http://ask.metafilter.com/tags/receptiontable Questions tagged with 'receptiontable' at Ask MetaFilter. Tue, 10 Apr 2007 00:24:38 -0800 Tue, 10 Apr 2007 00:24:38 -0800 en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 60 http://ask.metafilter.com/60288/Work%2Dat%2Dthe%2DWedding%2DI%2Ddo%2DHate%2Dit%2Dto%2DHell WeddingFilter: Help my girlfriend and I gracefully decline a request to work the reception table. Again. And forevermore. It is apparently ritualized mating season among my friends - 3 weddings in the past year, and three more coming up. Of the last three, my girlfriend was a bridesmaid for one and worked the reception table for two. Now, she's been asked to woman the table again, for two of the next three weddings. Dammit.<br> <br> I'm looking for thoughtful suggestions that avoid outright lying or being an insensitive jerk to the already stressed-out bride(s). We acknowledge that the reasons for not wanting to help at a wedding are fairly selfish. But, speaking from experience, the job really kind of sucks. You have to worry about seating (unaccounted-for or even uninvited) guests, tend to get treated like the customer service desk when you really don't know what the hell is going on, worry about the accurate intake of gifts, names and addresses, and sometimes must put up with micromanaging relatives or wedding coordinators who don't thank you for shit and treat you like cheap labor when you have an invitation just like everyone else. She'd much rather be able to enjoy the wedding ceremony and reception with the rest of our "unemployed" friends. We love our soon-to-be-wed friends, but would like to make a definitive declaration of our independence from this task, now and possibly even for all future weddings (we are blessed with many marriageable friends). We've already decided that at our wedding, we're gonna hire someone to do this kind of stuff so that none of our friends or family have to worry about it. But I don't think this is common (at least in this neck of the water).<br> <br> Some out-of-the-box thinking is what we need. First-hand experience a plus. Suggesting behavior of the asshole variety is right out. Deluge me with wisdom, oh interwebs. tag:ask.metafilter.com,2007:site.60288 Tue, 10 Apr 2007 00:24:38 -0800 etiquette friendship receptiontable weddings krippledkonscious