Photograph Credit: Flickr (Luigi Crespo)

Over the weekend, our family attended a large appreciation dinner. The hostess coordinated this event with over 800 individuals in attendance. Though the banquet was large in size, the hostess’ staff paid attention to the small details.

Having guests greeted at the door and informed of their seating arrangement kept the lobby from getting crowded and allowed easy access to the banquet room. After finding our table assignment, the place cards indicated our seat placement. These little details kept confusion at bay and allowed for a wonderful evening with friends.

When Paul and I were first married, we entertained a little. I remember making place cards for our table that sat 4 people. By spending a little extra time to print them off, I dressed up our table. Our events were not formal, but the place cards added a personal touch for our guests.

Fast forward to today where I am doing great to have the dinner ready on time. If I have help, then place cards get done. Like when my son wrote place cards for a dinner with friends. (My son enjoys writing and helping, so this project was perfect for him.) When dinner was served, each person quickly found his seat by following the place cards, and I enjoyed a break from telling everyone where to sit.

After attending the event last weekend and taking notice of the details, I will be adding place cards to our table when hosting an event with a meal. I really like the personal touch and being able to use my time wisely to serve the meal rather than directing guests to their seats.

Question: Do you prepare place cards for events that include a meal?