Divorced Parents and Step Families at Weddings
Considering the needs of your divorced parents and your extended step families for your big day can add a lot of stress to an already difficult planning 
process. But ensuring that your family is taken care of will help the day run more smoothly, which will allow you to relax and enjoy every single moment. There are a few key things to consider when dealing with remarriages, step siblings and new boyfriends and girlfriends, so check out the guide below for some suggestions.
Invitation Wording
Since you don't want to spend extra money on re-printing wedding invitations, it's best that you get things right the first time. The only names that should be one your invites besides your own are the parents who hosted the party. If both parents are remarried, you simply list both couples at the top of the invitation using the formal wording which includes the first and last name of the male spouse: "Mr. and Mrs. Robert Smith." If the mother of the bride hosts and she is divorced but not yet remarried, her name can appear in one of two ways. "Julia Jones," which is her first and maiden name, or "Julia Jones Smith," which is her maiden name and surname. The second option helps to avoid confusion with guests.
Who's Invited?
Ultimately, the decision of who to invite to your wedding ceremony and reception comes down to you and your spouse-to-be. If all sets of parents get along well, with new significant others and spouses included, then there is no reason not to invite everyone to the day of celebration. Even if they don't get along so well, but have been together for a long time, it may still be appropriate to invite everyone along, as long as you keep in mind seating to try to keep the peace. Talk to your parents beforehand to discuss your expectations for the day, and remind them that this is a celebration of your love and a time to put differences aside for one day. The only circumstances in which you should seriously consider not bringing all sets of parents is if the divorce was very recent, or particularly messy. In this case, you may ask your parents to come unaccompanied by guests.
Seating
This is your wedding, so you can do everything how you see fit! Sitting divorced parents at separate tables during the reception is a good idea if you think it will diffuse tension and keep everyone happy. Sitting parents far away during the ceremony, however, is a bit different because each should be seated very close to the front of the room. If they do not wish to sit in the first row together, or you think it may be a bad idea for them to do do, the mother of the bride or groom should be in the first row, followed by the father of the groom or bride in the second. In the receiving line, it is customary in this situation that the mother of the bride and her new husband go before the father of the bride, with the groom's parents in between.
Announcements, Parties and Other Important Considerations
- You don't have to announce your parents at the reception. If it is going to be a sticky, stressful mess, avoid it altogether.
- You can have separate engagement announcements for each side of your family (the mother and her new spouse, children etc. versus the father and his new spouse, children etc.) if you don't think it's a good idea to have new significant others and step families in one room.
- You can have separate bridal showers along with any other small event if you think it will reduce strain. The only day that everyone has to come together is your wedding day.
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