Wondering what signage you actually need for your wedding? Here’s a guide to the essential, optional, and creative wedding signs that will add the finishing touches to your wedding styling.
When planning your big day, wedding signage might not be the first thing on your checklist — but it’s one of those details that adds function, style and personality to your celebration. From helping guests navigate the venue or find their seat to showcasing your signature cocktail, beautifully designed signs are both practical and a chance to extend your wedding aesthetic.
In this post, I’ll walk you through the must-haves, the nice-to-haves, and some creative ideas to inspire you. Plus, I’ll cover size tips, materials, display options and budget expectations.
What Signs Do I Actually Need for a Wedding?
The number of signs you need really depends on the scale and style of your wedding, but here are the most common types of wedding sign that my clients choose:
Essential wedding signs:
- Welcome Sign – Greets guests as they arrive and sets the tone, this can be teamed with a map or order of events to make it more functional and cost effective as detailed below.
- Order of the Day / Order of Events / Illustrated Wedding Timeline – These boards are essentially the same thing, and outline the key events throughout your wedding day. They are great for ensuring your guests don’t miss anything and you can share timings of any entertainment and evening food that you might have planned.
- Table Plan / Seating Chart / Escort Cards – A table plan and seating chart is the same thing - traditionally a large board that tells guests where to sit for the meal. I have various layouts to choose from, some couples like their list of tables in numerical order, or for larger weddings it is useful to put the guests in alphabetical order as it makes it quicker and easier for them to find their name. Escort cards are more popular for American and destination weddings and are small cards that are displayed on a wall with the guest name and table number.
- Table Names or Numbers – Choose traditional table numbers, or some couples like to name their tables after something special - places they have visited, flower species, sports teams, cocktails etc. There’s lots of creative ways to display your table numbers including photo frames, picture holders and mini logs.
- Bar Menu or Signature Cocktail Sign – Perfect for telling guests what they can drink. Some couples like to have a drinks list / bar menu printed and sign for their signature cocktail.
Optional but lovely to have:
- Ceremony Signage – e.g. “Pick a seat, not a side”, unplugged ceremony signs, boards with QR codes to upload photos, photobooth and wedding hashtag signs etc.
- Small Table Signs - These include small signs for the cake table, cards and gifts table, guestbook and dessert table, and the design should be cohesive with your other stationery.
- Reserved Signs – These are large tags, which are placed on chairs during your wedding ceremony and usually indicate where the immediate family / closest friends should sit. They are usually supplied with a punch hole and string to be tied on to the chairs, which keeps them secure.
- Directional Signs – Especially helpful at larger venues or outdoor spaces, directional signs can help direct guests to areas for the wedding breakfast, bars, bathrooms etc.
Are Wedding Welcome Signs Necessary?
Welcome signs are one of the most popular and impactful signage choices. A welcome sign is often the first custom element guests will see on your wedding day and it sets the tone beautifully. To make your signage budget go further, they can be combined with an order of events or a map, so you are effectively getting two signs onto board. Welcome signs look great printed with a venue illustration, crest or a love story illustration, which I can repurpose from your stationery suite if you have had invitations designed by me.
How Big Should Wedding Signs Be?
Clients often ask how big their wedding signs should be, here is what I usually recommend:
- Welcome Signs, Table Plans and Order of the Day – A1 594 x 841 mm or 23.4 x 33.1 inches. Anything smaller tends to get lost in the room - wedding venues tend to have large rooms with high ceilings and smaller boards really do tend to get lost. A1 sized table plans also mean that the guest names can be big enough to read easily, and there will be enough space on the board without it looking cramped.
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Table Numbers or Names – The size will be influenced by what frame or holder you are using. A5, A6, 5” x 7” and 6” x 4” are popular frame sizes. If you let me know what type of frame you are using, I will design your table numbers to fit.
- Drinks Lists / Bar Menus – I usually have these printed A4 or A3 size. They can be printed on paper to go in a nice decorative frame, or I can have them printed on foam board.
- Cards & Gifts, Dessert Table etc – These are usually the same dimensions as the table numbers listed above.
What is the Best Material for Wedding Signs?
Most of my custom wedding signs are printed on rigid foam board for durability and vibrant colour reproduction, but I’m always happy to explore other formats depending on your vision. Other materials include acrylic wedding signs, or I can have them printed on paper much like a poster, if you will be placing the signs in large frames.
How Can You Use Wedding Signs Again?
Repurposing your wedding signs is a lovely way to hold onto memories, and helps you get the most out of the designs. Cocktail signs can be displayed in your kitchen, dining room or garden bar if you have one. For larger signs, such as welcome signs or your order of the day, I can have them reproduced at a smaller scale to be framed in your home - please contact me if you’d like a quote for this.
How Do You Display Signs at a Wedding?
Here are a few easy and stylish display ideas:
- Wooden or metal easels – Popular, cost-effective and a practical way of displaying large boards such as welcome signs and table plans.
- Decorative frames – These are great for table-top signs like bar menus or guestbook instructions.
- Hanging or suspended signs – This is a great solution for outdoor weddings, and for woodland or forest weddings, you may suspend signage from trees - just let me know if you plan to do this, as I can have punch holes put in the corners while they are being printed. It is also possible to get white metal frames, used to suspend the sign in the middle.
- Propped on crates, shelves or flower arrangements – The large boards can simply be propped against a wall, on a table, on crates or shelves. I use rigid foam board which is solid and doesn’t bend when the signs are propped up.
Photo Credits:
Venue: @tumblingwatersretreat | Flowers: @lovelybridalblooms | Photographer: @twopeachesphotography
How Much Do People Spend on Wedding Signage?
This really does vary widely depending on the number of signs, design and complexity. The most cost-effective option is to choose one of my semi-custom signs, which have already been designed for your convenience, please explore links below:
https://splendidswan.co.uk/collections/table-plans
https://splendidswan.co.uk/collections/wedding-signs
As a guide, if you wanted 3 x semi custom signs including a welcome sign, table plan and order of the day board, that may cost around £380 - although if you’d like custom elements and hand painted illustrations, there may be additional design costs. It’s best to get in touch so we can discuss your requirements and I can give you an accurate quote.
Bespoke Illustrated Wedding Signage
I offer a bespoke design service for couples who want something truly unique. From die cut shaped wedding menus and place cards to fully illustrated wedding signage, I create pieces that are just as special as your celebration. Let’s bring your wedding story to life through every detail – get in touch to chat about your ideas!