Before planning your wedding, you probably thought planning involved finding a dress, creating a guest list, picking a venue, and selecting the flowers. However, as you know, wedding planning involves more than that. For example, you must choose your wedding signage.

Wedding signs add a personal touch to your ceremony and reception. These signs are vital because they welcome your guests, help direct them to the appropriate locations, and share menu and drink options. Overall, they help communicate to your guests while you’re busy taking pictures, mingling, and enjoying your day. The signage at your wedding allows you to think outside the box and add a unique element to your wedding day.

What if we told you that you could create your own wedding signage using chalk markers? With the inspiration you’ve seen on wedding blogs, Instagram, and Pinterest, you can create eye-catching and aesthetically pleasing wedding signs! With a great team of friends, creativity, and patience, you can make the same wedding signs you saw on Etsy for a fraction of the price.

Why Wedding Signage Is Essential

Unfortunately, signage is one of the most forgotten details when wedding planning. It’s a shame because there are so many ways you can show your and your partner’s personality through signage. There are no right and wrong choices when it comes to wedding signage, and what you choose is a personal choice. Ask yourself, “What do I want my guest to know?”

Wedding signage presents the opportunity to be as creative, funny, informative, or sappy as you want to be. Signage can add color and style to bleak spaces and give you a chance to experiment with different surfaces. You can create signs out of posters, prints, chalkboards, wood, mirrors, LED lights, and more!

A popular wedding signage choice among millennials is to create rustic DIY signs out of chalkboards. Chalkboard signs are a unique way to display instructions or directions to your guests. Decorating the board with an elegant font and adorning it with illustrations and greenery can take your signage up a notch. Countertop chalkboard easels are popular at the bar for cocktail hour to help you display your drinks menu.

What To Consider When Picking Signage

As you begin to figure out your ideal signage, it’s essential to consider your signs’ materials, size, quantity, and location. Before finalizing your decision, ask yourself the following:

• Does the sign need a stand, or can it stand on its own?
• Is there a restriction on hanging signs or yard signs at your venue?
• How big does the sign need to be?
• Do you need special tools or materials?

Every sign will require a unique amount of attention or tools and will factor into your project’s overall cost. You should consider each sign’s lettering, display method, and material base. To help keep costs down, you should survey the supplies you already have and repurpose them into wedding signage.

Sign To Have at Your Wedding

There are many places to put your signs during your wedding. However, here are the prominent types of signage you should include in your wedding. Your wedding signs should inform your guests where to go or what to do.

Wedding Welcome Signs

The entrance to your wedding should be breathtaking and welcoming. Your welcome sign should include the wedding couple’s name, date, and a fun hashtag for social media posting. Also, it should show your personality and creative tastes that correlate with the overall theme. Your welcome signage should reflect whether your style is soft, rustic, bold, or modern.

Wedding Signage for the Reception

Your reception is the event where you can celebrate and let loose a little. Receptions will call for more signage than your wedding ceremony. You need a sign for card boxes, guest books, or reception games. These additional signs don’t have to be as big as your welcome signs and don’t have to be as instructional. Your signs for the reception can be more focused on aesthetics. It’s important to note that all your signs don’t have to match. You can mix and match styles while still staying on “theme.”

Bar Signs for Signature Cocktails

Your cocktail menu is solely there for beauty and functionality. The sign will help your bartenders narrow the options while cutting your bill at the night’s end. These signs will guide your guests on which cocktails they can order and what flavors to expect.

Wedding Table Numbers

Although escort cards can be elegant and luxurious, they can be wasteful and expensive. Instead, you can place a seating chart at your wedding reception entrance or smaller signs on each table directing where guests can sit. Each table number can be unique while staying on theme. It’s about having fun, being creative, and showing your personality through the small details.

How To Create Your Signs Using Chalk Markers

After all that information, you’re ready to learn how to create your wedding signage using chalk markers. It’s important to know that chalk markers have the best results on non-porous surfaces, such as metals, chalkboards, plastics, or glass. However, you still use chalk markers on porous surfaces, but the results are permanent and not as bright in color.

Step 1: Prep and Paint Your Frame

If the frame around your sign isn’t up to your standard, you can transform it by re-painting or re-staining it. You should tape off the frame and protect the middle of the board with a large sheet of paper or newspaper. Use light and even coats to ensure that your frame doesn’t have paint drips.

Tip: You should sand the frame before painting to have a smooth surface.

Step 2: Remove Painters Tape and Clean Your Surface

A rule of thumb before using chalk markers is that you should clean your surface before drawing. If you don’t, it could result in seeing pictures or marks left over from past projects. Wipe your surface with soap and water to remove any markings or drawings. After cleaning, take the painter’s tape off and prepare the design.

Step 3: Begin Designing!

Now we’re on to the fun part! But, before you begin designing your wedding signage, you should draw multiple drafts and practice rounds to get your hand and mind familiar with the strokes and techniques it takes to get to your desired look. Use your inspired looks from Pinterest, wedding blogs, and social media and make them your own! Use different fonts and design elements to make your signs look professional. Take your time and use your creative skills to create eye-catching wedding signage.