My brother Kenny and my sister-in-law Mary Lu have a lot of friends. And their friends have a lot of cute children. Hence Kenny and Mary Lu get invited to a lot of weddings.
And they know the drill.
Upon entering their latest wedding foray, (btw, the host couple’s third time around. Three beautiful daughters to be married off…Aren’t you glad now you had boys?) they made their way to the place card display. Mary Lu picked up theirs, read it, and passed it to Kenny.
Who immediately stashed it in his tux pocket.
Then it was on to the ceremony.
A solemn and sweet moment.
“Oh Promise Me” Sidebar: I am a sucker for the ceremony part of the festivities. My favorite part of the event. Call me an old softie, but there’s something about two young, adorable, still madly-in-love people swearing to love and cherish each other “til death us do part” that gets me every time. (Followed closely by the appetizers.)
Then it was on to the appetizer stations.
(My aforementioned other favorite part.)
I’m sure the cocktail hour rocked. The host and hostess know how to throw a wing ding, and as I said, this was Round Three down the aisle for them all. Mom and Dad were going to do their baby proud, and so of course this party had it all- beautiful flowers, great food, gorgeous dresses, terrific music, non-stop booze.
The whole nine.
Hours flew by and then dinner was graciously announced.
Kenny and ML reconvened and Kenny pulled the place card out of his pocket.
“Table Ten,” Kenny told his other half. “We’re at Table Ten.”
“Are you sure?” asked Mary Lu. “I thought it was Table Eight.”
“Nope, here’s the place card,” Kenny said, brandishing it for her to read.
And so they made their way to their designated table and sat down.
To their surprise, most of their other close friends had been seated a couple of tables away. They waved and smiled from the nearby table, and then went back to gabbing happily with each other.
Kenny and Mary Lu looked around at their table. Nice people one and all, but not their closest of buddies. Sure they knew them, and were happy to sit wherever their hostess had thought it best. They’re good minglers. But still, it was a little strange that they weren’t at the other table…
Oh well. My brother and sister-in-law are real party pros. They know how to behave in any circumstance, and if there wasn’t enough room at one of the other tables, so be it. Now it was on to dinner. Kenny unrolled his napkin and prepared to dig in.
His dinner was abruptly halted, because, suddenly, another couple appeared at the table and it was SRO. No more room at the inn for them to be seated.
This is every wedding planner’s nightmare and this WP, when instantly summoned to sort out the snafu, was no exception.
“Something is clearly wrong here. Show me your place card!” she demanded of my brother.
“Here you go,” Kenny said helpfully. “Table Ten.”
“That’s not this wedding,” she snapped. “You are in the wrong place. I suggest you take your proper seats immediately and let these people sit where they belong.”
Huh?
Mary Lu said, “I thought I read ‘Table Eight,'” and Kenny frantically searched his pants pocket and then, finally, came up with the corresponding place card.
It would seem that the “Table Ten” place card was left in his tux from another one of the daughters’ weddings they had attended a while back.
I foresee a whole new future for my brother.
Don’t like the wedding table to which you have been assigned?
Wire Kenny, Chicago.
Have Tux- and place cards.
Will travel.
That happened to my wife and me. We discovered that we were at the wrong table right after the photographer snapped us at the wrong table. That was at a time when table photos were taken. We then went to our assigned table where the photographer appeared to take a photo of that table. Carol and I had a great laugh over that.
Someday someone will look at that photo album and wonder why Bob and Carol are in two table photos.
You’ll both just look terribly in demand. My gosh, I haven’t thought about it but someday sadly, wedding albums themselves might be obsolete. My son and daughter-in-law’s is still in an efile somewhere. They’re too busy to print it. Thanks, Bob.
It was one of the funniest most awkward, I-told-you-so moments. At least we were at the right wedding.
I haven’t gone to the “wrong” wedding but I have attended the wrong gala due to a hotel mix up, a wrong Aspen Fourth of July party in Horse Ranch where all the big brown houses looked exactly alike, and once the “wrong” anniversary party at Northmoor. All embarrassing. Now all hilarious. But don’t worry. You are an asset at any table!
Well….we learned three things about Kenny that night: 1. He does not get his tux dry-cleaned very often, 2. He needs to listen to Mary Lu, and 3. Kenny always winds up in the right place…………..eventually.
Grant, you read my mind! I had a line in the post about Kenny and his need for a tux dry-cleaning but I took it out. Glad you’ve put it in. And yes, I’m sure ML would agree. (What wife wouldn’t?)
In addition to place cards carried in my tux/suits I always have an assortment of different colored yarmulkes from prior weddings and bar mitzvahs not to mention various shades of lipstick that I held for Betsy. One might mistake me for a gay Orthodox Jew. I could always tell how long it has been since the last time I had these items cleaned by just checking the pockets.
Nice! A sequel: Have Skullcap, Will Travel. Wire Shmuli, Brooklyn. I’m going to write it now. Thanks, Doc. And Mazel.
It was hilarious to watch as it unfolded. Another ML and K marvelous marital momentous moment!
Very nice alliteration, Laurie! I’m impressed. Love to all. And thanks.
Thanks Laurie for connecting me with this blog! Ellen..I’ll be following closely now!
It’s great to have you aboard, Lynn! And yes, a big shout out to Laurie- master of canasta and p.r. See you both Sunday on the blog. Regards to both your Daves.
Grant…amen.
Impossible for me. All pockets are emptied by me before clothes are hung up by me. However, your report was an enjoyable read.
Herbie
You’re very well-trained, Herbie. And fun seeing you on Sunday. We were both at the right party.
This reminds me of Karen & Jack’s wedding over 40 years ago at the Palmer House. My parents sat at table 14 with all the bridesmaids’ parents. Nina’s parents picked up their table 14 card & went into the wedding next door. They had to make room for them & during dinner when they realized that the bride & groom coming around were not Karen & Jack. They quietly finished dinner & left. Shows you how impersonal some of these affairs can be!!!
That’s a riot. Hey, all brides are beautiful, right? Same white dress, anyone can make that mistake. Thanks, neighbor. Lunch soon- IF winter finally ends!
Berls would have been proud!!!!
Very nice! (A little late on the draw, though.)