Wedding Reception Signs: Which You Need and Where Each One Goes

A guest walks into your reception with a drink on their mind and a card in their hand. Within a minute they need to know where they're sitting, where the bar is, and where the card goes. Every reception sign worth making answers one of those questions, at the spot where it comes up.

What signs do you need at a wedding reception?

Start with the five we'd recommend for an assigned-seat reception, then add a sign for each extra table you're setting.

Sign	You need it when	Where it goes	Size we'd recommend	From
Welcome sign	Always (it can move from the ceremony)	Reception entrance	24x36 on a floor easel	$125 (18x24)
Seating chart	You're assigning tables	Reception entrance, past the welcome sign	By guest count	$195
Table numbers	You have a seating chart	One on each guest table	4x6 acrylic or about 3x5 stone	$10 per number
Bar sign	You have a bar	On the bar, or beside it	8x10 or 11x14	$40
Cards & gifts and guestbook signs	You have a gift table or a guestbook	The gift and guestbook table	5x7	$20 each
Dessert sign	You have a dessert table	On the dessert table	5x7 or 8x10	$20
Favors sign	Favors sit on a table, not at each seat	Favors table, near the exit	5x7	$20
In loving memory sign	You're setting a memory table	The memory table	5x7 or 8x10	$20
Sweetheart sign	You're sitting at a sweetheart table	Along the front edge of your table	18x35 linen	$95

Our orders point the same way. Counting acrylic, linen and double versions together, bar signs were the reception sign we made most in the past year (260), then seating charts (152), guestbook signs (129), table numbers (126 sets) and cards & gifts signs (86). We made 21 dessert signs and 7 favors signs in the same year.

Our verdict: the five essentials cover an assigned-seat reception of any size; with open seating, three do. A sixth or seventh sign earns its place only when the table it labels exists.

Photo: @rachelgraffphoto

Where should each reception sign go?

Follow the path guests walk, in order. Each sign should meet them at the moment the question comes up, never after.

1. The reception entrance. The welcome sign first, then the seating chart a few steps past it, with room for a small crowd to stand and read. Past about 200 guests, or from about 150 when everyone arrives at once, plan two charts or a double sign; our post on how to avoid a line at the seating chart shows how.
2. Cocktail hour. The bar sign on the bar, and the guestbook and cards & gifts table nearby, where guests pause with a few minutes to spare.
3. The dining room. A table number on every guest table, facing the door guests come in through. The sweetheart sign along the front edge of your table.
4. The tables guests visit later. The dessert sign, set with the dessert table, and the favors sign near the exit, where guests pass on the way out.

Hand your coordinator a one-line note for each sign: what it is, where it goes, and when it moves. The welcome sign is the one that travels from the ceremony entrance to the reception entrance during cocktail hour. Our guide to displaying wedding signs covers easels and stands for each.

Photo: @rachelgraffphoto

Which table signs do you need at a wedding?

One small sign for each table guests walk up to. These are the signs that tell guests what a table is for, so nobody has to ask.

Table	What the sign says	Size	Price
Gift table	"Cards & Gifts", or "Cards" if you've asked for no gifts	5x7	$20
Guestbook table	"Please sign our guestbook", or one line explaining a photo or audio guestbook	5x7; 8x10 for instructions	$20 / $40
Dessert table	"Sweet treats", "Dessert", or each treat by name	5x7 or 8x10	$20 / $40
Favors table	"Please take one" with a short thank-you	5x7	$20
Memory table	"In loving memory" with the names you're honoring	5x7 or 8x10	$20 / $40
Buffet	Each dish by name	1.75x3.5 labels lie flat; 4x6 stands	$3 / $10

Every 5x7 and 8x10 table sign comes with a 3-inch clear acrylic stand, and all of them sit in our wedding table signs collection. For the gift and guestbook wording in detail, see our post on cards & gifts and guestbook signs.

A memory table can hold photos as well as the sign. Keep the sign short: the names, and one line such as "Forever in our hearts". Our post on reserved and memorial signs has more wording.

Photo: @rachelgraffphoto

What size should reception signs be?

Size each sign by where it stands and how far away guests read it.

Sign	Size	Stand
Welcome sign	24x36 acrylic on a floor easel ($225); 24x71 linen on a hanging stand ($195)	Not included; plan an easel or stand
Seating chart	24x30 to 170 guests ($195 and up); 24x36 to 225; 24x47 from 180 to 325; linen to 325 guests	Not included
Bar sign	8x10 ($40) or 11x14 ($60); a double bar sign pairs an 11x14 and a 5x7 ($85); linen 18x35 or 18x51 ($95 / $115)	Included with acrylic, up to 11x14
Table numbers	4x6 acrylic ($10 each) or stone, about 3x5 ($15 each)	2-inch stand, or acrylic holders for stone
Table signs	5x7 or 8x10 ($20 / $40)	3-inch clear stand included
Sweetheart sign	18x35 or 18x51 linen ($95 / $115)	Lies along the table edge

Use our seating chart size calculator to match the chart to your guest list. For the bar, a short list of beer, wine and two signature drinks fits on 8x10; a full menu reads more easily at 11x14. Our bar signs and menus come in both.

A linen sweetheart sign lies along the front edge of your table, held in place by your florals, ribbon or tape, or it can hang from a small sign holder by its rod pocket.

The background doesn't change the price on welcome signs or seating charts. Clear, frosted, mirror, black, white and our 19 hand-painted colors all cost the same, with white or black lettering.

Photo: @rachelgraffphoto

Which reception signs can you skip?

Any sign whose question your guests won't have. A few common ones to leave off:

• Favors sign, if favors sit at each place setting. Guests already know they're theirs.
• Food labels, for a plated dinner. They're for buffets and stations, where guests choose.
• Dessert sign, if the cake is the only dessert. It needs no label.
• A second welcome sign. The ceremony sign moves to the reception, so one is enough unless the ceremony and reception are at different venues.
• Table numbers, only if you skip the seating chart. With open seating, guests need neither.

What we'd never skip: the seating chart when tables are assigned, and a table number on every table it names. A guest who can find their name but not their table is the one moment of confusion a reception doesn't need.

Should reception signs match the ceremony signs?

Yes. Every sign in Haven, Capri, Claire and Quinn shares its collection's lettering, so the welcome sign, the seating chart and a 5x7 favors sign read as one set from the ceremony to the last dance.

The simplest way to get there is a wedding sign bundle. The Essentials ($399) covers the welcome sign, guestbook and cards & gifts signs and table numbers 1 to 12; the Signature ($599) adds a bar sign and a rehearsal dinner or ceremony sign; the Complete ($999) adds a large seating chart. Each includes proofs and shipping, and you choose acrylic or linen after you order. Smaller signs such as dessert or favors can be added in the same collection.

Frequently asked questions

What signs do you need for a wedding reception?

Plan on five: a welcome sign at the entrance, a seating chart and one table number per guest table (when tables are assigned), a bar sign, and a guestbook or cards & gifts sign. Add a dessert, favors, memory table or sweetheart sign only when that table is part of the reception.

Where should the seating chart go at a wedding reception?

At the reception entrance, a few steps past the welcome sign, with space for a small crowd to stand and read it. Past about 200 guests, or from about 150 when everyone arrives at once, use two charts or a double sign so guests don't wait in a line.

What size should a wedding table sign be?

5x7 inches suits most gift, guestbook, favors and dessert tables. Choose 8x10 when the sign explains a photo or audio guestbook, or shares a large table with a lot of decor. Made & True table signs include a 3-inch clear acrylic stand.

Do you need a favors sign at a wedding?

Only if the favors sit together on a table. A short "Please take one" sign tells guests they're theirs to take home. If favors are at each place setting, skip the sign.

Can the ceremony welcome sign be used at the reception?

Yes. Move it from the ceremony entrance to the reception entrance during cocktail hour, and ask your coordinator to carry it. One welcome sign is enough unless the ceremony and reception are at different venues.

Choose the five essentials first, then a sign for each table you're adding. Order whenever you're ready and send the wording when it's final.