A headline that says what it is
Four or five words that include "seat" or "table". This is the line people read from across the room.
Copy and paste
QR Code Seating Chart Sign Wording
The wording beside a QR code does more work than the code. A bare square on an easel reads as a wifi password or a photo gallery, and guests walk straight past it. One line that says what it is and one that says what to do is the difference between a sign people use and a sign people photograph.
Below are thirty lines you can copy, sorted by tone, each with the short instruction that should sit underneath. They assume the code opens a name search, which is how a QR code seating chart works. If you have not made yours yet, the free seating chart maker builds the plan the code points at.
By Rosa Haye, founder of RH Seating StudioLast updated
What every sign needs
A sign that works has three parts, in this order, and nothing else.
An instruction that says what to do
One sentence: point your camera at the code, then type your name. Guests who have never used one need both halves.
Somewhere to turn if it does not work
A final small line, such as "Ask at the welcome table", for a flat battery or a guest without a phone.
Say "type your name". It tells the guest the page is a search, so they stop looking for their name in a list that is not there.
Classic and formal wording
For a black-tie wedding, a hotel ballroom or any event where the stationery uses full names and titles.
| Headline | Line underneath |
|---|---|
| Please find your seat | Scan the code and enter your name. |
| Kindly find your table | Scan with your camera, then type your name. |
| Your seat awaits | Scan the code to see your table. |
| Welcome. Please be seated | Scan and enter your name to find your place. |
| Find your place at our table | Scan the code, then search your name. |
| Dinner is served at your table | Scan to find where you are seated. |
| With pleasure, your table | Point your camera at the code and type your name. |
| We have saved you a seat | Scan the code to find it. |
Warm and relaxed wording
For most weddings, family celebrations and dinners where guests are on first-name terms.
| Headline | Line underneath |
|---|---|
| Scan to find your seat | Type your name and we will show you your table. |
| Find your table in seconds | Scan the code, type your name. |
| Where am I sitting? | Scan here and type your name to find out. |
| Come on in and find your seat | Scan, type your name, done. |
| Your table is waiting | Scan the code and search your name. |
| So glad you are here | Scan to find your seat, then grab a drink. |
| Take a seat, any seat. Just kidding | Scan the code to find yours. |
| Find your seat, find your people | Scan and type your name. |
Playful wording
For a party that does not take itself seriously. Keep the instruction plain even when the headline is not: a joke that hides the instruction costs you the queue you were trying to avoid.
| Headline | Line underneath |
|---|---|
| Eat, drink and find your seat | Scan the code and type your name. |
| No seat, no cake | Scan to find your table. |
| You scan, you sit, we party | Type your name to see your table. |
| Trust us, we thought about this | Scan the code to find where we put you. |
| Phones out, just this once | Scan and type your name to find your seat. |
| Your seat is one scan away | Point your camera here. |
Spanish and bilingual wording
When the room reads two languages, put both on the sign rather than choosing one, with the same size of type for each. The guest page itself can be set to the language of your event, and a guest who reads another can switch it to theirs.
| Headline | Line underneath |
|---|---|
| Encuentra tu asiento | Escanea el código y escribe tu nombre. |
| Bienvenidos. Encuentra tu mesa | Escanea con tu cámara y escribe tu nombre. |
| Tu mesa te espera | Escanea el código para verla. |
| Find your seat / Encuentra tu asiento | Scan and type your name. Escanea y escribe tu nombre. |
| Welcome / Bienvenidos | Scan to find your table. Escanea para encontrar tu mesa. |
Wording for galas and company events
At a gala or a company dinner the sign sits next to a registration desk, so the last line should send exceptions to the desk rather than to a friend.
| Headline | Line underneath |
|---|---|
| Find your table | Scan the code and search your name. Registration can help with changes. |
| Table assignments | Scan and enter your name to see your table number. |
| Welcome. Your table is ready | Scan the code, then type your name. |
Size, contrast and where to stand it
Good wording on a code that will not scan is still a failed sign. Print the code at least 1.2 inches square if it will be read at arm’s length, and four inches or more on a sign read from several feet away. Keep it dark on a light, plain background and leave a clear margin around it. Gold on ivory looks beautiful and scans badly.
Put the headline above the code and the instruction below it, so the eye lands on the code between the two. Stand the sign where arriving guests already pause, and where a small group can stop without blocking the door.
Test the printed sign, not the file, with an iPhone and an Android phone, in the light the room will actually have. The QR code seating chart page covers placement and what guests see after they scan.
What to leave off the sign
A web address instead of the code
Nobody types a link at a doorway. If you want a fallback, print a short one in small type under the code.
"Download our app"
There is no app. Every current phone camera reads a QR code, and the page opens in the browser already on the phone.
The whole guest list
A printed list beside the code brings back the queue. Keep one copy at the welcome table with a person, not on the sign.
A paragraph
Three lines is the limit. Anything longer is read by nobody and makes the code smaller.
Frequently asked questions
What should a QR code seating chart sign say?
A headline that names what it is, such as "Scan to find your seat", then one instruction: scan the code and type your name. Add a small last line telling guests where to ask if the code does not work for them.
Do I need to explain how to scan a QR code?
One short sentence is enough. Every current iPhone and Android camera reads a QR code without an app, so "point your camera at the code" covers it. The more useful half of the instruction is "type your name", because it tells guests the page is a search.
Can the sign be in two languages?
Yes. Print both languages at the same size, headline and instruction in each. The guest page can be set to the language of your event, and a guest who reads another language can switch it after scanning.
Should I print the guest list on the sign as well?
No. A list next to the code brings back the crowd the code was meant to remove. Keep one printed list at the welcome table with someone who can look a name up, for guests without a phone or with a flat battery.
Continue from here
Write one clear line. Print one small sign.
Build the plan, publish it, and put the code beside the words that explain it.
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