Albatross Seating Chart

EGGSHELLS AND SPACKLE ON MDF BOARD

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My favourite bird is the albatross for many reasons, one of which is its annual return to its rookery and mate. The albatross lands within metres of its birthplace despite spending 95% of its mysterious life gliding over the earth’s oceans. For our wedding seating chart, we asked our guests to crack open their egg and locate their “rookery”. Each egg had its owner’s calligraphed name and encased a slip of paper with his or her table number. 216 eggs were arranged alphabetically by surname, top to bottom. The eggs were individuality marbled in the same colour scheme as the wedding suite and decor. The patterns that appeared on the eggs’ faces varied between mystical landscapes and marble.

A few other material substitutes were considered, but the eggs were ideal because their organic shards would not be a concern on the lawn. All egg yolks and whites were consumed and the eggshells were rinsed and baked.

The eggs were mounted to a 4x8ft MDF board. Once the guest list was finalized, the egg rows and faux molding dimensions could be determined. The sculpted flowers were a mixture of peonies and daffodils. The board was supported by a tree and attached with nautical rope. The original design had the rope tied in a knot with the two tassels hanging underneath.

The albatross was a discreet theme throughout the event. This included the wedding logo, our ceremony reading which described the albatrosses’ pair bonds and feather details in the wedding party attire. The seating chart was a memorable addition to our wedding and a number of guests decided not to break their eggs. We enjoy hearing our guests’ strategies and mini-tragedies on their journey home with their little eggs. It is a nice surprise to find them displayed in the homes of our family and friends.