Place Card Wording And Etiquette: Names, Titles And Awkward Cases

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Place card etiquette sounds fussy until you hit the first awkward case: the guest with a title, the couple with different surnames, the two Sarahs.

Here's the plain answer for each, formal and relaxed.

The basic rule

• Relaxed event: first names only.
• Formal event: title, first name and surname.
• Work event: first name and surname, no titles, so people can introduce themselves properly.
• Whichever you choose, use it for every single guest. Mixing formats looks like favouritism.

Titles and the awkward cases

• Use a professional title only if the guest uses it themselves in everyday life.
• Doctor: 'Dr Amina Shah'. Reverend: 'Revd John Bell'. Military ranks as they'd sign an email.
• Married couple with the same surname: 'Mr James Hart' and 'Mrs Clare Hart' - two cards, never one shared card.
• Different surnames or unmarried: their own names, in whatever order they're sitting.
• Two guests with the same first name: surnames on both cards, no exceptions.
• A guest whose pronouns or title you're unsure about: use first name and surname with no title at all. It's never wrong.

Children and young guests

• First names, same card size as everyone else.
• Under fives usually don't need one, but they'll notice if their siblings have one.
• Teenagers get exactly what the adults get. They notice everything.

Small things people get wrong

• Spelling a surname from memory. Always check the invitation reply.
• Writing 'and guest'. Get the name or write only the guest you know.
• Putting the card left of the cutlery, where it gets knocked into the butter.
• Nicknames at a formal event where half the room has never met them.
• Forgetting a card for yourself.

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Prints that suit a laid table

A5, A4 and A3 art prints, drawn in house and printed in the UK.

How to write it so it lands

• Copy names straight from the RSVP list, not from memory.
• Read the finished set out loud before you bag them up - typos hide in familiar names.
• Match the formality of the card to the formality of the invitation.

Where to shop next

• Place cards: the complete guide
• Wedding place cards
• Christmas table name cards
• Thanksgiving and dinner party place cards
• How to make name place cards
• Free printables
• Wall art and prints
• All guides
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Birthday cards for kids

Frequently asked questions

Do place cards use first names or full names?

First names for relaxed events, title and full name for formal ones. Use the same format for every guest on the table.

How do you write a married couple on place cards?

Two separate cards, one each - 'Mr James Hart' and 'Mrs Clare Hart'. Couples with different surnames simply get their own names.

What if you don't know a guest's title?

Write their first name and surname with no title. It is never wrong and nobody has ever been offended by it.