Inspiration: Wedding Place Cards
The reason I wanted to make a post devoted solely to place cards is NOT only because they might be my favorite kind of bespoke project, but to showcase some of my work over the past few years I've done for really creative and inspiring brides! Scroll through this post if you want to see some pretty neat place card inspiration!
Marble Tiles
Okay, this one had to go first - because it is my favorite! Marble tiles are so elegant and add an urban, yet classic touch to your day-of details. They are perfect for gold, black, and I would even dare to say white ink. They can be done up or done down, you know? Behind the scenes, they require a huge amount of prep in order to get the ideal writing surface. This makes them a little bit more of a luxury-priced place card, but it is perfect for glamorous weddings or even small, intimate affairs. Best part? You can pick them up at somewhere like Home Depot or Lowes (or even Etsy!) for a pretty good deal. These are my new favorite!
Folded and Flat Paper (and the best ink combos)
Folded place cards made with rich cardstock are always so versatile and doable. They can be dressed up (the dream = wax seals, ribbon, or greens!) or kept simple. This is the most practical place card, in my opinion, and it is always my go-to as a first suggestion for brides who are looking for budget-friendly ideas. My favorite combo is black paper and white or gold ink. I personally love working with rich, dark paper with a lighter ink for maximum eye-popping contrast. Anything done with folded paper can obviously be done with flat paper, too! The simplest day-of details are sometimes the best!
Handmade Cotton Rag Paper
Another lust-worthy place card favorite of mine involves handmade cotton rag paper (my ultimate favorite is from Fabulous Fancy Pants…and I’m not being paid to say that…I just love their products that much. Cotton rag paper is flawed and blemished, but their imperfections and uniqueness make them perfect, you know? I do find them challenging to write on, so I always like to go light on the ink and use a fixative to keep the paper as smooth as possible. I think handmade cotton rag paper screams “rustic” and “nostalgic” all in one. Fun fact: I used this for my own rustic estate wedding!
On my wishlist: gold leaf, seaglass/seashells, agate, and more wax seals
I haven’t used these surfaces or embellishments yet in my place cards and I am dying for some bride to call me up and say, “whip me up some gold leaf place cards!” or anything like that :) I am definitely more and more comfortable experimenting on nontraditional surfaces now that I’ve been practicing calligraphy for 3+ years. As for seashells, the only shells I have used are super delicate capiz shells (from amazon!) which are so fun and satisfying to write on. Agate would be the dream…and wax seals! Oh my. I have a little obsession with them. This summer I designed a crest for a bride, and we had a custom-made wax seal made featuring the crest! The seals were used in her invitation suite, and honestly it was so swoon-worthy it made me so excited! So, more of this please!
The purpose of this post is to hopefully help you conjure up some day-of escort/place card inspiration. The options are truly so endless. If you want to ask me a question about your own place cards, I’d love to share my two cents! You can drop me a line! Or check out my pricing info here!