Guide · weddings and events
Wedding signs: what to print, what size, and what to say
Most weddings need three signs: a welcome sign at the door, a seating chart, and often an order of the day or an “unplugged ceremony” board. An A1 welcome sign reads from the doorway; a seating chart for about 80 guests needs 600 × 900mm. Order two weeks before the day, so a late change to the seating plan still makes it.
The signs most weddings use
| Sign | Where it goes | Usual size |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome sign | At the entrance, on an easel | A1 (594 × 841mm) |
| Seating chart | Outside the reception room | 600 × 900mm; 900 × 1200mm for over about 80 guests |
| Order of the day | Beside the welcome sign, or at the bar | A2 or A1 |
| Unplugged ceremony | At the start of the aisle | A2 |
| Directions | Car park, paths, the toilets | A2 on foam board indoors, corflute outside |
What we print for this
Proofed before they run
Start from a free design
Wedding welcome signs · edit it online
What size makes a welcome sign readable
A guest reads a welcome sign from three to five metres away, walking. The signage rule of thumb — 25mm of letter height per 10 metres to be read at all, three times that to be read at a glance — puts the names at 40mm or more, and script names a little larger again, because script reads slower than plain type. 50 to 60mm for the names and about 25mm for the date is comfortable. On an A1 board that leaves room for the names, the date, one line of welcome and nothing else — which is the right amount. The sign size and viewing distance guide has the full table.
A1 suits most venues and sits on a standard tripod easel. Go to 600 × 900mm for a large foyer, a long drive, or a sign carrying a photo as well as the names.
How many guests fit on a seating chart
A seating chart is read close up, so the type can be small — about 10 to 12mm for names is comfortable from a metre away. What runs out is room, not legibility:
- Up to about 80 guests: 600 × 900mm, tables in three columns.
- Over 80: 900 × 1200mm, or split the chart in two — A to L and M to Z — so two queues form instead of one.
- Alphabetical beats by table for a big wedding. Guests look for their own name, not their table, and an A–Z list finds it in seconds.
Leave the chart until the RSVPs are in, and allow for one last change. That is the reason to order two weeks out rather than one.
Wording that works
Short, and in the order a guest needs it. A few to start from:
- Welcome: “Welcome to the wedding of Olivia & James · Saturday 14 November 2026”
- Seating: “Please find your seat” above the list, the couple’s names and the date below it.
- Unplugged: “Welcome to our unplugged ceremony. Please put your phones away and be here with us — our photographer has it covered.”
- Order of the day: the time and one word for each part — ceremony, photos, reception, dinner, first dance, farewell.
- Engagement or milestone birthday: the same welcome sign, with the occasion in place of “the wedding of”.
Spell-check the names against the invitation, not from memory. A proof comes to your phone before anything is printed; read it aloud.
What to print them on
Foam board is the usual choice indoors: light, flat, and it stands on an easel. 5mm suits A2 and A1; 10mm is stiffer for 600 × 900 and larger, and for a sign that gets moved around all night. It is an indoor board — under cover it lasts for years, but a dark design left in full summer sun on a lawn can bow. For an outdoor ceremony with no shade, ask for a board made for outside.
Easels are not usually supplied with the sign. Most venues and stylists have one; hire companies and craft stores sell them.
When to order
Two weeks before the day is comfortable. Foam board signs go out two working days after payment, which follows your approving the proof, then courier transit — so a week can be done, but two weeks leaves room for the seating plan to change, which it almost always does.
Design one free, or send the wording
Wedding welcome signs
Twelve free templates — welcome, seating chart, order of the day, unplugged — or send the wording and we set it. Quoted within 4 business hours.
quoted · A2 to 900 × 1200
Coasters
The names and the date on the bar, in the same style as the sign.
50 from $161.70, delivered
Favour tags
A “thank you” tag on every bonbonniere, strings threaded.
100 from $87.74, delivered
Common questions
What size should a wedding welcome sign be?
A1, 594 × 841mm, for most venues: it reads from the doorway and sits on a standard easel. Choose 600 × 900mm for a large foyer or a sign with a photo or a lot of wording.
What size seating chart do I need?
600 × 900mm holds about 80 guests in three columns. Beyond that, go to 900 × 1200mm or split the list A–L and M–Z across two boards so guests queue at two.
How far ahead should we order wedding signs?
Two weeks before the day. Production and delivery take about a week from proof approval, and the extra week covers the change to the seating plan there almost always is.
Can a wedding sign go outside?
Under cover, yes, on foam board. In open sun for a whole afternoon, ask for a board made for outdoors — foam board can bow in direct summer sun.
How much does a wedding welcome sign cost?
It is quoted per job, because the size, the board and whether a seating chart comes with it move the price. Send the wording, the size and the date it has to arrive by from the wedding welcome signs page, and a written price, GST included, comes back within 4 business hours.
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