Good morning lovelies! I want to focus on decor today, however what I am going to zero in on isn’t something that everyone would consider standard decor. With so many moving parts to a wedding, its so easy to see why more mundane pieces might slip through the design cracks. The truth is though, executed with just a touch of creativity & flair, this element most certainly can make a gorgeous first impression impact! What element am I thinking of, well if you take your seat, I’ll tell you! Round about pun intended! Escort cards! All too often there are simply too many things going on for most couples planning a wedding and the attraction to simply print a name on a folded piece of paper is far too grand. I hate to admit this about myself but I cringe when I see this. I realize there is a lot to balance, however there are so many deliciously wonderful ways to display your guests to table relationship, coupled with the fact that when you consider that it is one of the first things that greets your guests, shouldn’t you start them off on the right foot with the voice of your wedding?!
I stumbled upon a terrifically crafted escort card display on The Wedding Chicks which was created by Eagle Eyed Bride. There is so much to love about this about this self proclaimed table plan however the true beauty is in its simplicity, but we’ll get to that in just a moment!
Are you as in love with this hanging escort card display as I am?! Imagine this as one of the very first things that your guests will see, they know it’s game time! As I noted above the beauty is in the simplicity. While there most certainly is quite a bit of forethought and design detail going on, in reality, it’s straight forward and easy to understand all the while serving to decorate the room.
I hate to say it, but now and again I see those that try too hard to over come the printed single fold escort card stigma, ending up with something well over complicated and difficult for your guests to use without a decoder ring. Erroring on the side of complex, when it comes to getting guests to their assigned seat, is not a very good experience, so be sure whatever you choose, others can easily work out what they are meant to understand. The beauty here is the clarity, see numbers, look for name et volia! The piece as a whole is bright in it’s lovely ivory ribbons, initials, numbers & cards. Nothing is yelling for your attention, allowing your guest to passively find out what table is theirs.
Let’s talk about those utterly stunning paper cone flowers shall we?! I have never been a huge paper flower fan, I’ll be honest, but the folks at Eagle Eyed Bride have created a convert in me with these beauties!! Their Dahlia like design is equal parts whimsical & sophistication and I have got to imagine that while time consuming to assemble, their likely not all that difficult to make. There are two main elements, aside from their unique nature as a whole, that make this piece work so wonderfully well. The colors chosen are just the right for the impact without going overboard and the some what abstract, asymmetrical nature between the assembly of the 2 sides. Reflection is beautiful and symmetry has its time and place, but the unique form that each side has helps to give ‘body’ to the otherwise very vertical display. These paper cone flowers serve as the honeycomb of activity to the otherwise calm arrangement. A bit of action, in just the right place is divine, and this combination of relaxed seating line vs active paper flowering is perfection.
Let’s talk practicality for a moment shall we? Hanging elements can be suspended from just about anywhere, with just about anything, especially something like this that is light and airy. Whether you’re suspending it away from any walls directly from above or creating a suspension illusion by hanging the piece on a board of sorts for example, where there is a will there is a design way! Having more then 8 tables, no a problem, simply go wider. I don’t suggest getting into a 3rd row of tables per ribbon, adding a third layer begins to muddy the picture, taking away from the super clean user friendly overall look. Worried about the ribbons of cards & numbers turning, me too, but there is an easy fix for that. I can’t tell from the images, but simply tying a weight to the bottom of each ribbon, say a round metal doughnut for example, can help to keep the ribbons from flipping. Upside, paint those weights super fun colors to really add a pop to the overall piece!
If your worried about having so many other things to take care of that another DIY project simply isn’t in the cards for you, I hear that. I chose this design as it has elements and an overall design theory that can be sectioned out and applied in any number of forms & variations. If the budget is there, work with your florist to use real flowers vs the paper ones, I guarantee it is going to be stunning! While I realize a lot of couples don’t worry so much about how to let their guests know where they are sitting, if you up the game from the start, the most gorgeous complete picture of your big day and all the work done leading up to it, will be not just clear, but perfection! Be sure to head over to The Wedding Chicks to check out their full post centered around Contemporary Wedding Inspiration with an Architectural Twist.
