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Wedding Etiquette Forum

Seating chart woes

My fiancé's 18-year-old brother (and co-best man) has insisted on bringing a date to our wedding. She is not a girlfriend or anything serious. I've never met her and neither has my fiancé.

Our bridal party consists of a few people in committed relationships. Because a lot of their significant others do not know many other people who will be at the wedding, we were going to seat our bridal party with their significant others (one is married, one is engaged, one has a child together, and one has been dating for over a year). But now that he to be wants to bring a date, I have no idea where to put her. I really don't want her seated at the head table because I do not know the girl (my fiancé and I are both close with all of BP's significant others). 

Is that terribly bad of my if I don't seat her with her date at the head table?

Re: Seating chart woes

  • Yes, it is very rude of you.  If he is bringing a date then they should be seated together.  Also, I know that it is not mandatory to give single guests a plus one option but when it comes to the bridal party that is where I think an exception to the rule should apply.  These people are taking time out of their lives and money out of their pockets to be a part of your day, the least you could do is offer up a plus one so that they all can enjoy the night with a guest.

  • itzMSitzMS member
    2500 Comments 500 Love Its 5 Answers First Anniversary
    edited August 2013
    My fiancé's 18-year-old brother (and co-best man) has insisted on bringing a date to our wedding. She is not a girlfriend or anything serious. I've never met her and neither has my fiancé.

    Our bridal party consists of a few people in committed relationships. Because a lot of their significant others do not know many other people who will be at the wedding, we were going to seat our bridal party with their significant others (one is married, one is engaged, one has a child together, and one has been dating for over a year). But now that he to be wants to bring a date, I have no idea where to put her. I really don't want her seated at the head table because I do not know the girl (my fiancé and I are both close with all of BP's significant others). 

    Is that terribly bad of my if I don't seat her with her date at the head table?


    Yes, that is terribly bad.

    Why do you need a head table? Why not just do a sweetheart table for you and your FI, and seat the wedding party and their dates at tables amongst the guests.

  • IMO, yeah, it's bad. He shouldn't have insisted on bringing his friend; I think the bride and groom should always extend a +1 to truly single members of the bridal party. But separating them at dinner doesn't make this all right. If you've already said that sure, she can come, it would be bad form to separate them during dinner (and really this is minor in the big scheme of things).
  • Yes, it would be rude of you to separate them. I get not wanting to have someone you don't know sitting at your table at dinner for your own wedding reception, but she's your FI's brother's date. End of story.

    I know that PP has already offered the option of having a sweetheart table. Another suggestion would be to do what we did at ours, which was sit at a regular-sized table with some of our BP members and their spouses/FIs/dates (the others were interspersed at tables where they had friends so that they would have fun and not be crammed together with people they didn't know). I let DH pick which of my friends he was comfortable eating with and I got to pick which of his. It worked out really well for us that way - I could avoid sitting with the groomsman whose wife I barely knew and he could avoid sitting with my friend he'd only met once before the wedding weekend who was bringing a friend from college as her date that DH had never met). Win win.
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  • Yes.  Dates need to be seated together.
    Don't worry guys, I have the Wedding Police AND the Whambulance on speed dial!
  • Don't have a head table. Problem solved. Seat all wedding party members at a regular table with their dates.
  • Are you serious?
  • My fiancé's 18-year-old brother (and co-best man) has insisted on bringing a date to our wedding. She is not a girlfriend or anything serious. I've never met her and neither has my fiancé.

    Our bridal party consists of a few people in committed relationships. Because a lot of their significant others do not know many other people who will be at the wedding, we were going to seat our bridal party with their significant others (one is married, one is engaged, one has a child together, and one has been dating for over a year). But now that he to be wants to bring a date, I have no idea where to put her. I really don't want her seated at the head table because I do not know the girl (my fiancé and I are both close with all of BP's significant others). 

    Is that terribly bad of my if I don't seat her with her date at the head table?
    Just think about what you're saying here.

    You want to make your future brother in-law and his girlfriend uncomfortable by sitting apart, because you don't know her yet? That sounds very selfish. I'd judge you for life if you did that to me. 

    I just had to sit apart from my fiance at a wedding..... I spent the entire time somewhat miserable ...mostly because it was a miserable wedding, but at least I could've commiserated with him. My friend found out where we were sitting and she said, "Who does that!??"

    Just think.
    imageimageimage

    You'll never be subject to a cash bar, gap, potluck wedding, or b-list if you marry a Muppet Overlord.
  • My fiancé's 18-year-old brother (and co-best man) has insisted on bringing a date to our wedding. She is not a girlfriend or anything serious. I've never met her and neither has my fiancé.

    Our bridal party consists of a few people in committed relationships. Because a lot of their significant others do not know many other people who will be at the wedding, we were going to seat our bridal party with their significant others (one is married, one is engaged, one has a child together, and one has been dating for over a year). But now that he to be wants to bring a date, I have no idea where to put her. I really don't want her seated at the head table because I do not know the girl (my fiancé and I are both close with all of BP's significant others). 

    Is that terribly bad of my if I don't seat her with her date at the head table?
    Just think about what you're saying here.

    You want to make your future brother in-law and his girlfriend uncomfortable by sitting apart, because you don't know her yet? That sounds very selfish. I'd judge you for life if you did that to me. 

    I just had to sit apart from my fiance at a wedding..... I spent the entire time somewhat miserable ...mostly because it was a miserable wedding, but at least I could've commiserated with him. My friend found out where we were sitting and she said, "Who does that!??"

    Just think.
    imageimageimage

    You'll never be subject to a cash bar, gap, potluck wedding, or b-list if you marry a Muppet Overlord.
  • Have a sweetheart table and put your WP and their dates at other tables.
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  • My late husband was best man in a friend's wedding.  The other attendants were all couples.  I was the only spouse/SO that wasn't part of the bridal party.

    The bridal party, including my DH of course, were all seated at the head table.  I was seated with 9 people I didn't know, clear across the room.

    While I have to believe this couple didn't intend to snub or offend me, that's precisely how I felt. 
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  • my WP will be sitting at the head table, their guests will be sitting else where, either with each other or with people they know.
    Daisypath Wedding tickers

  • my WP will be sitting at the head table, their guests will be sitting else where, either with each other or with people they know.
    Bully for you.


    OP, if you don't want her sitting at your head table.. but you now you should have them sit together, why don't you offer him to sit with other people he knows, with his date? I mean, you don't need one big head table for the whole wedding party. Plus, there's going to be a kid squished in there somewhere. Maybe they'd prefer to sit at another table that also has a kid? I don't know, I just don't think it has to be head table or sweetheart table. There are other options to consider.
    image
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