The complete guide to wedding sign sizes (A2, A1 or A0?)
A2, A1 or A0 - which size do you actually need for your wedding signs? It's the question that lands in our inbox most often, and the one that holds up the most carts at checkout. The dimensions sound technical (594 × 841mm, anyone?), the difference between A1 and A0 is harder to picture than it should be, and getting it wrong means either a sign that gets lost at your venue or a seating chart your guests can't read from across the room.
This guide walks through each of our three sizes with practical recommendations for welcome signs and seating charts based on your venue, your guest count, and how the sign is doing its job on the day. By the end, you'll know exactly which size to add to your cart.
The short version: A2 for intimate weddings under 50 guests, A1 for most weddings up to 100, A0 for 100+ guests or anywhere you want a statement piece. Read on for the full picture.
The three sizes at a glance
Wedding signage uses A-series sizes - the same standard used for paper at the office, just bigger. The system doubles at each step: A1 is twice the area of A2, and A0 is twice the area of A1. Here's how they compare to each other, and to a person standing beside them on an easel.
A few things worth noting from the visual:
A0 doesn't tower over you. A common assumption is that A0 is huge - it's the biggest standard size, after all - but on an easel it reaches roughly chest to chin height on an average adult. It reads as substantial without being awkward.
A2 is genuinely small. A2 is about the size of a small framed print. It's the size you reach for when space is tight, your venue is intimate, and you don't want signage to overshadow the rest of the room.
A1 sits comfortably in the middle. It's the size most weddings end up choosing for a reason - it reads well from across most rooms, photographs beautifully, and doesn't dominate.
How to choose the right size for your welcome sign
A welcome sign has one job: greet your guests as they arrive and quietly set the tone for what's to come. The size you choose depends almost entirely on the space the sign needs to fill, not your guest count.
A2 welcome sign (420 × 594mm) is the right choice for intimate ceremonies, micro weddings, or any setting where a larger sign would feel oversized. Backyard weddings, small ceremony rooms, registry office celebrations, and venues with limited floor space all work beautifully at A2. If you're displaying the sign on a small easel, on a side table, or hanging it on a slim wall, A2 keeps the proportions right.
A1 welcome sign (594 × 841mm) is the size we recommend for most weddings. A1 reads well from the entrance of a reception room, looks substantial on a standard floor easel, and photographs beautifully without overwhelming the rest of your styling. If your venue has a clear entry point - a doorway, a foyer, the top of a flight of steps - A1 holds the space without dominating it.
A0 welcome sign (841 × 1189mm) is the statement choice. A0 is the right size when you have a generous reception venue, an outdoor setting with wide-open space behind it, a high-ceilinged room, or simply want your welcome sign to be one of the most photographed elements of your day. It's also the right move if guests will be viewing it from across a courtyard, lawn, or large entranceway.
A quick gut check: if you're not sure between A1 and A0, choose A0 if the sign will sit in an outdoor or open space, and A1 if it'll be inside a defined room. Outdoor settings absorb scale - what looks substantial in a small studio shrinks visually in a paddock or garden.
How to choose the right size for your seating chart
A seating chart works differently. It's not just about visual presence, it's about legibility. The names need to be readable from a comfortable distance, and the layout needs to give every guest enough room to feel considered, not crammed.
The rule of thumb: count your tables and let the chart's job dictate the size, not the other way around.
A2 seating chart (420 × 594mm) is for intimate weddings only - up to roughly 6 tables, or 50 guests. Beyond that, A2 forces names too small to read at a normal distance, and the chart starts to feel cramped no matter how skillfully it's laid out. If your wedding is over 50 guests, please don't size down to A2 to save on cost. The visual outcome won't match the rest of your styling, and your guests will struggle to find their seat.
A1 seating chart (594 × 841mm) is our most popular seating chart size, and the right call for the majority of weddings. A1 comfortably handles up to about 12 tables (around 100 guests) with names rendered large enough to read at a metre or two of distance. It's the size that strikes the balance between presence and proportion.
A0 seating chart (841 × 1189mm) is the right size for larger weddings - up to about 20 tables, or roughly 200 guests. A0 gives every table enough room to breathe and keeps the typography readable at the kind of distance you actually have at a wedding reception. If you're hovering near 160 to 180 guests, choose A0 over A1 - giving your guests room to read their names beats having a sign that visually fits a smaller room.
Over 200 guests? We recommend a two-piece seating chart rather than trying to fit everyone onto a single A0. Get in touch and we'll talk you through how it works.
Things to think about beyond just size
A few practical considerations that affect the right size choice:
Venue ceiling height. A high-ceilinged room (cathedral, ballroom, marquee) makes everything feel smaller. In a 4m or taller ceiling space, A1 can read as quite modest - consider sizing up to A0. Conversely, a low-ceilinged room can make A0 feel imposing, and A1 might be the better call.
Indoor versus outdoor. Outdoor weddings, especially in open spaces, visually absorb scale. The same A1 sign that looks substantial in a studio might feel lost on a lawn. Size up where the setting is expansive.
The rest of your suite. Most brides choose one size for their welcome sign and a separate (usually larger) size for their seating chart. A1 welcome sign with A1 seating chart is the most common combination, but A1 welcome with A0 seating works beautifully for larger weddings where the chart needs to do more work.
Material weight matters at A0. A 3mm foamboard A0 sign is light and easy to handle. A 3mm acrylic A0 sign is heavy and needs a sturdy easel and someone strong to position it. Check that your venue has appropriate easels if you're going acrylic at A0.
Quick size recommendations by wedding size
If you skipped to the bottom, here's the short version:
- Under 50 guests: A2 welcome sign and A2 seating chart, or upgrade the welcome to A1 if you want it to feel more substantial.
- 50 to 100 guests: A1 welcome sign and A1 seating chart. The most common combination, and the safest default.
- 100 to 160 guests: A1 welcome sign with A0 seating chart. The chart needs the extra room; the welcome sign doesn't.
- 160 to 200 guests: A0 welcome sign and A0 seating chart. At this scale, both pieces benefit from the larger size.
- Over 200 guests: A0 welcome sign with a two-piece A0 seating chart layout. Get in touch and we'll guide you through it.
Still not sure?
Send us a message with your venue type, guest count, and a quick description of where the signs will be displayed, and we'll come back with a specific recommendation for your day. We do this every day - we'd rather spend ten minutes helping you choose right than have a sign arrive that isn't quite the size you needed.
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