Miss Sundae, Chicago/Lake Geneva, WI
Age and Occupation: 28, Knowledge Manager
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Investment Advisor
Engagement Date: July 20, 2007
Wedding Date: September 2008
Blogging Since: February 5, 2008
Venue: The Abbey Resort
About Me: It’s hard to believe that by the time Mr. Sundae and I get married we will have been together for almost ten years. When we first met in college we split dollar pitchers and now we share the mortgage payments. Despite our love for the city we are looking forward to tying the knot in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
Oh, Escort Cards…
May 15th, 2008 @ 4:52 pm by Miss Sundae
They completely stump me. I’ve gotten as far as deciding that we’re going to only do table assignments, not individual seats. Mama Sundae is making a runner for the escort card table (which will be a 6ft table) so we’ve got that covered. I know where the table will be placed in the tent. I’ve even found a calligrapher to write each card for a really reasonable rate. What stumps me is how to display those suckers on the table! Originally, I liked the idea of hanging cards from a “tree” (or multiple trees) like this idea via Style Me Pretty:
And then we attended a wedding that executed a similar idea. It was one big tree with escort cards hanging from it and I walked around that tree no less than 73 times looking for our card. We’re not having a cocktail hour, so I need people to walk in and find their escort cards in a relatively limited amount of time…orderly alphabetical organization is key.
A long time ago I saw an something about wishing rocks, which I am still drawn to. The basic idea is that there is a rock on or near each escort card, along with a sign instructing guests to make a wish for the couple on their respective rock and then place it in a large container (likely a hurricane vase). It would sit in our house, a container filled with good wishes (image from The Knot):
Cute, but the OCD in me can’t allow things to be that messy. I would need all those rocks to be aligned on one side or another, which is not out of the question. But are the cards harder to read when they’re laying flat versus standing up? I also found this image (also from The Knot):
Those shells could easily be swapped out for black river rocks. And that way there could still be folded cards…I *think* that I like it better when they all stand up versus flat cards laid on the table. And then, in an effort to confuse things as much as possible, I saw this picture using little envelopes where you could include a personal message to each guest (clearly I’ve been hanging out in the escort card section of The Knot):
Really like that idea. It would be some extra effort on my part for sure, but a really personal touch. If I lay all the envelopes together like that though, where would the rocks go? Could there just be a row of rocks next to each corresponding envelope? Or, I could just chuck the whole idea and go with something simple and classic (shockingly enough, also from The Knot):
Oh yeah, I am definitely over thinking this one. I made all the big decisions pretty painlessly - it’s the little ones that throw me for a loop. How did you display your escort cards? Anyone else find themselves obsessed with the little details?
18 Responses to “Oh, Escort Cards…”
Ahh! Escort cards are my biggest DIY project, and I still haven’t figured out how we are going to do them, exactly (only 3 weeks from the wedding!). I made about 225 of the origami lilies I saw on here, but I don’t want to do the stems and make entire flowers, so I’m trying to figure out another option. Hole punch cards and use ribbon? Just glue the flowers to the card?
This is definitely a “little detail” that is getting a lot of attention in our wedding. I’m glad someone else is stressing over it a little too! 
I think escort cards are actually far easier to read when they are laying flat, as opposed to standing up. The rocks will add visual interest and depth to the display.
I covered a corkboard with fabric and will display them on there by pinning the cards into the corkboard.
Yeah, I did not even know what an escort card was til I started wedding planning.
I’m not doing individual escort cards for each guest. I’m going to have a hanging card for each table (except not from a tree, though I have yet to decide from WHAT! The ceiling, hopefully!). They will be hung at differing heights (not TOO different) with crystal-type beading at the bottom and all the people sitting at that table listed on one card. So it won’t get confusing - 73 times! Ouch.
I am obsessed with the little details as well. Those details have consumed me! Right now I am trying to figure out a design for our table numbers..
I AM OBSESSED WITH ESCORT CARDS!!! And I have no idea what I’m going to do. My mind starts running with all these ridiculous ideas, and then I have to bring myself back to Earth because it’s such a tiny thing and why should I spend so much time on them, but I can’t help it!! So yes, I feel for you.
I agree w/ CarolineG, I think they are easier to read laying down as well… plus the idea of the rocks laying on top of the cards was my favorite 
I think if the rock is laying on top of the card ppl are less likely to pick up there card and leave the rock behind.
I like the idea of the cards laying down and what you could do is punch a hole on the side of the card and attach a crystal that ppl can wish on and it would look so pretty in a little vase……=) I dunno…….simple is better, people won’t keep these cards, but the rocks/crystals are a cute idea.
You might like idea.
My florist made these cool manzanita branches (like you have) with glued on orchid blossoms and glass holders hanging off it with more orchids in water.
Underneath that you could put escort cards, either on top of a bed of roses or not. See bottom right picture:
http://www.callalilyweddingflowers.com/wedding.htm
(Our wedding is on the second page.)
I went to a wedding where the rocks were the ‘guest book.’ There were two hurricane’s- you took a rock from one, signed it, and placed it in the other one that would be displayed in their house. It was great!! Just a thought.
I’m into the river rocks look too for my escort cards. I’m going to tie red embroidery floss around the rock and attach a tag with their name and table number to the rock. But of course, they’ll get to keep the rock. But wishing rock sounds cool too. And the guestbook rock sounds neat too.
I just had a physical reaction to the idea of writing a personal note to each guest- my stomach lurched forward and my eyes glossed over. It would just take FOREVER! There are so many guests that you don’t know that well, so unless the note was just “thank you for coming” it would stress me out to no end. Although, if I received such a note, I would be really touched
I have seen rocks serve as the card- name on one side, table on the other- although I love the guest book/wishing rock idea, too.
I also really like the idea of the cards lying flat with the rock on top, and I also agree with others that I think it’s easier to read cards when they lie flat.
What are people using to write on rocks??
I was a little stressed about these too but we ended up doing really simple escort cards. We did folded ivory cardstock and we used a calligraphy script printed on clear, round, stickers for the names on the front. Then we did another clear, round sticker on the inside with the table number. They were really easy and they looked great.
http://tinyurl.com/3jjpcq
our wedding was water-themed, so we used flat river rocks AS our escort cards. we had each person’s name written on one side, and the table name written on the other. my sister arranged the whole set of rocks alphabetically in a river shape. some people actually took the rocks home as momentos, which i thought was crazy but you never know what people will like
we also used some more rocks we collected as for people to make wishes with (or write wishes on). we got some lovely drawings on a few.
also, we used a silver paint pen to write on the rocks. you need a fairly thin nib for calligraphy to show up well
[…] and keep looking, almost inviting something better to come along that I just have to have. The escort cards were one of those […]
I am also obsessed with the escort cards as well as DYI projects. I started doing the picture of tree w/ hanging names wow what a project. I got metal pots from Ikea and wrapped fabric around then and bunched it up. In the winter I took my friends bush branches instead of everything this girl did on style me pretty she spent a fortune. So far it looks good now I am having a issue w/ table numbers to cordinate w/ the tree. ANY IDEAS… Wedding is in Sept 2 months
