I have searched and searched but I don't understand why the father of the groom sits two rows behind the mother of the groom if they are divorced. Both are remarried. Who sits in the second row between them? While they don't get along, the father of the groom and his wife are willing to sit in the first row alongside the mother of groom and her husband (on the outside of the row, of course).
I don't see anywhere that the step-mother of the groom is seated. Is she treated only as a wedding guest? She is new to the family (1.5 years) so was not involved in raising the groom, but the groom lived with his father until he was 18. It seems if they aren't seated that the father of the groom has little involvement in the wedding at all.
Spouses are seated next to each other. So the stepmother would be seated with the father wherever he is seated.
The father and his escort/spouse is seated in the third row as a buffer between him and the mother. They all may sit in the first row if they have a good relationship. But, it would be the mother who would have the last say here, not the father. She should feel comfortable with he and his wife sitting in the first row with her and her husband.
We have a number of posts just like this. Honestly they all offer the same advice.
The second row is reserved for siblings and grandparents.
Thanks. I suppose I should have searched for "second row" but I was reading many, many posts about seating and I guess I saw that the second row was for siblings and grandparents, but that information never seemed to be in the same post where it said the father and step mother sit in the third row. Thanks for repeating the information for me.
One more point to clarify (although I mentioned in in my initial post so I'm sure you took it into account in your response) but I have just read this: "If the bride's or groom's parents are divorced, seat the parent who primarily raised the bride or groom in the front row with his/her spouse, and seat the other parent and his/her spouse in the third row." Do you disagree with this and say that the groom's mother always takes precedence and sits in the first row even though the groom's father raised him?
Thank you for asking for clarification. You are correct. The parent and that person's spouse who primarily raised him/her sit in the first row. So many times this is the mother or they raised their child together, so I forgot to mention it.
If they raised him together, the coin toss goes to mom. Rebecca Black, Etiquette Now
Divorced Parents Seating
