Seating Cards and Displays

last night i was on the phone with one of my clients who is getting married the last weekend in September.  her and her fiance both live in San Diego and they are one of the sweetest couples i've had the pleasure to work with!  she has decided she wants to have assigned seating at her reception dinner.  so glad!  i really prefer this to open seating.  it's pretty, it's organized and it gives your guests a sense of comfort and even love knowing you have spent the extra time to purposely place them at a table with other guests they either know already or who would be a good conversational fit!  (isn't it always a little daunting when you arrive at a wedding reception never quite knowing who you'll end up seated next to?!)

now that we are assigning seats, it's time for the fun part:  the seating cards and display! there are innumerable ways to display your cards--just get creative!  i was just recently at a wedding for an old high school friend and she hung her seating cards on twine with clothes pins; each one personalized with a name, table number and a sentimental note on it (mine referring to our long lost volleyball days :)).  love it! 


what do you think, are place cards and seating charts worth the extra time and effort or would your rather let your guests decide? 

{images: martha stewart weddings}