A Guide To Wedding Signs – What You Need And Why
Author’s own
When you start planning your wedding, things can soon become overwhelming as you start to make lists of everything you’re going to need – that’s why it’s better to follow a step-by-step plan . One thing that a surprising number of couples tend to overlook is their wedding signs and, in this article, we’re sharing the ultimate guide to this important part of your big day including what you need and why.
What are wedding signs ?
Wedding signs are extremely important items which help to keep your big day running smoothly by directing your guests to where they need to be at each stage of the proceedings. Without these, your wedding can quickly descend into chaos with guests wandering around your venue like lost lambs – or worse; ending up in somebody else’s big day.
What wedding signs do I need ?
This is, of course, the big question and, in this section, we’re going to take you through all of the signs that you’re going to need to make sure that your wedding day is smooth and seamless:
Wedding navigation
In some instances, a wedding venue will hold more than one wedding on the same day. While this shouldn’t be a problem in itself, things can get hairy if your guests end up crashing the wrong nuptials.
For this reason, you need a sign which points your guests in the right direction and which clearly states the names of yourself and your betrothed along with instructions, such as an arrow (particularly important if your venue is large or has a complicated layout.
Ideally, this kind of sign should be displayed for each part of the proceedings, i.e.:
- Ceremony
- Reception drinks
- Wedding breakfast
- Evening reception
Not only does this stop your guests from ending up in the wrong place but, it also helps to make sure that each stage of your wedding can commence when it is supposed to.
Your family can use signs as well when throwing a Wedding Shower.
Seating plan
Most couples say that creating their seating plan is their least favourite part of the wedding planning process – but it is incredibly important.
When your guests arrive at your wedding breakfast, they need to know where to sit – otherwise you will have a situation where people are just plonking themselves down wherever they like. You would be surprised at how many times this has caused arguments and bad feeling among friends and family when they end up on a table without anybody that they know.
Your seating plan wedding sign should be placed by the door of your wedding reception room so that guests can quickly and easily find their name on the plan and identify which table they have been placed on. Each table should also include name cards for each guest and some people find it useful to print that guest’s menu choices on the back of the name card.
Order of service
A wedding usually involves a number of different sections and, as a guest, it’s useful to know what to expect and when. For this reason, many couples like to include an Order Of Service sign. This type of sign is, essentially, an itinerary of the day which includes the time and location for the following:
- Pre-ceremony cocktails
- Ceremony
- Reception drinks
- Wedding Breakfast
- Evening reception
It’s a good idea to have this sign on display throughout your day as it allows your guests to refer back to it and keep everything running smoothly.
Table signs
As well as having a seating plan displayed at the door of your venue, it’s a good idea to include signs on each table as well – particularly if you’re having a large wedding with lots of guests. Lots of couples like to provide table signs with a list of the guests to make things super clear.
Menu signs
In many cases, wedding guests will have chosen their menu options when RSVPing to the invitation and so may well have forgotten their choices so a menu sign is a sensible way to remind them.
Also, the couple getting married will sometimes offer free drinks at their evening reception but will want to keep costs down by limiting the drink options (for example, you might offer only wine, beer and single spirits with a mixer). Having a sign which lets your guests know their options keeps things simple (and prevents the bartender having to explain to the guests that no, they can’t have a double vintage whiskey!)
The comfort zone
When holding a wedding you’re not just getting married, you’re also assuming the role of host and, as such, many couples choose to offer items which will make guests more comfortable – for example; fans to use if it’s a hot day or flip flops for the evening to allow the ladies to slip off their heels and into something more comfortable for dancing. If you’re offering any of these extras, you may want a sign to alert your guests to the fact that these items are available for their use.
Something new
We’ve now covered all the signs that you need for practical purposes but, in addition to these, you might want something fun, personal or quirky for your wedding. Lots of couples opt for a simple Mr & Mrs sign while others choose something more personal as part of their overall decor.
Where to get wedding signs
The good news is that you can order wedding signs fairly cheaply from websites such as Etsy and Ebay so this part of your wedding needn’t break the bank.
When ordering from sites like these, be very careful to spell check the wording of your sign before sending to the vendor and, always, always insist on a proof of the sign to be sent to you so that you can pick up on any errors before it’s too late.
Also, you may want to have a think about the names on your different signs – for example, for your welcome sign you might want to use both surnames but, on your reception signs, you may want to use your married name(s).
If you’re on a super tight budget for your wedding, you might want to have a go at making your own signs. These days, there are lots of videos and tutorials available online to help you to do this – and it can also be a fun activity for you, your partner and your wedding party to do together.
Alternatively, if time and money are tight, you can use simple chalk boards as your signs which are super cheap and, as a bonus, can be reused afterwards.
What do I do with my signs after the wedding?
In a lot of instances, parts of your wedding decor such as linens, clothing and other items can be sold or given away but, unfortunately, this is not the case with most of your wedding signs which will include your names (although signs without names / venue etc can be sold on ebay, Vinted or Facebook groups).
Unless you plan to keep your signs as a souvenir, your only real option for these is to recycle them. Your local council’s website should have information on how you can do this and where your nearest recycling post is. Alternatively, your wedding venue may be able to do this for you.
The signs point to happy ever after
Wedding signs are a vital part of your day and can really help to make sure that everybody is where they are supposed to be – and when they’re supposed to be there. Before ordering your signs it’s a good idea to get in touch with your venue to check on any rules or limitations that they may have. This is also a good time to ask if the venue has tripods for your signs as, otherwise you may have to supply these yourself.