Escort Cards vs Place Cards vs QR Seating: What's the Difference?
No queue at the seating board: see how the QR seat finder works →
Escort cards tell guests which table they're at. Place cards mark their exact seat at that table. QR seating is a digital escort card: guests scan one code at the entrance and their phone shows their table, and it updates instantly if you move someone. Most weddings need one way to show tables (escort cards, a seating chart or QR seating), and only need place cards if seats are assigned.
The differences at a glance
| Escort cards | Seating chart / board | Place cards | QR seating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tells guests | Their table | Their table | Their exact seat | Their table (and directions) |
| Where | Entrance table | Entrance sign | On the dinner table | One sign or card, on guests' phones |
| One per | Guest or couple | The whole wedding | Guest | The whole wedding |
| Last-minute change | Reprint the card | Reprint the board | Reprint the card | Update instantly |
| Big weddings (300+) | Slow, crowded table | Crowds at the board | Fine | Fastest, no queue |
Escort cards
Small cards, usually arranged alphabetically on a table at the entrance, each showing a guest's name and table number. Guests pick theirs up and carry it to the table.
Wording
Maya & Elias Khoury · Table 7
مايا وإيلي خوري · الطاولة ٧
Best for: small and mid-size weddings that want a keepsake at the entrance.
Seating charts
One large display (a mirror, a board or a frame) listing every table and its guests. It's beautiful in photos, but it causes a crowd at the entrance when 300 people search for their names at once.
Tip: list guests alphabetically by surname, not by table, so they find themselves quickly.
Place cards
A card at each place setting with the guest's name, used when you assign exact seats, such as at a formal dinner or when meals are pre-ordered and the waiter needs to know who ordered what.
Do you need both escort cards and place cards? Only if seats are assigned. If you only assign tables, escort cards or a chart are enough.
QR seating: the digital escort card
Guests scan one QR code at the entrance and type their name; their phone shows their table and guides them to it.
- No queue at the entrance: 500 guests can look up their tables at the same time.
- Changes update instantly: move a guest at 7 pm, and their phone shows the new table at 7:01.
- Nothing to reprint when someone RSVPs late or brings a plus-one.
- Works with your hostess team: they see the same live plan and can walk elders to their seats.
Sign wording
Find your seat: scan the code and enter your name
اعثروا على مقاعدكم: امسحوا الرمز وأدخلوا أسماءكم
Which should you choose?
- Under 100 guests, assigned tables: escort cards or a seating chart.
- Formal dinner with assigned seats: escort cards (or QR) plus place cards.
- 150+ guests, or seating likely to change: QR seating, plus a small printed list for anyone without a phone.
- Many elderly guests: QR seating plus hostesses at the entrance to guide them.
Set it up with Cedar Invites
Build your layout in the floor plan creator and publish it to the QR seat finder in one click. Guests scan, find their table and walk straight to it, and every change you make is live for guests and your hostess team at once.
Keep reading: Wedding seating chart etiquette: who sits where · The 2026 guest check-in playbook