Take your seat please....

There are many ways to inform your guests on where they are to be seated for your wedding.

You can stay simple and basic and have alphabetical escort cards, or you can get creative and think outside the box.

No matter how you decide to display this information it is best to be clear so to decrease any confusion. When planning this detail, also keep in mind the space to which your guests will be able to look at or hunt for their names. Will you be creating a bit of a line up or cluster? Be sure that you have enough space for your idea, and that you have enough info - i.e: table number, guest first and last name.

A lot of times I see couples incorporate their theme into the escort cards/display - and this is fabulous and exactly why you have themes and or colour palettes when planning your big day. Keep all details in your wedding concise.

Some ways to inform guests to please take their seats are:

- Old fashioned chalk board
- Escort cards hanging from a tree or twigs in a pretty vase
- Photos tacked to a bulletin board (left plain or covered in fabric)
- Handwritten names on rocks, seashells or stems of a lollipop
- Escort cards hanging on a clothes line (twine or ribbon)
- Handwritten names on a window or window in a door

Etiquette Tip: Setting a Table

Do you know how to properly set a table for an event? Maybe you're hosting a Bridal Shower, Rehearsal Dinner or just simply a Dinner Party and you have no idea what is proper etiquette for the table setting.

Here are a few diagrams to show you just how to do it.

Informal:
This set up is great for casual Bridal Showers, Baby Showers, Breakfasts or Luncheons.

Almost everyone has the silverware and dishware displayed in this diagram. If you're not serving alcohol, you should remove the wine class and replace it with a saucer and cup (which normally sits beside the soup spoon, but you can put it where the wineglass would be to save some space).

Remember this, you always enjoy your meal from the outside in.

Formal:

Now it gets a whole lot trickier. If you're hosting an event where you are the one setting the table, then take note. Again, you eat from the outside in, finishing your meal at the top with the dessert spoon and or cake fork. After each course, you should be removing the appropriate silverware and dishware.

At the end of the meal, you should only be left with the place card, water glass, cup and saucer, napkin and dessert utensils & plate.

Remember to place your napkin on your lap, and if you excuse yourself from the table during the meal, place it on your chair (or on the back of your chair if it's not overly soiled). The only time you can place your napkin on the table is when you are finished eating. Another way to signal that you are finished is to place your dinner fork and dinner knife side by side with the ends resting at the 5 if your plate was a clock. If you cross your knife and fork over one another to form an 'x', this tells the serving staff that you are not finished, but merely taking a break (ie: restroom).

As a guest, do your best to follow the place setting and using the proper utensil for the meal. If you're unsure, watch what others are doing at your table and you'll be just fine.

Bon Appetite!