Age Old Debate That Has Finally Ended In My Head

I use to go back and forth on suggesting assigned seating at events – but this article really put things into perspective when they mentioned the “junior -high lunchroom” feel!  Regardless of what type of event you are throwing - regardless if you are having a plated, buffet, food stations or butlered hors d’oeuvres- regardless if you are serving banquet style, a la russe or family style – you always want your guests to feel welcome, at ease, and taken care of, especially if they do not know many of the other guests, and are not accompanied by an escort. Giving them a “home” for dinner, can achieve your goal. Side note – ff you decide to go with assigned seating, I do strongly lean towards guests being assigned a table, but not a specific seat!

Enjoy an excerpt from the article – I think you will like it!

Assign Seats When You Have Food Stations?
Posted by Talley Sue Hohlfeld, Etiquette Expert

The magazine is generally a fan of assigned seating at weddings—we hate the “junior-high lunchroom” feel that comes from hunting for a seat among tables that are partly filled with people you don’t know (or worse, ones you *do* know who are “saving this seat for someone else”). And we love the idea of care fully chosen dinner companions.

The beauty of assigned tables is that everybody knows they have somewhere to sit. And as the hostess, you can have exactly the right number of tables (less furniture in the room, and less $$ sometimes).

But the beauty of food stations (besides that they’re really yummy) is that they make for a very fluid conversation. Your aunt goes to try the Chinese, and ends up in line next to your groom’s college roommate. Then she heads for the fresh fruit, and she’s in line behind your second cousin on your dad’s side. Lots of friendliness, lots of casual conversation, lots of interaction and movement.

So, do you want her to discover a new dining companion each time she goes to try a new food? Or do you want her to have a safe haven where she can shelter between adventures? I think I’m answering my own question here—I think I’d still vote for assigned tables. (But if you opted not to have assigned tables, you need to be sure you have extra tables, so that there is always likely to be an empty one. That will reduce the likelihood that your guests will do what the aunts and uncles did at the last such wedding I went to, with no assigned seats—they staked out tables and made sure never to leave them unattended. They might as well have been assigned.)

Welcome Cougar!

Happy 30th Birthday Emily! Thank you for sharing your special day with True Bliss Events!

Hello Hello!
Apologies for my lack of blogging…the wedding season is in full gear, and my focus is primarily on my remaining 2009 brides and grooms! Not far behind our my 2010 couples -so excited to begin the next stage of planning together!

I was able to sneak away last weekend to attend one my best friends wedding. Geoff Morris and I went to college together at the University of Montana back in the mid nineties – wow! That seems like just yesterday! He married a wonderful women – I know he and Kristin will live a blessed life together!

My husband Rob was unable to attend due to work conflicts – so I took my best friend Jenn, who also attended the U o f M! We had a fun and relaxing long weekend connecting with old college chums in the majestic Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Geoff and Kristin had some fabulous, unique touches that reflected their personal style. Some of my favorite personal touches were the ice cream scooper guest favor and ice cream sundae bar at the reception- Kristin loves ice cream! I also thought the idea to have a beautiful “coffee table” photography book, as your guest book was a great idea – I loved flipping through the book, finding the perfect page to sign! The venue was a true representation of Geoff – the backdrop to their ceremony was a pristine river that is well know for fly fishing and Beaver Creek Ski Resort.

Enjoy the photos!