Give the photographer the view and give me the guests.
When the couple steps out for mountain portraits, some guests know half the room and some know precisely one person, who has just left to be photographed. A close-up table gives the latter something to walk toward. They can make a choice in a card trick, watch quietly with a drink, or leave when an old friend spots them. It’s particularly useful at an adults-only reception where the ceremony seats are being reset for dinner.
Mark the station on both floor plans.
At a Blowing Rock venue with a terrace and an indoor room, ask the planner to name my spot on the fair-weather plan and the rain plan. Near the entrance sounds convenient until it becomes the bar line, the seating chart, and the only route to the restrooms. Pick a spot a few steps into the room where three or four people can stop without holding up everybody else.
Send the reception door rather than the ceremony pin, and introduce me to whoever cues the couple’s entrance. If portraits wrap early, I finish the hand and turn the attention back where it belongs. If you’d like to use the rest of the booking after dinner, I can reopen the table for adults who would rather catch the ace than the bouquet.