The welcome sign is the first thing guests see that isn't the venue — it sets the tone before the ceremony says a word. It's also one of the easier pieces to get right, because the decisions are concrete: material, size, how it stands, and whether it has to survive weather. Here's how we walk couples through all four.

Wood or acrylic

Engraved baltic birch is the warm answer. The design is burned into the wood, the grain shows through, and it belongs anywhere the palette leans natural — barns, lodges, gardens, mountain venues. It also takes color finishes (natural, walnut, ebony, whitewash, weathered gray, fruitwood), so "wood" doesn't have to mean "rustic."

Acrylic is the crisp answer. An engraved acrylic panel reads modern and photographs cleanly in urban rooms — galleries, hotels, lofts. It's lighter than wood at the same size, which matters for how it stands (more on that below).

Either way, the mark is engraved, not printed: it's cut into the material, so there's no vinyl to peel and no ink to fade. A welcome sign tends to outlive the wedding as a keepsake — engraving is why it still looks right on an anniversary shelf.

Sizes and honest prices

Catalog pricing, straight from the shop's price list:

| Material | From (smallest size) | At 24×24 | Lead time | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Baltic birch, 1/4" | $19 | $139 | ~5 business days | | Acrylic, 1/8" | $24 | $189 | ~3 business days | | Baltic birch, 1/2" (heavier, premium) | $52 | $398 | ~7 business days | | Acrylic, 1/4" (thicker, premium) | $72 | $470 | ~5 business days |

For an entrance easel, the top of the catalog — 24×24 — reads comfortably as guests walk up. Want a bigger statement panel? That's a real project, not a problem: the laser bed is 51 inches, and larger-than-catalog work is quoted as a custom job.

Those lead times are production times — add the design conversation in front, and remember the wedding rule of thumb from our lead-times guide: the clock starts when the design is locked.

How it stands

A sign that can't stand is décor that leans against a wall. Plan the support with the sign, not after it arrives: a tabletop acrylic stand is $22, a wood easel is $28, and wall-hung options (sawtooth $6, wire $8, rope $10) cover signs that live on hooks. Paint fill ($12 for the first color) adds contrast if the venue lighting is dim.

Outdoors: the Colorado question

Outdoor ceremonies are where welcome signs go to blow over. Three rules:

1. The engraving is the one thing you don't have to worry about. It can't fade in the sun or wash off in a storm — the material carries the design.
2. Wood wants the UV outdoor clear coat ($35). Baltic birch is outdoor-rated only with it; skip it and the panel itself (not the engraving) suffers.
3. Wind beats weight class. Any panel on an easel is a sail. Place it against a wall or railing, weight the easel, or go heavier stock — the 1/2" birch exists partly for exactly this. If your venue is up a canyon, our Colorado mountain wedding guide covers the full weather playbook.

Matching the rest of the day

A welcome sign rarely works alone — it usually shares a style with a seating chart display, table numbers, and the guest book, and the whole set reads best when it's designed as one world. Send a Pinterest board or your invitation suite and we'll match the engraving style across every piece; bespoke work includes three design revisions.

If you know your venue and roughly what you want it to say, that's enough to start — tell us about the day, or begin with the full wedding lineup on our weddings page. Made in Loveland, Colorado; picked up locally or shipped anywhere in the US.