I had a fairly miserable time at a friend's daughter's very smart wedding. I was put at a table with some of the couple's friends, a generation younger than I was. I get on well with my sons' friends, but it was heavy going with that lot. However, there was plenty of time for socialising before and after the meal, so it didn't matter too much, after all the wedding was about the bride and groom and their families, not about me. My situation at DS's wedding was like yours, dorset. Ex OH and his wife were not put at the top table which I think he resented - they were sitting with my sisters - but that was not my decision, though I think he suspected I had a hand in it. I was sitting at the top table between the two young bridesmaids, the bride's bright young nieces, who entertained me royally. It was quite an informal and most enjoyable wedding.