May 20, 2004

Another Cool Idea

Continuing this week's theme of good hints, here's one I picked up from the wedding I attended last month in London:

Instead of seating couples right next to each other, the bride's family arranged it so that couples were separated by one seat. Couples were still at the same table, but everyone was sitting next to someone they didn't know. This forced conversation beyond the typical "where are you from and what do you do" basics and I know that I left the wedding feeling like I had actually gotten to know the people on either side of me.

I know this might not work in every situation; politics often dictate where people sit and this method might make things more complicated if you have a large number of people who don't get along. It probably helped single people at the wedding feel a little less awkward if they were sitting at tables full of couples. It's not something that we'll be likely to do only because our wedding guests will have a full weekend of camp activities during which they can get to know everyone. Heck, by the end of the weekend they might even be sick of other people.

Posted by The Groom at May 20, 2004 09:35 AM
Comments

How would you do the place cards or would you have to do 2 place cards for everyone with the name on two sides for the one at the table since you liked that idea too. Who is doing all of these place cards? Just wondering!
MOB

Posted by: MOB at May 20, 2004 10:03 AM

everyone gets their own placecard. one seat, one card.

Posted by: The Groom at May 20, 2004 10:14 AM

I'm not to keen on the whole assigned seating thing at weddings. Although yes, it does make people get to know each other and not stick to people they already know, it can get uncomfortable. I went to a good friend of the family's wedding and had an assigned seat at a table with a bunch of people 25+ and I was 16 at the time. It wasn't the best table to seat me at, add in the language barrier of my speaking English and most people at the table speaking Swedish, no good. I figure the guests are adults they can seat themselves.

P.S. It might be too late but I wanted to put in a suggestion for the mix CD. Pride and Joy by Stevie Ray Vaughn. It's a super fun, not sappy love song. It's going on the must play list at our reception.

Posted by: renee at May 20, 2004 10:59 AM