“It should have been a fun night for the couple.”

Less than a year into her relationship with Prince Harry, Meghan Markle was invited to attend Pippa Middleton’s wedding to hedge fund manager James Matthews, but there was one tiny caveat: She couldn’t sit next to her then-boyfriend during the reception.

In a new excerpt from the book Finding Freedom (via The Daily Mail), authors Omid Scobie and Caroyln Durand revealed that Pippa had a strict seating plan that separated every couple in order to encourage guests who weren’t already acquainted to get to know each other. This meant Meghan spent the night next to Roger Federer’s wife Mirka, while Harry was sat with ITV News presenter Tom Bradby.

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“Sitting together in the custom glass marquee that had been erected on the 18-acre property should have been a fun night for the couple, but, per Pippa’s request, no couples sat together,” wrote Scobie and Durand, adding that the future Duke and Duchess of Sussex reunited on the dance floor after dinner.

It was reported that Markle also wasn’t allowed to attend the church service before the reception, as there were concerns that her and Harry’s relatively-new relationship would overshadow Pippa’s special day.

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Meghan stayed at an Airbnb and did her own hair and makeup while Harry attended the ceremony alongside his brother, Prince William. The prince later returned to pick up his girlfriend, who opted for a simple black dress, for the reception at Englefield House.

Aside from Pippa’s controversial seating plan, she was otherwise a traditional bride in a white lace Giles Deacon dress with a high neckline and a small train. She accessorized with a tulle veil encrusted with pearls, diamond drop earrings, and a pair of Manolo Blahnik pumps.