Seating your Guests for Formal dinners
Who is the Guest of Honor ?
It is said that the guest of honor is the oldest lady present, or a stranger whom you wish for some reason to honor. A bride at her first dinner in your house after her return from her honeymoon may be given, if you choose, precedence over older people. The guest of honor is always she who is taken in to dinner by the host and placed on his right. The lady of next greatest importance is seated on the host's left and is taken in to dinner by the gentleman on whose right she sits. The hostess is always the last to go into the dining room at a formal dinner unless the President of the United States or Governor ( but only in his own state) be present. In this exceptional case, the hostess would go in to dinner with the guest of honor, who leads the way, and the wife of the President or governor would follow immediately with the host.
The order of Table Precedence
The lady of highest rank is on the host's right. The lady of next highest rank is on his left. The third lady sits on the right of the man of highest rank. The fourth lady on the left of the man of second rank, and so on. The lowest rank is nearest the center. If the dinner isn't official then there is no particular distinction in rank or age, the hostess may seat her guests in what order she thinks will achieve the most congenial and pleasant conversation. At ordinary dinners the hostess goes into dinner with the man of the second highest rank, since the lady of honor is taken in by the highest ranked man. But if the man of honor is of such importance that she must go in with him as well as place him at her right, it is necessary to send the lady who sits on the right of the gentleman of honor and the gentleman who sits on the hostess' left in to dinner together and then to separate them. He sees her to her place, and, discovering his card is not next to hers, goes around the table until he finds his own. In order to not get frustrated or confused when attending a formal dinner make sure to follow these steps so that everything runs smoothly for the host, hostess, guest of honor and the other guests attending.
Posted by Eugene Vodovoz at 18 October 2011, 10:22 AM 
Categories: Etiquette
Tags: guest of honor invitation
Categories: Etiquette
Tags: guest of honor invitation
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