The Ultimate Wedding Signs Checklist (with Photos)
Manali Anne Photo
Wedding signs are the best way to communicate with your guests while enhancing your wedding decor. They are a perfect way to add your colors, theme, and personalization to make them truly represent you and your fiancé. You want to make sure that they can be read from a short distance, but it is also important to make them fun and memorable (aka add in your personality).
One of the most popular questions I get when I am planning someone’s wedding is, ‘What signs are needed for my wedding?’ So I knew that a wedding signs checklist and a blog post would be super helpful to all the engaged couples out there. Below is my list of wedding signs that you can use for your big day, broken down by Ceremony, Cocktail Hour, Reception/Dinner, and Dancing sections, plus a checklist you can print out to help you during planning.
If we haven’t met yet, hi! I’m Lindsey Nickel, and I’m a local Sonoma and Napa wedding planner and the owner of Lovely Day Events. My team and I have planned more than 140 destination weddings, so I can tell you firsthand that wine-country weddings are something special. My clients want the ceremony to be outside, the food to be outstanding, and the dance parties to be epic. If this sounds like you, you’re in the right place.
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Different Types of Ceremony Wedding Signs
The ceremony and reception are the most common areas for wedding signs as they get the most eyes on them, plus there are so many ways that they can be used. Here is the list of the most popular types of wedding signs used for a wedding ceremony & why they are needed.
Wedding Welcome Sign - This sets the tone for the entire wedding as it is usually the first thing the guests see when they get to your wedding.
Guestbook - This one is to encourage people to sign the guestbook
Ceremony Decor Signs - These can be used throughout the wedding and are great ways to add personality plus help boost the theme for your big day.
Ceremony Carry Signs - When you see the ringbearer or flower girl walking down the aisle with a cute sign, often saying “Here comes the Bride, then that is a carry sign.
Directional Signs - These signs will guide your guests from area to area and are super helpful to them and the wedding day staff. It is much easier for everyone if the guests can follow a sign from the ceremony to the cocktail hour to the reception.
Unplugged Ceremony Sign - If you are choosing to have everyone keep their phone off, then this sign will make it clear so that everyone knows.
Reserved - Kinda self-explanatory, but these will help keep the first few rows reserved for the wedding party and important attendees.
Schedule of Events - This sign is great for letting everyone know the schedule for the event, and it keeps you from having to print out a paper schedule, which is often wasteful and not eco-friendly.
In Memory Of - These are used when you have photographs of family members who are dearly departed, so that the guests can know who they are and why they are there.
Bathrooms - Another one that is self-explanatory, but letting your guests know where the restrooms are is a huge time and energy saver for you and the wedding day staff.
Creature Comforts - You will see these when there are blankets for people to use or, during COVID, when there were hand sanitizer stations, just to name a couple of examples. Popular wording for a basket of blankets is “to have and to hold in case you get cold.”
Gifts and Cards - This will let people know where they can drop off their gifts or cards
“Lindsey was truly the best wedding planner we could have ever asked for. From start to finish, she made the entire planning process feel effortless and enjoyable. She is incredibly kind, endlessly patient, and hands-down the most organized person I have ever met. Lindsey was always so responsive and thoughtful, anticipating our needs before we even knew them ourselves. Our wedding day went off without a single hitch thanks to her meticulous planning and attention to every last detail. She thought of everything and made sure we didn’t have to worry about a thing, allowing us to be fully present and enjoy every moment. I can’t recommend Lindsey highly enough — if you’re lucky enough to have her as your wedding planner, you can rest assured your day will be absolutely perfect. She is amazing!”
Wedding Welcome Signs
Cheers Babe Photo
Arrowood Photography
Wedding Guestbook Signs
Christophe Genty Photography
Suzanne Karp Photography
Wedding Ceremony Signs
Christophe Genty Photography
Suzanne Karp Photography
Arrowood Photography
Arrowood Photography
Arrowood Photography
Arrowood Photography
Manali Anne Photo
Milou and Olin Photography
“If you are thinking about hiring Lindsey to plan your wedding, don’t hesitate - just say yes! She did an incredible job helping us with our Sonoma wedding and the day exceeded our expectations in every way. Lindsey is organized, detail-oriented, and always ready to problem-solve when something doesn’t go as expected, which takes a ton of the stress out of wedding planning because you know that Lindsey has your back. Every vendor that we hired confirmed this when they said, “Oh, you’re working with Lindsey? She’s the best!” It was really incredible. We can’t recommend her enough. ”
Wedding Cards Sign (and gifts)
Suzanne Karp Photography
Arrowood Photography
Wedding Signs for Cocktail Hour
It is time to get the party started and the drinks flowing (alcohol or not), and these signs will keep it all going smoothly.
Welcome Sign - Welcome everyone to the cocktail hour
Drink Menu Sign - What is being served at the bar
Signature Drink Sign - Do you have a signature drink you are serving? Use this sign to explain what it is and, of course, what the fun name of it is.
Activities/Games - Are you planning any games or activities for your guests during this time? If you have corn hole, giant Jenga, or any other fun activity happening, then a sign leading people over to it is a great idea.
Photobooth Sign - You paid for all the fun that a photobooth brings, so you will want to make sure that your guests are aware that it is there for them to have fun with.
Milou and Olin Photography
Christophe Genty Photography
Manali Anne Photo
Wedding Signs for Reception and Dinner
This is the second most sign-heavy part of the wedding event, and you can do a lot to really express yourself as a couple and have a whole lot of fun.
Seating Chart
Place Cards or Escort Cards
Table Numbers
Menu Sign
Sweetheart Chair or Table Signs - These are what can be found either at the head table or on the back of the seats of the newlyweds.
Dessert Table Sign
Bar and Specialty Drink Menu - Can be reused from the cocktail hour.
Speciality Food Area Sign - If you have a chocolate fountain that you want your guests to indulge in, then a sign will let them know where it is and what it is.
Wedding Seating Charts
Christophe Genty Photography
Cheers Babe Photo
A Girl & A Camera Photography
Arrowood Photography
Milou and Olin Photography
“Lindsey was a joy to work with. As someone who is naturally a planner, it was still so useful to have Lindsey’s knowledge and expertise. Lindsey helped us fine-tune our vision and made wonderful recommendations that fit us. Her strong relationships with amazing vendors were super helpful. Lindsey is thoughtful, kind, and a great asset to have when planning such an important day. She helped keep us on track with her awesome tools and took a lot of the stress off of us. I can not recommend her enough!”
Wedding Table Numbers
Milou and Olin Photography
Milou and Olin Photography
Manali Anne Photo
Arrowood Photography
Wedding Menu Signs
Milou and Olin Photography
Suzanne Karp Photography
Manali Anne Photo
Wedding Sweetheart Sign
Milou and Olin Photography
Wedding Signs for Dessert Table
Arrowood Photography
Natura Collective Photography
Wedding Signs for Party Time
Things are winding down, but that is when signs are even more appreciated because the drinks have been flowing as the party gets more lit.
Welcome Sign - Get people on the dance floor with a fun and cheeky dance-themed sign
Grand Exit Sign - Let your guests know what they can expect for your grand exit so that they feel prepared to send you off on your new life as a married couple.
A massive thank you to these Sonoma and Napa sign makers: Miss Dee Designs and Vine Country Signs
Click on the wedding signs checklist below to be able to download it!
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