The printing that occurs after the invitations have been sent out.

Wedding planning often focuses on save-the-dates and invitations. However, many people realize three weeks before the event that there is a second, quite different set of printed items to consider. These items include table plans, place cards, menus, orders of service, and signage. Each of these items is read by every guest, photographed, and several of them cannot be finalized until very late, as they depend on who actually RSVPs.

This guide covers the stationery needed on the day: what each item is for, what it needs to be printed on, and the sequencing that prevents it from becoming a panic in the final two weeks.

The table plan

This is the sole item that must function effectively under pressure. Between sixty and a hundred and fifty people arrive simultaneously, each searching for their name, typically holding a drink, often in poor lighting conditions.

What makes one readable:

• Size: A2 as an absolute minimum for a small wedding, A1 or larger for anything over eighty guests. Undersized plans create a queue.
• Sorting: alphabetical by surname across the whole plan is far faster to use than grouping by table. Guests know their own name, not their table number.
• Type size: names need to be readable from a metre away. That is much bigger than it looks on a laptop screen.
• Contrast: pale grey script on cream card photographs beautifully and is very hard to read in a dim room.
• Mounting: foam board on an easel stands up on its own. A loose sheet will curl and fall.

The tension here is real: the most photogenic table plans are often the least usable. A reasonable compromise is an elegant heading and generous decoration, paired with a clear, well-sized name list.

Leave it as late as you dare

Table plans often change until the last minute due to cancellations, plus-ones, and seating rearrangements. Set a hard cut-off with your printer, confirm the turnaround time, and do not print early to feel organized. A reprint costs more than waiting.

Place cards and table numbers

Place cards are small, quick to produce, and easy to get wrong when made in large volumes. Key points to remember:

• Folded tent cards stand unaided, while flat cards need to be tucked into a napkin or a holder.
• Names should be printed, not handwritten, unless someone genuinely has neat handwriting and the time to use it.
• Print a few spare copies with common names and leave some blanks for last-minute changes.
• Check the spelling against the actual replies, not against your invitation list.
• A heavier card maintains its shape throughout the evening, while a thin card wilts in a warm room.

Table numbers should be visible from across the room, as they guide guests once they know their table. Print them larger than you think necessary. Using double-sided numbers ensures that people approaching from either direction can read them.

The order of service

This folded booklet is the most substantial printed item of the day. Typically containing four to eight pages, it includes the ceremony's running order, readings, hymns or songs, and the names of the wedding party.

Practical decisions:

• Format: A5 portrait is standard and comfortable to hold. DL suits a simpler ceremony with less content.
• Page count: saddle-stitched booklets work in multiples of four. Plan the content to fit or you will have a blank page to fill.
• Paper: uncoated stock is easier to read under ceremony lighting and takes a fingerprint less visibly than gloss.
• Quantity: roughly one per two guests plus a margin, unless there is congregational singing, in which case one each.
• Content approval: if the ceremony is at a place of worship, the officiant usually needs to approve the wording before printing.

The folding and binding considerations are the same as any short-run booklet, and they are covered under booklet and folded printing.

Menus and signage

Menus can be placed either one per place setting or one or two per table. Placing menus per table is more cost-effective and less wasteful, while placing them per place setting gives a more polished appearance. If there are dietary variations, some couples discreetly note these on the place card rather than printing separate menus.

Signage is often underestimated. Guests need clear directions at multiple points: the ceremony entrance, the drinks reception, the dining area, the gift table, and sometimes the parking lot. Venues often have less signage than expected. To ensure guests can navigate easily, walk through the venue and note every decision point. Print and install signage at each of these points.

Anything outdoors needs to survive weather. Foam board and paper will not last a wet afternoon, so use a weatherproof material or plan for a covered position. For larger outdoor pieces see outdoor and event banners.

A workable timeline

The sequence is more important than anything else here, because several items depend on the replies.

• Three months out: agree the visual style across all on-the-day items so they match the invitations
• Six weeks out: reply deadline. Chase the people who have not replied, because they are the ones who hold everything up
• Four weeks out: order of service content finalised and approved by the officiant; signage and menus can be printed
• Three weeks out: order of service printed
• Two weeks out: seating finalised; table plan and place cards go to print
• One week out: everything delivered, checked and packed by item in labelled boxes

That final step often gets overlooked, causing significant stress. Someone other than you will be handling these boxes in the morning, and they won't be aware of your plan. Make sure to label the boxes.

Ensuring consistency with the invitations

If the invitations went out months earlier, save the exact files, fonts and colour references. Recreating a look from memory rarely matches, and a table plan that is nearly the same as the invitation looks worse than one that is deliberately different. The earlier stage is covered in the article on wedding stationery and when to send it.

Avoiding last-minute panic by getting it printed in advance.

We manage on-the-day stationery as a set, rather than as separate orders. This ensures that the stock, colors, and typefaces remain consistent across items like table plans, place cards, menus, and order of service. We agree on the design once and then keep it open for late-arriving names and numbers.

Given the predictable timing, we can reserve your slot in advance for the items that depend on replies. This way, a two-week turnaround is guaranteed rather than hoped for.

Send us your invitation artwork and a rough guest count to start. See more personalised work under custom and online printing, or reach us through the contact page.

The short version

Sort the table plan alphabetically by surname, print it on large paper, and mount it on board. Print place cards rather than writing them, and include spares. Plan the order of service in multiples of four pages on uncoated stock, approved by the officiant. Print signage for every decision point, ensuring it is weatherproof if placed outdoors. Agree on the design early and print the name-dependent items as late as possible.

Then label the boxes. Whoever sets them up in the morning will thank you, and it won't be you.