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Divorce, Stepfamilies and Weddings

While you may not want to think about divorce when you start planning your wedding, it is not uncommon for engaged couples to have to worry about divorced parents or including stepfamily in their celebration. And if a divorce was particularly complicated, bringing both sides together for your wedding can lead to some especially difficult issues and questions. Fortunately, many brides have dealt with these same issues, and they have all turned to The Knot for answers. On this page, you will find common questions and answers dealing with combining divorce and stepfamily with your wedding day. If your parents are divorced, we have advice for including their new mates and how to handle a situation where a divorced couple refuses to be in the same room with each other. We also have suggestions for seating divorced parents at the wedding ceremony, along with the best way to present them at the wedding reception. If you or your fiance has stepparents, we will help you through tricky questions like, "Can I tell my stepmother what to wear to my wedding?" or "Does my biological father have to partake in the wedding?" We even have advice for what to do with stepgrandparents. If you do not see your question answered here, submit it! You just might see your question and answer appear on our site.

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Everything You Need For Your Wedding:

divorce + stepfamily

featured question

My mom and dad are recently divorced, and my father wants to bring his new girlfriend. I don't want my mother's feelings to be hurt. What should we tell him?

First, as a couple, decide for yourselves whether you wish to invite your newly single parents with or without a guest (we definitely suggest inviting them with). The only exception: If the new girlfriend was in any way involved in the divorce (in other words, if there was an "other woman" or "other man" situation)... read more

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buzz from our wedding etiquette board

3 replies

FAQs -- Read this first before posting!

mica178 Thursday, March 08, 2012

2 replies

Program question

chrissyclark Thursday, May 24, 2012

4 replies

RSVP Advice Needed...HELP!!

kschaben Thursday, May 24, 2012

7 replies

Dad walking bride down aisle?

Bride2BeSoon1 Thursday, May 24, 2012

0 replies

** specialk84 **

Lisa50 Wednesday, May 23, 2012

10 replies

Trying to invite new significant other

rwhite0714 Thursday, May 24, 2012

5 replies

Wednesday Evening

pokepoke27 Wednesday, May 23, 2012

495 replies

Wednesday Night

crfb87 Thursday, May 24, 2012