Couples who sit on the same side of the table..?

There's no 'normal' rule, I guess. If the couple wants to hold hands discreetly, who are we to question? ;)

The yahoo homepage once had a stupid article about how men and women communicate differently and it said women like to sit face to face when having a conversation, but men perfer to be side by side and feel confrontational when they are speaking face to face. Maybe the people sitting on the same side of a booth read the same article I did.

Normal is what they want to do. As long as they aren't using behavior that belongs in a motel. There is one other possibility. One of the couple needs help with cutting food. When my wife and i go to a restaurant, we like to talk to each other so sitting across from each other makes looking at each other easier. But, to each his or her own. There is no etiquette rule forbidding it.

I've seen it. I think it's kinda dumb; when I'm with a girlfriend or on a date, I'd much rather see her pretty face and make eye contact than snuggle next to someone in an environment that's not suitable for that anyway. **That comes later AFTER dinner.

I see it all the time. It's not abnormal, but I'd rather look across the table at the person I'm talking with.

Yes that's normal. Some prefer the added closeness , we often do the same thing.

Usually they are at the beginning of their relationship and want extra privacy for their conversations.

Like to snuggle and not the eye contact.

Not normal, per se, but not rude. Some do it, some don't.