So, it's normal wedding tradtion to have the groom's friends and family sit on one side during the ceremony and have the bride's friends and family sit on the other. I don't like this at all. We have so many mutual friends and yes, some of them are clearly more his friend that mine or vice versa, but there are some who it's really hard to determine which of us is a better friend with that person. One example is a girl who was a "little sister" in his fraternity in college, and I didn't know her very well at the time, but then later we ended up being co-workers. My fiance and I are neither extemely close to her, but we were both friends with her in our own way, and I wouldn't be able to tell your whether or not she's his friend or mine. We have several people on our guest list like that. In my opinion it's almost absurd for a cermony representing togetherness and joining of two people to force the guests to CHOOSE a side. I have never been in this situation at any of the very few weddings I've been to, but I can imagine that if I knew both the bride and groom equally well I might be scared I would offend the one if I sat on the side for the other. And I would hate to put anyone in that situation.
I also feel like it's almost like a competition to see who has more support. My fiance is Mexican, so he's already going to have alot more family than me! Haha. And in college he was much more of a social person than I was, because I focused more on my studies, so as a result he will probably have more of "his" friends than I will. But over the years we've each gotten to know most of each other's friends to the point where each person should be coming to "Hollie AND Xavier's wedding" wedding not "Hollie's wedding" or "Xavier's Wedding".
I don't get offended easily, so it doesn't matter to me if someone chooses his side over mine or whatever, but I just don't want to make anyone feel like they have to choose between us.
We're planning on having a circular setup during the ceremony anyway, and of course we'll have to have some sort of isle for us to walk down, but maybe have the back part of the circle be joined and hopefully we can encourage people to sit whereever they like and not choose a side.
Does anyone agree with me on the way this tradition kind of contradicts the purpose of the ceremony? Or am I just crazy? Haha.