Guide
Chinese wedding place cards, with double happiness
A Chinese wedding banquet is big, warm and busy, with round tables of ten and a long run of courses. Place cards do quiet work in the middle of all that: they show each guest to their seat and carry the double happiness symbol that marks the day. This guide covers what the symbols mean and how to make a full set without retyping a single name.
The symbol
Double happiness, the heart of the card
Double happiness, written 囍, is the character for joy doubled and joined, a wish that two lives and their happiness become one. It is the single most recognisable emblem of a Chinese wedding. On a place card it does most of the design work on its own, so even a plain white card with a small red 囍 and a name reads instantly as a wedding card. We draw the symbol crisply rather than leaving it to chance, so it prints clean and sharp at any size.
Colour
Why red and gold
Red carries luck, joy and celebration, the colour the bride wears and the colour of the day. Gold adds a note of fortune and warmth. You do not need much of either: a red double happiness on white feels modern and clean, while a red and gold border or a soft blush of colour leans more traditional. Pick the weight of decoration that matches your venue, from a bare minimal card to an ornate gilded frame.
Names and tables
Set the name, then the table
Keep your guest list in two columns, a Name column written exactly as it should print, and a Table column. Banquets seat about ten to a round table and number the tables, so a short label like Table 8 sits neatly under the name. Names print in English or romanized form, which suits the mixed guest lists most celebrations have, and each name is fitted to its card so a long name never overflows.
Designs
From minimal to traditional
Our Chinese designs run from a clean white card with a small double happiness, through soft peach blossom and blush watercolour, to a full red and gold lattice frame. Browse them in the template gallery under the Chinese filter, set your list, adjust the font and colour if you like, then download a print-ready PDF.
Tips
A few things that help
- Print one test page on plain paper and check the card size against a ruler before loading your good cardstock.
- For a tea ceremony or a smaller dinner, a foldable tent card stands on its own and reads from across the table. See tented vs. flat.
- Sort your list by name before printing so the cards come out alphabetically and are easy to lay out at the entrance.
- Make a few spare blanks for last-minute guests, a matching spare beats a handwritten note.
Questions
Common questions
What does the double happiness symbol mean?
Double happiness, written 囍, is two copies of the character for joy joined side by side. It is the emblem of a wedding in Chinese culture, a wish that the happiness of two people becomes one shared joy. You see it on invitations, decorations, tea sets and table stationery at almost every Chinese wedding.
Why are Chinese wedding place cards red and gold?
Red is the colour of luck, joy and celebration, the colour worn by the bride and used across the whole day. Gold signals wealth and good fortune. Together they are the classic festive palette, which is why our Chinese designs pair a red double happiness with soft florals or red and gold borders.
Can I print the guests' names in Chinese characters?
Right now the cards print English or romanized names, which is what most banquets use for a mixed guest list. The double happiness emblem is the Chinese element on the card. If you need Chinese-character names, let us know, it is on our list.
How many place cards do Chinese banquets usually need?
Chinese wedding banquets are large, often ten guests to a round table and many tables, so a few hundred cards is common. Paste or upload your list once and the whole set lays out several to a sheet, so the count does not change the effort.
Set a joyful table
Bring your guest list and have a printable set of double happiness place cards in a few minutes.
Try it with your list