? Did you take classes? It’s something I’m thinking about but I’m not sure how easy it is to learn.
I love the way your picture frames turned into trays!