Seating Chart Wording and Fonts

What to write at the top, how to list the names, short sayings that work, and which fonts keep a seating chart easy to read.

Updated · 6 min read

Heading ideas

Keep it short; the names are what guests came to read.

Classic

  • Please find your seat
  • Find your seat
  • Please find your table
  • Seating chart
  • Welcome

Warm

  • Your seat awaits
  • We saved you a seat
  • So glad you’re here
  • Thank you for celebrating with us
  • Come in, sit down, stay a while

Playful

  • Find your seat, then find the dance floor
  • Eat, drink and find your seat
  • Dinner is served: find your seat
  • Where you’re sitting tonight
  • Pull up a chair

Themed

  • Travel: Find your destination · Now boarding
  • Books: Find your chapter · Your next chapter starts here
  • Music: Find your table, then your song
  • Garden or flowers: Find where you’re planted
  • Winter: Warm up at your table

In Spanish and French

  • Encuentra tu lugar · Busca tu mesa (Spanish)
  • Trouvez votre place · Bienvenue (French)

For a bilingual wedding, put both lines in the heading at the same size, so neither language looks like a translation.

The line under the heading

  • Your names and the date: “Hana & Leo · June 12, 2027”.
  • A short instruction: “Please take your seat at your table”, or “Dinner is served at seven”.
  • A short saying (below), if the heading is very plain.

Sayings and quotes

  • Love is patient, love is kind. (1 Corinthians 13:4)
  • Two hearts, one table, all our favourite people.
  • Good food, good friends, a good seat.
  • Every seat was chosen with love.
  • Pick a seat, not a side. Both families are one today.

Keep it to one line, and check where a quote comes from before you print it. Song lyrics and lines from recent books are usually under copyright; scripture, old proverbs and your own words are safe.

How to write the names

  • Full names, as each guest uses them now, so two guests called Sam can each find themselves.
  • Couples: one line (“Ana and Luis Ortega”) or one line each. On an alphabetical chart, one line each is easier to find, especially with different last names.
  • Families at one table: “The Rossi family”, or the parents’ names with the children’s on the next line.
  • Plus-ones: their name if you have it; otherwise “Guest of Daniel Kim”.
  • Titles (Dr., Rev.) only if you use them for everyone of that kind; formal charts may use “Mr. and Mrs.” throughout.
  • Spelling: check every name once in the plan, not on the poster, so the sign, cards and caterer’s list all match.

For alphabetical order, by first or last name, and who goes on the head table, see wedding seating chart etiquette.

Table names and numbers

  • “Table 1” or “Table One”: numerals are quicker to read from a distance; words look more formal. Use the same form on the sign and the table.
  • Named tables (places, books, songs, flowers) are lovely, but give the venue and caterer the numbers too.
  • The head table can be “Head table”, “Wedding party” or your names.

Fonts

The same heading and guest line in three fonts: an elegant but slow-to-read script, a classic serif in capitals, and a bold sans serif. At the same size, the sans serif name looks largest.
The same heading and name in the three fonts our sign maker uses.
  • Script for the heading only. A flowing script is lovely for a few words; for a list of names it slows everyone down.
  • A clear serif or sans for the names. At the same point size, a sans serif or a serif with tall lowercase letters reads larger.
  • Two fonts are enough: one for the heading, one for everything else.
  • Size and contrast: names around 20 points or more, dark on light (or white on a dark mirror). Our guide to seating chart sign sizes shows how big names print.
  • Free fonts that print well (Google Fonts): for headings, Great Vibes, Parisienne, Allura or Playfair Display; for names, EB Garamond, Cormorant Garamond, Lora, Montserrat or Raleway.

Frequently asked questions

What do you write at the top of a seating chart?

A short heading such as “Please find your seat”, “Find your seat” or “Your seat awaits”, and underneath it your names and the date. Keep it to a few words so the guest list gets the space.

What is the best font for a wedding seating chart?

A decorative script or display serif for the heading only, and a clear serif or sans serif for the names. Guests need to read dozens of names quickly; a thin script makes that slow.

Should names be first name or full name on a seating chart?

Full names, so guests with the same first name can find themselves. First names alone only work at a small event where everyone knows each other.

How do you write couples on a seating chart?

Either one line per couple, such as “Ana and Luis Ortega”, or one line each. On an alphabetical chart, one line each is easier to find, especially when partners have different last names.

Can I put a quote on a seating chart?

Yes, as a short line under the heading. Keep it brief, use something in the public domain or your own words, and avoid song lyrics, which are usually under copyright.

Should a seating chart be in capital letters?

Capitals suit the heading. For the names, use normal capitalisation: lines of names in capitals are harder to read quickly.