Name Cards And Place Cards: The UK Guide
Name cards and place cards: sizes, wording and ideas for every table
A name card does one quiet job: it stops the shuffling at the door and settles the seating before anyone has to say it out loud.
This hub pulls together everything we've written on place cards - sizes, wording, weddings, Christmas, Thanksgiving and making your own - plus the printed cards we post from the UK.
Printed cards for the table and the post
Drawn and printed in the UK, blank inside, posted first class - usually the same working day.
You Old Bastard (Funny Birthday Card)
£3.87
Cheeky Wordsearch Valentines Day Card For Him
£3.87
Fifty & Even More Fabulous Than Ever (50th Birthday Card)
£3.87
Cheeky Wordsearch Valentines Day Card For Her
£3.87
I Wish You Looked At Me Like Any Can of Strongbow Dark Fruits Ever (Valentines Day Card)
£3.87
Happy Valentines Day, Bab (Valentines Day Card)
£3.87
The basics
- Folded tent cards are usually around 90 x 55mm folded; flat cards sit about the same width.
- Write first names only for a relaxed table, full names for anything formal.
- Place cards go on the napkin or above the plate, never under it.
- Write them the day before, not the morning of - handwriting gets worse under pressure.
Ideas by occasion
- Weddings: match the card to the seating plan wording exactly, including titles.
- Christmas: give everyone a joke job title - Chief Gravy Officer works every year.
- Thanksgiving and dinner parties: add a conversation starter on the back.
- Kids' tables: let them colour in their own and you've bought twenty minutes.
Where to shop next
- Place cards and table name cards guide
- Wedding place cards
- Christmas table name cards
- Dinner party and Thanksgiving place cards
- How to make place cards
- Place card wording and etiquette
- Wedding cards guide
- Shop printed cards
- Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
- How to make a balloon arch
- Photo booth prop ideas
- Gifts to make someone smile
- Thinking of you gifts
Frequently asked questions
What size should a place card be?
A folded tent card of roughly 90 x 55mm is the UK standard. It stands up on its own and stays readable from across the table.
Do you use first names or full names on place cards?
First names for a relaxed table. Full names, with titles, for weddings and formal dinners - and keep them identical to the seating plan.
Where does a place card go on the table?
On top of the napkin or just above the plate, facing the guest as they walk up.
Do you need place cards if you already have a seating plan?
For anything over about twenty guests, yes. The plan gets people to the right table; the card gets them to the right chair.
How fast do the cards arrive?
Orders placed on a working day are usually posted the same day. First Class is normally next working day; Second Class is meant to take two working days but can take up to five.