Is it really bad if a dinner table needs to be taken away for the dancing?

People usually leave items at their table (purses). I'd worry about that. But at the least they should know their table will be taken and keep the chairs so they can sit down.

The last wedding I attended - the bride and groom had a sweetheart table, and then they had a large rectangular table for the wedding party and their dates. Once dinner was over they removed those two tables to open up space for the dance floor. My FH was a groomsmen, so everyone that was at that table was asked to go outside where the bar was for a few minutes. It was a good opportunity to grab another drink!

We did lose our "home base" but I just put my items on another table and it was fine.

As a guest, I would be like WTF if I saw my table being taken away. Also consider that girls are likely to leave their purses on the tables, or their phones...I would not want to be in the position of having to move someone's very personal property like that. I just see potential for huge awkwardness here.

I will add that we were the first table to get to the buffet line so we were the first ones done eating. We did not feel rushed to finish our food or anything.

This would definitely be an issue to me. I get cold easily and always bring a sweater, as well as my purse. I don't want to have to carry that with me all evening and would like a place to keep my items while I'm dancing. I would be very frustrated to have a server come up to me and remove the table and ask me to move all of my things, on top of having no place to sit with my drink when I want to take a break.

Also the cake in my experience is usually served toward the end of the night, after dinner has been served and most of the dancing has taken place. What will those people do to eat their cake if their table has been removed? Or what if someone at the table ends up not feeling like dancing that evening and was planning on sitting to observe. Will you be asking them to get up and stand the rest of the evening? There are too many variables with guests needing that table for this to work.

It;s a bad move and another option should be found. It's possible if its the sweet heart table this may work but NONE of the guest tables should be moved IMO

If you do this I hope you give up your table or some other immediate family gives up theirs. If you forced me to move from my table to a cocktail table in heels I'd leave.

I would avoid moving them. If you take away my table, where am I supposed to keep my purse and shawl that I brought with me? Hold it while I dance? Where do I sit down for a few minutes when my feet start to hurt from dancing in my heels? Someone else's seat?

I would definitely not like this. I don't dance the entire time so I will spend time sitting at my table talking to other people not dancing. My stepsister's wedding FH, my dad, stepmom, and I spent a lot of time sitting at our table talking. I would be pretty annoyed if they took the table away.

Might be tricky - at weddings that I have been to where I am dancing consistently I still sit during the garter toss, cake cutting, any other events that happen into the night. Or if there is a song I don't love / my feet hurt lol. To be honest I would likely cut my night short & head out early.

Are you filling all tables to capacity - maybe your could eliminate the need for that last table?

It is not uncommon. The guests still have their chairs. They are simply moved to another table. People need less elbow room after they are finished eating dinner.

If you need to do this, plan ahead which table will be removed, advise the guests at those tables and ask if they have a preference as to which table of guests they join.

If you only need to remove one table, then I would choose the sweetheart table so that it doesn't inconvenience any of your guests. The couple will most likely not be sitting much anyway and can find a seat at a guest table to converse if they need a rest. Also, if the venue has a bridal suite they can store their personal belongings there whereas guests have no where else to put their stuff.

I plan on doing this. I will strategically plan what table to remove so I can give those people a heads up.

OK, thanks for all the thoughts and ideas. I plan to strongly encourage us to NOT do this. Based on what some of you said, I think maybe we should rotate the room a bit, and make it work without removing a guest table.

I've been to weddings where they moved a table and removed a table. It didn't bother me at all since I planned on dancing and mingling all night long! They just gave us a heads up and let us know where we could move our things.