Day-of Signage Options
A few months before your big day — or sooner if you’re a planner or if your date is in a busy season — it’s time to start thinking about day-of signage and stationery! I know this can be quite overwhelming, so we’re gonna break this down.
Below is a TON of ideas/information, so please note that you do not need all of this, and most couples do not do all of this. Just pick what’s most important to you and your boo!
Let’s start from the very beginning of the “day-of”:
pre-wedding (Welcome Bags)
If your venue has on-site accommodations, or you have a hotel block where most of your guests will be staying, some kind of welcome notes / welcome bags are such a sweet and personalized touch to thank your guests for being at your special weekend!
Welcome bags/boxes can include anything that’s special to you and your partner: favorite snacks, favorite drinks, tiny bottles of liquor/premade cocktails, cups, custom masks, hand sanitizer, aspirin, water, etc. The list goes on & on!
Having a welcome note with a general weekend schedule can be a great idea, so your guests know exactly where to be & when to get there. You can also do custom tags or stickers to label each of your personal items. To get extra fancy, have a wedding monogram/logo created and printed on tote bags!
Next up: the big day!
Ceremony
If your venue is spread out, you may want directional signage to lead your guests to your ceremony site. If your venue is fairly straight-forward and easy to navigate, you can skip directional signage, and go straight for your welcome sign. Another idea is to have a timeline/itinerary sign, which gives guests an overview of the schedule of the day. (Or combine a welcome+timeline sign!)
(Some material options include: printed/foamcore, acrylic [clear, frosted, or colored], wood [stained or painted], mirror, fabric, etc.)
Near the ceremony site or welcome sign, you’ll usually have some sort of welcome table, for guests to place gifts/cards, sign a guest book, and/or grab a program. You may want a guest book sign, a cards/gifts sign, a smaller unplugged sign, either a program sign or printed programs, or any small favors for folks to take. (You may also choose to have a larger unplugged sign on an easel too!)
Moving along:
Cocktail Hour
One of the biggest components of cocktail hour is, of course, the bar! Having a bar menu is one of the more important signage components of your big day. There are so many options to choose from for your bar menu: just signature cocktails, a separate sign for beer/wine/spirits, or a full bar sign with all offerings. And of course, feel free to make it personal — add illustrations of your pups or cats or give your drinks fun names!
Another fun touch is cocktail napkins. While these aren’t totally crucial, they add such a fun and personal touch to your big day! You can feature your names, logo/monogram, pet illustrations, fun facts, quotes…the possibilities are endless.
Along with cocktails, you’ll typically have some sort of appetizers served during CH. Add a station sign or small food labels so guests know what they’re getting.
One of the other big signage components of cocktail hour is of course your seating chart or escort cards! These days, seating charts are one of the best ways to add a fun statement sign or interactive display for your guests. Get as creative as you want, and feel free to add some personality or sass!
Pro tip: organize your seating display alphabetically (as opposed to by table number), to make it easier on your guests.
And finally:
reception
The signage/stationery possibilities within the reception portion of your big day are pretty vast, but we’ll start first with your tables. The most common items here are: table numbers, menu cards, thank you/welcome notes, and place cards.
Pro tip: if you’re planning to have a plated dinner (where guests preselect their entree choices), you will need place cards for all guests. You’ll also need to have a way to differentiate between the different entrees. If you are doing a buffet or family style, you don’t necessarily need place cards. I still recommend having them at your head table though, to make it easier!
Outside of your table settings, you can also have any (or all) of the following: station signs, dessert table sign or labels, favor sign, favor stickers/tags, special table/activity signs (such as a cigar station, interactive photo booth, special dessert station, etc.) or a
send-off sign.
post-wedding
Following the wedding, don’t forget to have thank you cards to send out! (I suggest having these designed/ready before your wedding, so you can start sending these out following your engagement party, any showers, or other wedding-related events!)
And there you have it — all of the wedding-related signage/stationery we can think of! Of course, the possibilities are endless so you can add to this list, and you can also simplify and do very little of this — it’s your day! :)
to recap:
Here’s my full list for easier referencing:
Pre-Wedding
- welcome notes
- welcome bag favor stickers/tags
- custom welcome bags (tote bags, for example)
Ceremony
- directional signage
- welcome sign
- schedule/timeline sign
- guest book sign
- cards/gifts sign
- unplugged sign
- programs (or program sign)
- small personalized favors
Cocktail Hour
- bar menu
- cocktail napkins
- food station signs or labels
- seating chart/escort cards
Reception
- table numbers
- menu cards
- thank you/welcome notes
- place cards
- food station signs or labels
- dessert table sign or labels
- favor sign
- favor stickers/tags
- special table/activity signs
- send-off sign
Post-Wedding
- thank you cards
