Politics At Dinner

I saw an idea that I liked the other day. The boy and I went to see a reception venue and as it was a popular place and a Saturday, the rooms were already decked out for the evening to come. The idea that I liked came from a woman who decided both that she was far too busy to be bothered with actual seating placements and that all her guests were big enough and ugly enough to sort it out for themselves. She decided to give all her tables names such as The Sex Pistols and The Beatles so she obviously had a list for the guests that were to sit at each table but apparently she wasn’t prepared to dictate in which particular chair they sat. I think I might like this woman.

When the boy and I made a comment to the lady that was showing us around the venue she said that we probably had no idea what kind of issues she has seen in regards to seating placements at weddings. Great Aunty Margaret absolutely loathes Crazy Cousin George and they have to be sitting as far away for each other as possible. They also have to be facing different directions! Or perhaps the parents of the bride and groom are not exactly enamoured of each other and as such, one set of parents much not be any closer to the bridal table than the other. Dirty Uncle Harry must not be seated with any unmarried woman or a female under thirty and Clumsy Grandma Mae who is hard of hearing must be seated with her good ear towards the bridal table but she must also be on the edge near an exit so she can get out without tripping up or over ten people on the way. Thank God our families are not like this.

I think if any one of our guests was not completely happy with where they were placed then they would just suck it up. As far as I am aware, no one actually hates anyone else, they just might choose not to talk to someone for most of the evening – and with 70 or 80 people around that is not such a big deal. I know maybe one or two people who might have something to say about whatever food we have served at our wedding but as my fiancée so charmingly told me, he will be quite willing to step in and tell them dry your eyes princess, build a bridge and get over it. Or leave. And I don’t particularly have a problem with that. If someone actually made a big deal over dinner then they are quite welcome to remove themselves elsewhere to remedy the situation. Theres not a lot I can do after the catering has already been delivered to the table!