How to Personalize Reception Table Signs

Receptions can be the perfect outlet for creativity and personal touches that can make a special day unique. One of the easiest ways to be creative is with table signs, which direct each guest to a seat. Whether you've chosen to construct a seating chart or are letting guests choose their seats, personalizing the table signs can add a bit of color, fun and personality to any reception.

Instructions

1

Use names instead of numbers to identify the various tables. Many people come up with a personalized theme, such as tropical islands, types of wine or popular love songs.

2

Think about some of the things that you and your fiance or the guest of honor enjoy, such as travel, outdoor sports, American literature, board games, wine tasting or other activities.

3

Calculate how many guests you're likely to have and how many seats there are to a table. This will give you an idea of how many names you'll need to come up with for your theme. By doing the calculations beforehand, you'll know whether the theme you intended to use will work or not. For example, if you wanted to name each table after one of Snow White's seven dwarves, but have calculated that you'll probably be working with 12 tables, you'll want to either rethink or redevelop your theme.

4

Pick names that are easy for people to identify. Start with the most obvious categories of a theme and work backward from there. Try to avoid words that are extremely long, in a foreign language or difficult to pronounce. For example, if you're naming tables after wine, you would want to start with obvious categories like Merlot, Chardonnay and Cabernet. Don't choose something like Gevurtztraminer unless you've exhausted all of the other more obvious and pronounceable categories. People may not associate a word like this with a type of wine, leading them to forget what table they're sitting at when asked by others.

5

Bundle together tables with related names, if possible. For example, in the case of a wine theme, you could have all of the tables that are named after a red wine on one side and white on the other.

6

Buy large pieces of cardstock and determine what you want on your table sign. You may simply choose to print out the word, such as "Antigua," on the card. Or you could have a photo of the island, a shot of a popular and identifiable place on the island, or a generic graphic such as a tropical flower or a palm tree placed behind the island's name.

7

Print the name of the table in large, simple letters so that it is easily visible upon entering the reception site.

8

Create your escort or table cards on cardstock that is wide enough to fit the name of the table's various themes. Pay special attention to this size consideration when purchasing ready-made table cards, which may have only enough allotted space for a table number.

9

Decorate table numbers in creative ways if you do not want to go with a theme. You can print them in certain colors, include a watermark behind the number or include a relevant photo on every sign to add a personal touch. Many companies also sell table signs that are decorated in various celebratory motifs.