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Nine guests for dinner, would it be okay for hostess and guest of honor to be seated at one rounded end of table? Hostess is frail and weak-voiced. Guest of honor is her Congressman & his wife. Additional guests include hostess' DSon & DIL, DSis & BIL and good friend & her husband.
I would encourage guests take seats as follows clockwise from one end of table:
hostess
Congressman
his wife
brother-in-law
sister
son at opposite end of table
daughter-in-law
friend's husband
friend who can help hostess at table if needed

What about this menu:
Mushroom caps with three fillings for first course
Bibb salad greens
Beef filet
Duchess potatoes
Orange glazed baby carrots
Dinner rolls
Tiramisu

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Lurah,

Seating two persons at the head of a rounded oblong table is fine. But, if you are looking for suggestions? I have a few ~ your preliminary idea is the standard male/female with couples seated together ~ sorry, but that is just so boring. Couples arrive together, leave together and, quite frankly, spend their days together ~ time to mix it up re seating arrangement (giving thought to personalities and/or politics since you mentioned the guest of honor was a congressman and politics will certainly become a topic) so you will have to provide insight here to the Hostess.

The Hostess and the Congressman do need to be seated at the head of the table, the Hostess needs her good friend seated to her right to assist and it is only fitting that the Hostess' son be seated at the foot of the table so here would be my suggestions to liven up the dinner conversation and make everyone feel at home:

Top of the table: Hostess, Congressman. Clockwise side of table: Sister, Daughter-in-law, Friends Husband. Foot of the table: Son. Other side of the table: Congressman's wife next to Son, BIL and Good Friend. The idea is mix up the personalities taking care about that ~ but with only nine that should be fairly easy. But, most of all, avoiding the ark seating of 2x2 so common at dinners like these!

Remember, not to concentrate solely on who is sitting next to whom. In a small home dining room, it is just as important who is sitting across from whom. So having said that - don't worry about seating two quiet people next to each other ~ I guarantee that those across the table will keep the conversation going and keep everyone involved!

Best of luck and kudos to you for helping your friend plan the event ~ with your menu, it will definitely be a success!

There are all types of real rules as to where to sit for dinner parties. Ie the proper pace for hostess and guest of honor but I see nothing wrong with your pacemt of hostess and guest of honor however for mor interesting dinner conversation I personally DO NOT like to seat husbands and wives next to each other and do not forget the boy/girl rule

In you situation I would probably sety table with the hostess at the end and the other end of the table empty except for a really pretty centerpiece (which can be bigger becaus no one had to look over and them set four places down each side. With the guest of honor on hostess right

And really a man needs to be on her left as well.

Her helper can be or of the ladies at the end of the table. She would be in shops position to clear and bring in the next course

Martha

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.
To me it seemed a diverse group of guests, but when I consulted with hostess her thoughts put me at ease so feel comfortable about mixing up couples. I was able to seat everyone male/female around table apart from their spouses.
One more guest was added so both ends of table will have two seats.
Made appetizers and Espangole sauce yesterday, and today prepared vegetables, dinner roll dough, Tiramisu and set table. All I have to do tomorrow is clean greens, make vinaigrette, fill mushroom caps, bake rolls and cook boeuf medallions.

Lurah ~ let us know how it turns out! Sounds like a very successful party with your great menu and attention to detail ahead of time ~ bet it goes great!

Party went very well, actually I had all food served by 7:20! There was only one bit of meat, 2 baby carrots and a corner of a roll that went down the disposal. One couple took a little box of food home. I had no leftovers, YEAH! Great conversation during and for quite some time after dinner. All china went in dishwasher, crystal and silver hand washed put away and I've been home for 30 minutes.

WONDERFUL, LURAH! But, then again, we are knew it would be very successful ~ kudos to you!