PHILLY
EVENTSBouquet: On The Mark
When even we’re stumped, Mark Kingsdorf, owner of Philly’s Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants, knows the answer. Here, his advice for those sticky issues that can arise when you’re planning a wedding involving divorced parents.
Q: My dad is paying — but I want my mom’s name on the invitation. How should I word it?
A: If your dad is remarried, you’d say “Mr. & Mrs. James Smith and Ms. Jane Smith invite you ….” If neither of them is remarried, you just separate their names to make it clear: “Mr. James Smith and Ms. Jane Smith.”
Q: Both my stepdad and dad are contributing to the wedding. How do I walk down the aisle?
A: You could walk the first half with your stepdad, and the second half with your dad, or vice versa. You could walk with both — or ask your mom to walk you. Just be sure to see what everyone’s comfortable with.
Q: I’m closer with my stepdad than I am with my dad, but they’ll both be at the wedding. Can I have a father/daughter dance with both?
A: Yes! Go over your thoughts with them, but you could dance with each to their own song — and I’ve even seen a bride switch off in the middle of one song.
A: If your dad is remarried, you’d say “Mr. & Mrs. James Smith and Ms. Jane Smith invite you ….” If neither of them is remarried, you just separate their names to make it clear: “Mr. James Smith and Ms. Jane Smith.”
Q: Both my stepdad and dad are contributing to the wedding. How do I walk down the aisle?
A: You could walk the first half with your stepdad, and the second half with your dad, or vice versa. You could walk with both — or ask your mom to walk you. Just be sure to see what everyone’s comfortable with.
Q: I’m closer with my stepdad than I am with my dad, but they’ll both be at the wedding. Can I have a father/daughter dance with both?
A: Yes! Go over your thoughts with them, but you could dance with each to their own song — and I’ve even seen a bride switch off in the middle of one song.
Originally published in Philadelphia Wedding, Fall/Winter 2009
