Saturday, September 10, 2005

How should divorced parents be seated at the wedding ceremony?

Question: My significant other was divorced 4 1/2 years ago after a 25 year marriage. His daughter will be married in November. (It was not a pleasant divorce and the mother of the bride is not very pleasant to me, excluding me from things such as showers and bachlorette parties, and not wanting me to be around the morning of the wedding.)

My question is, in what order or what pew does the mother of the bride, her guest, the father of the bride and I sit for the wedding ceremony?

Answer: In your situation, etiquette indicates that the mother of the bride and her significant other (if applicable) sit in the first row pew, and you and her father be seated in the second row. If hostility levels are quite high, you and her father should be seated in the third row, leaving a buffer row in the middle where siblings and grandparents can be seated.

"Can I wear white to my son's wedding?

Question: My son is getting married soon. I was wondering if it is improper for me to wear a white dress to the wedding and reception. The wedding colors are lavender, white, and black. Help.

Thank you,
Di

Answer: It is almost never proper to for a guest to wear a white dress to a wedding. You could try to find out how the bride feels, but that could really put her on the spot, especially considering you're her future mother-in-law. That wouldn't be fair. My advice is to just wear any other color but white.