FMP: Place Cards - Brief Research

I am going to briefly research into Place Cards (even though I already have ideas inspired by my RSVP ideas) just so that I know what the basic format and dimensions of the Place Card is. The reason why I'm not going to go into great detail is that I am not doing the whole design afresh as it would have obvious links to my invitation suite and so I'm not producing anything new. Besides, the Place Card will probably only display an illustration and then the name on it.

Mood Board

Image sources: http://theknottybride.com/18528 http://blog.paper-source.com/wedding/studio-city-inspiration-wedding-place-cards-menus/ http://blog.paper-source.com/wedding/for-you-diy-wedding-suites-2013/ http://www.zenadiadesign.com/archives/4938 http://thenaturalweddingcompany.co.uk/blog/2013/04/animal-ears-silhouette-place-cards-for-a-woodland-wedding/ http://www.sugarfootmomma.com/2010/11/thanksgiving-table-inspiration.html http://blog.weddingpaperdivas.com/diy-apple-place-card-display/ http://imbueyouido.com/real-palettes/purple-teal-navy-wedding-reception-stationery.php http://nestlovedesigns.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/our-wedding-day.html http://baerhomedesign.com/more-wine-cork-inspiration/ http://smockpaper.com/blog/2009/06/08/custom-letterpress-place-cards-calligraphy/ http://www.designsgirl.typepad.com http://www.beau-coup.com/wedding/personalized-autumn-leaves-place-cards.htm http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/beautifulday/product/personalised-wedding-place-name-cards http://ohsobeautifulpaper.com/2012/06/day-of-wedding-stationery-mid-century-modern/ http://ohsobeautifulpaper.com/2012/06/wedding-stationery-inspiration-pinwheels/  


My Findings

The wording
The wording on each place card is very minimalist, normally showcasing only the first name of the guest. However if there are more than two guests of the same name they might put their surname as well, or the initial.
As mine will be for a fairy tale wedding I would like to say that it'll be quite formal, so I shall display the first and last name of the guest which would avoid confusion of having the same name as well.  

Decorative Features
There is a minimal amount of illustration displayed, so minimal that there aren't any on most of them! I think that I too shall keep mine at a minimal so that the people could focus more on the name as they walk past (as they would naturally try and quickly find their spots so that they could speed up the pace of getting some food).

Colour
In terms of colour, I shall keep the background white and the colour of the type a charcoal black rather than a deep black, just so it would stand out from the white due to the heavy contrast in colour.

Table Numbers
What I find strange about these designs is that most of them don't display the table number, and this is possibly to save time if there happens to be any last minute changes. An example would be if the guest had to cancel at the last minute, or decides to bring along another guest and there is simply no room for the two. To save time the couple might've drawn up a table of where each guest would be seated to avoid any confusion.

Format
Most of these designs are done so that they would be folded over and propped on the table, so that they don't need anything to hold it up and keep it in place.


Conclusion:
I shall take note of all of the aspects I have analysed above to ensure a successful design, as the place card is extremely important. I would need to produce something where the type is bold and big, with perhaps a hint of decoration on the side so that it doesn't look too plain against all of my other designs.