Judy and I were discussing custom theme place cards for party and event celebrations recently.  I really don’t know why, but my mind was racing with the thought today.  So I did some Web surfing and came up with rather narrowly defined definitions of these printed party seating cards.

Custom Music Themed Party Place Card

Dictionary.com defines a place card as:  “a small card with the name of a guest on it, placed on the table, to indicate where he or she is to sit.”

They also cite a reference definition from the World English Dictionary: “a card placed on a dinner table before a seat, as at a formal dinner, indicating who is to sit there”

I found this definition through the English Collins Dictionary: “a card placed on a dinner table before a seat, as at a formal dinner, indicating who is to sit there”

I found this extended definition at Wikipedia:

“A place card is a piece of paper indicating what table a guest at an event, such as a wedding or banquet, is assigned to sit. Place cards generally have the guest’s name and table number, and frequently have some design as well to add style.

“Place cards also serve the function of identification of those who may otherwise be unknown to one another. Once taken by the respective guests, they are placed at the assigned seat, and once there, this enables others to identify the person sitting in that seat by name.

“At some weddings, place cards can double as the menu for the food that is served at the wedding.”

Our business has concentrated for the past 20 plus years in the bar and bat mitzvah circuit, as well as custom birthdays, sports banquets, anniversaries, retirements, corporate events, etc.  Generally these events have place card tables where guests pick up their place cards which direct them to a table when the event has planned seating arrangements instead of “free style” seating.

So I opened a Wikipedia account.  For those of you who don’t know, Wikipedia is open to public editing.  There is some overseeing in so far as moderators check your work and decide whether it is acceptable or not.  Sometimes that can take a while.  I remember being rejected for some comments I made a few years ago and gave up on it.  But today I added my two cents and wrote:

“Place cards are not only used for Weddings and are not always pieces of paper. Theme based celebrations have become extremely popular for such party celebrations as Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebration meals, as well as birthdays, sports banquets, anniversaries, retirements, corporate events, etc. Custom place cards coordinated with the celebrant’s theme have become very popular as well.”

If this one passes, perhaps I will go back and write so more.  What do you think?

Or, and visit our custom place card page if you need some further ideas about enhancing your party theme if you are doing assigned seating.