Wedding Menu Signs
WHAT IS A WEDDING MENU SIGN?
Wedding Menu Signs are small signs at your wedding reception that tell your guests the food and drink options that are available.
Chalkboard is the preferred material because of its rustic or modern flexibility and personal touch, which is why you’ll often find menu signs greeting you at food stations, dessert tables, buffets, or bars.
These signs are even more popular because they serve multiple functions — they speed up wait times, they communicate allergies or food restrictions, they engage your guests in interactive fun (think “build your own”), and even add some humor.
They are easy to read, lightweight, and generally very simple.
Avg. Price Range: $40 ~ $100
- Popularity
Details
| Category | Wedding |
| Sign Material | Chalkboard, Glass, Wood, Acrylic + |
| Price (avg) | ~ $40 - $100 |
| Dimensions (avg) | ~ 12" x 36" |
| Weight (avg) | ~ 0.5 - 5 pounds |
| Frame | Wood |
| Popular Colors | Black, White, Transparent + |
| Outdoor Use | Yes |
| Two-Sided | Yes |
| Best Feature | Fun, Informational |
Extras
| Market Uses | Weddings, Events |
| Placements | Reception, Food Stations, Buffets |
| Portability | Easy |
| Where to Buy | Custom, Etsy + |
| When to Buy | ~ 6 weeks before your wedding |
| Inventor | King Louis XV was the first to have "intimate suppers". |
| Video | Watch |
Menu Signs FAQ
What are fun food stations ideas for my menu signs?
Here are 59 food station ideas (aka “food bars” or “noshing stations”) that make for awesome sign opportunities:
- Taco station*
- Pizza station
- Late-night snack bar
- Mac & Cheese bar*
- Raw seafood bar (poké)
- Oyster-shucking bar*
- Charcuterie station*
- Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup bar
- Appletini dessert bar
- Asian dumpling table
- French fries station
- Things on a stick
- Slider / Burger station
- Warm pasta bar
- Brunch buffet
- Waffle bar
- Candy station
- Donut bar
- Ice cream sundae station
- Milkshake bar
- Beer station
- Whiskey bar
- Margarita bar
- Punch bar (the drink)
- Carnival eats station
- Cheese bar
- Fondue / Queso station*
- Chips & Dip bar
- Corn on the cob
- Shaved ice
- Biscuits (& gravy)*
- Popcorn station
- Cereal hangout
- BBQ (or just ribs) pit
- Bruschetta / Crostini bar
- Chicken wing station
- Veggie station
- Omelet station
- Ceviche bar
- Chili bar
- Burrito bar
- Pickle bar
- Pretzel station
- Smores bar*
- Peanut butter station
- Risotto station
- Panini bar*
- Condiments bar
- Sushi bar
- Mashed potato (or “spud”)
- Cupcake station
- Chocolate station
- Hot dog station
- Food trucks
- Fruit bar
- Hot chocolate bar
- Cookies only station
- Potato chip station
- Kids’ station
*Interactive / build-your-own
Just imagine how amazing your wedding would be with little signs for each station — you can even put simple instructions on each sign, especially for the interactive stations. 🙌
TIP: Put your food stations around the perimeter of your venue and the dining tables in the middle — that way people will be encouraged to move around the room and mingle with each other.
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What are some creative menu display ideas? 🔥
If you want to be creative with your menus and have some fun, replace the traditional printed menu with these 25 display ideas:
- Faux newspaper
- Mirrors
- Rustic windows with wooden frame
- Wood palettes
- Elephant leaves
- Tree stumps
- Glass
- Canvas banners
- Paper banners
- Paper bag sleeves (around bread or drinks)
- Placemats
- Table centerpieces
- French doors
- Candleholders
- Acrylic displays
- A-Frame chalkboards
- Hanging chalkboards
- Tall chalkboard displays
- Wood fence
- Tile squares
- Limestone stack
- Tablecloth (or paper tablecloth)
- Flags
- Wine bottles
- Wall projector
TIP: You can add floral decorations to pretty much any of the display ideas above — so be creative and define your personality. 👏
What should I write on my wedding menu sign?
There are few etiquette rules you’ll want to follow while writing your menu (especially if you have a plated sit-down dinner).
So consider including the following in your menu signs:
- A menu title, like “Welcome” or simply “Menu”.
- One appetizer or small bite.
- One salad or small plate.
- The entrée options (~2-3 from your rsvp card).
- One dessert.
- A thank you message.
- A next step message, for what you want your guests to do next, like “after dinner, don’t forget the dance floor”.
- A drink notice, that informs everyone what’s left to drink and for how long.
- A social media call-to-action or hashtag.
TIP: If you offer a “silent” menu option (an off-the-menu dish for picky guests), then put a tiny notice/icon on the bottom of your menu, so they know it’s available.
Should I have a large menu display, individual menus or small food labels?
It depends on your meal style and budget.
Choose these signs depending on your meal style:
- Buffet — go with one large chalkboard sign at the beginning of your buffet table.
- Food Stations — make small, fun signs that explain what each station has to offer.
- Plated Sit-Down Dinner — if you have the budget, print individual menus, or save some money and print a slightly larger menu as the table centerpiece.
- Family-Style — place the same menu displays on the tabletop about every 8-10 seats.
- Cocktail Party — use small labels to identify your appetizers (hors d’oeuvres).
TIP: Want to know a budget surprise? The meal style you choose (plated dinner, family-style, buffet…) is going to cost you, but you should know that a family-style meal will probably cost you the most in food & service costs.
What extra details should I put on my Wedding Menu Signs?
You want to keep your menu signs simple, especially if you decide to go with one large sign at your reception entrance.
Here are a few simple ideas:
- Dietary restrictions (gluten-free, vegan).
- Food allergies people should be aware of.
- Diet-friendly dishes (Paleo, Keto)
- The couple’s favorite ingredient or dish. 😇
- Non-alcoholic dishes or recipes.
TIP: If you have a single menu display, keep it as simple as possible with just the dish names (no long descriptions) so it’s easy for your guests to remember and they don’t crowd around it.
Do I need to have a separate chalkboard signs for my food and bar?
Yes.
Keep your signs separate so people can clearly read what’s on either the food or drink menu.
Don’t forget:
Unlike traditional printed menus, chalkboard menus normally involve hand lettered calligraphy, while pretty, they are much more difficult to read in large blocks of text.
TIP: Take the extra step and create separate signs for each drink category, for example, wine, beer, cocktails, etc.
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Where should I put my Wedding Menu Signs?
Where you place your signs boils down to the meal style you’ve chosen:
- Buffet — place any comprehensive menu sign at the beginning of your buffet table, or put smaller signs by each dish or access point.
- Food Stations — put your signs at one end of the tabletop by the napkins or silverware.
- Plated Sit-Down Dinner — showcase a single menu as the table centerpiece.
- Family-Style — if you have rectangular tables, place the same menu on the tabletop about every 8-10 seats.
- Cocktail Party — use small signs to label your dishes on your appetizer (hors d’oeuvres) or cocktail tables.
And don’t forget those bar or signature drink signs! Place them at eye level on top of the bar and slightly to the side, so any built-up lines don’t block the view.
TIP: For long buffet tables and larger grazing stations, you want multiple access points — spots where your guests can enter the flow of the table (not just at one end). This will help speed up the lines and make the whole experience much more efficient.
How big should my menu sign be?
Your menu sign should be a max 36″ inches (3′ feet) diagonal width.
You don’t want any larger than that.
Why?
Because these signs are meant to be concise and communicate quickly — that’s why you see them at food stations, the beginning of buffet lines or bars.
TIP: If you have large buffet tables or grazing stations, try changing the height of your signs to add some depth and design flare.
If I had to choose one type of Wedding Menu Sign, which one should it be?
A Bar Sign!
Better yet, make it a signature drink sign that YOU love with all the ingredients that go in it.
That way, you can put it next to your liquor cabinet or your home bar after your wedding is over.
Your friends will love it… and it will be an awesome wedding memory. 😇
(Here’s a bar sign example.)
How can I save money with my wedding menus?
Here are 3 money-saving menu tips:
- If you print individual menus for each seat, print the names of your guests on the menu — that way your menu cans serve double-duty as a place card as well.
- Have one large menu display — near your reception entrance — that further describes the food option your guests selected on their RSVP (aka “response”) card.
- Forego individual menus and color-code your place cards with the food option they chose on their RSVP card. so the wait staff knows what to serve.
Get your very own wedding sign.