My divorced parents are both remarried.
How do I work the ceremony seating and the receiving line?
If
everyone's comfortable with it, your mother and father can
sit in the first row with their respective spouses. But if
they need a little space between them, put Mom in the first
row with her hubby, and your dad and his wife in the second
row. If relations between the two parents are particularly
tense, put Mom in the front row, some of her close relatives
in the second (your grandparents, for example) and your father
and his wife in the third.
The purpose of a receiving line is to be gracious hosts and
hostesses, and meet and greet your guests. Having a large
group of VIPs means that the receiving line drags on, keeping
everyone standing—which is not exactly gracious entertaining.
So keep the line lean. Some couples, even those with intact
families, choose to have just the mothers of the bride and
groom in line; fathers and stepparents mingle with the crowd,
greeting guests as they go.
If
everyone's comfortable with it, your mother and father can
sit in the first row with their respective spouses. But if
they need a little space between them, put Mom in the first
row with her hubby, and your dad and his wife in the second
row. If relations between the two parents are particularly
tense, put Mom in the front row, some of her close relatives
in the second (your grandparents, for example) and your father
and his wife in the third.
