Dad wants to have sweat towels at the wedding

mcgeeker

So.... much to my horror.... my dad wants to have a pile of small towels set up near the dance floor for people to be able to wipe away their sweat. Yes, it will be super hot, as it is in August. And yes, my dad, my fiance, and many other men in my life sweat like they just got out of the shower. I want to accommodate them, but I'm not sure how to do this in a nice-looking way. I offered for there to be towels in the bathroom but he says that's too far away... he wants them to be right next to the dance floor. Any suggestions on how to do this??? eek!

vsgal

My first reaction is EWWWW!  Now that is out of my system, just get small bar towels.  Roll them nicely and put them in a pretty basket or container off to the side of the dance floor.  I come from a family of sweaty people, so I understand. 

Maggie0829

Is your wedding outside?  If so, fans are your friends.  If it is inside then I don't really see the need for sweat towels.

Is your Dad paying for your wedding?  If so it would be hard to say no to this.  Um, maybe get bandannas in your color scheme rather then just towels.  You could always have them at each place setting and you can make up a small note that you can tie around them that says something like "Have a cold drink, wipe your brow, and join us on the dance floor!" or something like that.

tortoisebride

If you do towels or something definitely make sure there's a hamper discreetly but clearly placed for their disposal. Sweaty towels left everywhere on the tables is such a yucky image.

Bandannas are a cuter idea. Still hamper.

ElcaB

Can you negotiate fans instead?

mcgeeker

Thanks for the thoughts. Yes my dad is paying for the wedding, so I need to find a way to make this work for him. It is indoors but that doesn't really matter when you're a big sweaty man

I would DEFINITELY have a discreet hamper set up for the used towels .... just wish I could avoid the EWWW reaction (I had the same thought though!!)

atlastmrsg

Bandanas are the least of the evils here.  Sweat towels?  That's straight up ick.  The only place I'd have extra towels would be the restroom.  I'd be really shocked if I saw that at a wedding that isn't in a bikram studio.

Maggie0829

mcgeeker said:

Thanks for the thoughts. Yes my dad is paying for the wedding, so I need to find a way to make this work for him. It is indoors but that doesn't really matter when you're a big sweaty man

I would DEFINITELY have a discreet hamper set up for the used towels .... just wish I could avoid the EWWW reaction (I had the same thought though!!)

Okay, since it is inside then having a basket of sweat towels is even weirder then if your wedding was outside.  I mean, outside I could understand (to a point), but inside, no.  I would tell your Dad that you will be happy to compromise with him and have the towels placed in the bathroom.  Life is all about compromise and I think you two need to come to an agreement.

mcgeeker

Well... I just called them sweat towels as in something to wipe your sweat... I love the bandanas ideas although I was hoping it would be more of a throw away thing.

what about something like this? "linen like guest towels"
http://www.mypapershop.com/856802/disposable-guest-hand-towels-white-linen-like.html

manateehugger

Yeah, I'm sorry, this is gross. And FI and friends sweat a lot too, but they usually walk outside or to the bathroom to air out for a few minutes.

I'd be pushing really really really hard to compromise and have the towels available in the bathroom. No one wants to feel like their at the gym, watching people wipe off, as they're trying to drink and socialize. 

emmyg65

Does your dad carry a handkerchief? If not, perhaps you can get him some for your wedding. Then he can wipe his face to his heart's content, but you're not doing something public enough to be weird.

Jen4948

I agree with PPs that a compromise is in order.

Having towels or wipes available in the bathrooms and/or fans outside the bathrooms sounds reasonable to me, and I'd approach your dad about this, but having sweat towels outside the bathrooms doesn't seem sanitary or discreet to me. 

grumbledore

Maggie0829 said:

Is your wedding outside?  If so, fans are your friends.  If it is inside then I don't really see the need for sweat towels.

Is your Dad paying for your wedding?  If so it would be hard to say no to this.  Um, maybe get bandannas in your color scheme rather then just towels.  You could always have them at each place setting and you can make up a small note that you can tie around them that says something like "Have a cold drink, wipe your brow, and join us on the dance floor!" or something like that.

Agreed.  Assuming the venue is air conditioned, which I certainly hope it is.

theartistformerlyknownas

I would just give handkerchiefs to the few people you think may need them.

[Deleted User]

What about something like this where you can decorate it nicely and put a cute sign on them & just have a trash can nearby in case they get used. It might be more cost effective too then traditional towels.

http://www.bettymills.com/shop/product/view/Kimberly%20Clark%20Professional/KIM38587.html?source=cpc-strat&utm_source=cpc-strat&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=parts&utm_keyword=KIM38587&utm_content=Jansan&gclid=CJbC7uSYsb4CFXQ1MgodlmMAlw

Jen4948

Erikan73 said:

What about something like this where you can decorate it nicely and put a cute sign on them & just have a trash can nearby in case they get used. It might be more cost effective too then traditional towels.

http://www.bettymills.com/shop/product/view/Kimberly%20Clark%20Professional/KIM38587.html?source=cpc-strat&utm_source=cpc-strat&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=parts&utm_keyword=KIM38587&utm_content=Jansan&gclid=CJbC7uSYsb4CFXQ1MgodlmMAlw

No need for cute signs.  In fact, trying to make this "cute" could be off-putting.

tortoisebride

I didn't think about the grossness of having a hamper full of dirty towels. Better than having them on the tables, but yeah, ew.

I'm with the people saying to put extra towels in the bathroom. Maybe you could plug a couple of fans in in the hallway or whatever near the entrance once the dancing starts, and people could go cool off if they find themselves melting.

Llikotdesserd

My dad sweats like nobody's business. He keeps napkins in his car year round just to be able to wipe his face and neck when he starts sweating. In fact, we are ordering my dad 3-4 identical shirts for the wedding. I know he'll sweat through one during photos before the wedding, spill food on one, and then we'll have a few backups. So, as a way to accomodate my dad and others that get sticky, I'm planning on having some chilled towels at the bar for people to cool down with during dancing. Think like what you might get at a fancy restaurant, a warmed damp towel to wipe your hands with before dinner, but cooled damp towels instead. They'll just get thrown in the same bin that the bar towels once they are used

CrazyCatLady3

Is the venue not air conditioned??? Can't you just ask them to crank up the a/c when dancing starts?

mrsmorales2be

Handkerchiefs, sure. Something in the bathroom, why not? But having a stack of sweat towels and having to deal with them later would be off-putting.

OwningAHome1981

Your dad is a grown man. If he sweats a lot, he can bring his own towel.

OwningAHome1981

lolo883 said:

I would just give handkerchiefs to the few people you think may need them.

This could be kind of insulting though.. "you look like a sweaty mess, here you go"

LondonLisa

This would gross me out so much, to the point this is what I would remember most about the wedding. There is absolutely no place you could have this outside of the men's room!

theartistformerlyknownas

OwningAHome1981 said:

lolo883 said:

I would just give handkerchiefs to the few people you think may need them.

This could be kind of insulting though.. "you look like a sweaty mess, here you go"

Ew no I didn't mean during the wedding. I meant if you know it's your dad and your brother who are sweaty messes all the time, throw a fancy hanky in with their gift at the rehearsal dinner. It's obviously something they'll need more than once so you can kind of downplay the fact that they'll need it at the reception.

wildthang386

what abt those towels that are folded into something? cake, ice cream cone, etc? or going on youtube and folding them urself. I saw them at a bridal show, and wonder what the heck would I want that for....then I saw ur post.

Jen4948

I'd have such towels in the bathrooms, but that's it. 

theartistformerlyknownas

wildthang386 said:

what abt those towels that are folded into something? cake, ice cream cone, etc? or going on youtube and folding them urself. I saw them at a bridal show, and wonder what the heck would I want that for....then I saw ur post.

Those are intended as gifts for a bridal shower - it's just a fancier way of gifting someone dish or bath towels. They're not meant for display and use at a formal event.

MandyMost

I say you compromise by: 1. Talking to the venue to see if you can keep the a.c. up a little colder than normal, and maybe even getting a fan near the dance floor. 2. Making sure the bathrooms have something nicer than regular paper towels for anyone who wants to use a towel for sweat 3. Getting your dad a nice, personalized handkerchief think (maybe monogrammed, may or may not be wedding related) as a gift to use at the wedding.