DIY: CALLIGRAPHY GLASS SEATING PLAN
Image credit: ARJ Photography
I have a thing for oversized mirrors, so I really wanted a seating plan written onto an ornate mirror for our UK wedding. I contacted a few calligraphers and the quotes came back at about £200 for 110 names, and that’s not taking into account the mirror that would cost at least £200-£300! Although I do (often) have moments of madness when it comes to spending money, I wasn’t prepared to spend £500 on a seating plan. Of course I would have kept the mirror, but the £200 would still have been a sunk cost…
Naturally, I thought “ah ha! I can do this myself!” but I knew there was no way my OCD self would tolerate my rubbish handwriting or the imperfect alignment. And then I had a lightbulb moment! I could write on glass instead because that way I could trace it over something!
Materials:
- Large picture frame (I used the Ikea Virserum 50x70cm frame which cost £18)
- Marker pens (I used the Uni Posca PC-1M and PC-3M marker pens in white at £2.21 each)
There are various programmes you can use to lay out the plan, but I found Microsoft PowerPoint to be the easiest.
Step 1: Decide on landscape vs portrait layout, and set the slide size to be the same as the inside frame size.
Step 2: Insert a table for each physical table you have. Since we had banquet style long tresle tables in various sizes, my “tables” were 2 columns by varying numbers of rows.
Step 3: Type in the names and any extras e.g. I had our names, venue and date at the top. Make sure you zoom to 100% to check that the font and size you’ve selected are legible for guests from a (small) distance.
Step 4: Print out the plan. If your printer can only print A4, you can print out sections individually and tape/staple them together.
Step 5: Carefully remove the backing and glass from the frame. Tape the print out(s) to the underside of the glass.
Step 6: Make sure the top of the glass is clean and grease-free. Trace over with the marker pens. I used a 1.3mm tip for “Lil and Jim” at the top, and a 0.7mm tip for everything else. I chose the Posca pens as you can wipe them whilst the ink is still wet - amazing for when you make a mistake - and it can be scraped off if you want to reuse the frame afterwards.
Step 7: Put the glass back on the frame and secure with the little metal tabs. Be careful not to crack the glass!
And that’s it! My £22.42 seating plan!
Image credit: ARJ Photography