Post # 1
Member
62 posts
Worker bee
Any brides out there use table names instead of table numbers? My fiance and I are planning on doing that but our caterer recommended that it would be easier/less time consuming for our guests to find the talbes if they were numbered. The caterer also wants us to include a number along with a name for the wait staff so there is no confusion for them. Obviously it would be easeir to go with numbers, but we think it would be fun for our guests to see all the clever names we’ve picked for the tables (we’re using landmarks from our hometown). Our solution is to put the number and the name on the sign at each table, but the escort cards will only have the table name.
Newlyweds, if you used names instead of numbers, did your guests have a hard time finding their table? Did you have a map of your tables to make it easier for your guests to find their seat? Or should I just put the number on the escort card too?
Post # 3
Member
298 posts
Helper bee
We’re doing names for ours, cities we’ve visited together (with pictures of us in those cities as the table cards). We’ll only have 12 tables though so it won’t be too difficult for people to find.
How many guests are you having? If it’s a large number of people, a small number on each one as well as the name might help? Or with your idea, it might be cute to have a map of the town/tables that show people how to find their table?
Post # 4
Member
246 posts
Helper bee
I’m not a newlywed, but I am planning on using names instead of numbers. We love to travel and are having a destination wedding, so I’m naming the tables by all the different locations we’ve traveled to. I don’t see why it would be any harder for guests as long as everything is clearly marked. However, I am planning on adding a number to the tables for the caterers since it will make their lives easier.
Post # 5
Member
246 posts
Helper bee
hey wonderland, so funny, i think we were posting at the same time and have the exact same idea! We’re doing the pictures too!
Post # 6
Member
1045 posts
Bumble bee
Could they be arranged in alphabetical order?
Post # 7
Member
606 posts
Busy bee
I think we are going to do names also (we have some neat park names in the area and so we are naming them park names). 🙂 I think poo poo to the caterer, and dow what you want. 🙂 They can live with whatever you want – you are paying them to do it your way… remember?
-Bella
Post # 8
Member
2716 posts
Sugar bee
I’m also doing table names- We’re going to the 1000 Islands for our honeymoon, so I’m going to be using names of islands for the table names. You could always use a diagram of the table layout, add the names, and put it by the door so they know where each table is, and the wait staff could have a copy in the back. There would be the same problem with the numbers too, I would think. Do what you want, not what the caterer wants.
Post # 9
Member
426 posts
Helper bee
I recently attended a wedding that had movies for table names, no numbers anywhere.. it was fun to search for our table (and there was popcorn and movie theater candy on the table), but I could tell that some of the older folks were slightly confused by the idea. I thought it was interesting to see the movies that the bride and groom had picked.. unfortunately, I wasn’t at the Harry Potter table! 🙂
Post # 10
Member
512 posts
Busy bee
We are naming our tables for Chicago streets. We both grew up here, met here, etc, so we’re going to name our tables after streets that were important to us, and put something at the table that explains why the street is important to us. I want to take B&W pics of the actual street signs for the table “numbers”, but we’ll see.
Post # 11
Member
45 posts
Newbee
We are using table names instead of numbers also. I’m getting married at Disneyland and our theme for the wedding is pretty much Cinderella/Fairytale, so we are picking major things/characters from Cinderella as our table names! Something that I’m going to do to help with people finding their table is making a seating layout on a decorated poster board that can be displayed at the entrance of the reception. That way they can have a visual of at least the area that their table is in.
Post # 12
Member
246 posts
Helper bee
We’re doing exactly what you said you’re planning to do…..names and numbers on the tables themselves, and just the name on the escort cards. I think names are so much more fun!! 🙂 We’re going with movie titles! Can’t wait!
Post # 13
Member
1080 posts
Bumble bee
I guess I am kinda boring with this aspect. We are just doing numbers, simply because it is the easiest, esp for the older guests (which we will have quite a few)
Post # 14
Member
4765 posts
Honey bee
- Wedding: January 2011 - Vintage Villas
We’re just doing numbers (I think), but I love the idea of table names!
Post # 15
Member
715 posts
Busy bee
I attended a wedding that used names instead of numbers and it really didn’t bother me (they used the word love in different languages).
Post # 16
Member
354 posts
Helper bee
My cousin and his wife had the names of their favorite wineries as the table names (they got married in Sonoma and are huge wine buffs) and it was cool to learn about their favorites. Another family friend had their favorite childhood candies as the table names and that was fun too.
For me, it’s less about what’s most convenient but rather about what’s personal that makes a wedding memorable as guest. I love weddings where people write their own vows, incorporate factoids about how they met or the proposal, etc.