For an all-frills setup with little fuss, slip seating cards in between rows of ribbons and display at then entrance of your reception.

These three-dimensional escort cards are as easy to make as they are refreshing to look at.

Choose fabrics that match your palette for these hand-sewn escort flags.

Don't be afraid to be an exhibitionist. Display calligraphed names, grouped according to table, in frames that form a blueprint of the reception. The effect is altogether showstopping.

Depending on the colors you choose, this wreath display can be suitable for any season.

The half-silhouettes of these cards make the butterflies seem to flutter over the table.

Pinned to a linen board, each escort card at this real wedding features fabric that matches the napkins at that table.

The leaves of these paper flower escort cards show the name and table number in easy-to-read white ink (write information yourself using a gel pen or give finished leaves to a calligrapher). At the wedding, set them out on a table draped in linen.

Help your reception take flight with floating escort cards that double as centerpieces once guests find their tables. On your wedding day, have a few friends fill 5-inch white balloons with helium (you can rent a tank from a party store). Once they're inflated, add guests' names and table numbers with a paint pen, tie on matching embroidery thread, and secure them to favor boxes filled with candy. Write on both sides of the balloons so loved ones can locate their names from every angle. 

Amol's latex balloons. Sharpie oil-based paint marker in pink (dickblick.com). The Container Store ring boxes. ThreadArt metallic embroidery thread in hot pink. West Elm Parsons table.

Perch a dainty paper bird on the rim of each glass so guests can identify their seats. The pretty die-cut cards (available from Tiffy New York) come in pastel colors that are just right for spring. With a utility knife, make a slim, 1/4-inch-long notch at the bottom of each card. For the eyes, use a 1/16-inch hole punch. Print or calligraph guests' names on cards.

Guests skim the alphabetized list at the right of this elegant seating chart to find their table number, then locate their table on the floor plan.

Write seating assignments on glass-paned doors to show off your reception scenery.

For cute place settings that will grow and grow on your guests, fill tiny packets with the seeds of your favorite flower, and stitch them onto simply printed seating cards.

Both place card and favor, these tiny terra-cotta pots with a dome of velvety moss are spare yet elegant against a pristine white table -- perfect for a simple wedding.

This place-card favor blooms with tiny paper flowers and can carry an array of treats for your guests.

A novel way to display seating cards at a formal wedding is to hang them gracefully from a wall in a ribbon tapestry; guests simply slip their envelopes out from the sides.

In the winter, when seasonal flowers are more difficult to come by, fabric flowers make a pretty, wilt-proof solution. These help guests find their seats, then become corsages or boutonnieres.

Show your ingrained sense of style with seating cards crafted from paper-thin wood veneer. These inexpensive sheets are pliable enough to fold and cut easily into delicate shapes.

Write names and table numbers on 2-by-3-inch cards. From matching card stock, use a 2-inch oval punch to make bases, and cut 1-inch-long tabs.

Let guests know exactly where they're sitting by putting personalized correspondence cards, which pull double duty as favors, at each setting.

This trio of envelopes using shades of pink and brown encloses sweets and serves as a place card.

Tented cards do double duty, directing people to their seats and sealing sacks of candy.

Everything for these smart escort drinks can be made in advance, making them ideal for a destination wedding.

The design of this seating-card display is inspired by Plinko from "The Price Is Right."

For a preppy spring or summer wedding, a length of grosgrain drawn through a notched card resembles a ribbon belts with monogrammed buckle.

These charming place cards were printed on pre-perforated card stock.

These escort cards get their antique feel from a design reminiscent of a telegram.

Leaning on an easel or hanging on a wall, a framed display of eyelet-inspired seating cards is charming.

Miniature envelopes holding stamped table assignments are pinned to a fabric-covered board and propped on an easel.

Create a beribboned bulletin board by using ribbons and fabric strips in assorted colors and patterns to cover the surface of a piece of plywood.

Create a simple, natural display that's rich in color by propping seating cards atop beautiful pomegranates, seasonal in the autumn months.

These purses and briefcases may not hold guests' belongings, but they're a charming way to designate their seats (table numbers are written inside).

To make, use 3 1/2-by-5-inch folded seating cards (we used pink for women, brown for men). Unfold cards. With a utility knife, cut 2 slits wide enough for ribbon in the fold, 1 inch from each edge. Insert ends of 3-inch-long ribbon into slits; it will stay in place without gluing or tying.