8 Ways To Make Sure Your Stepparents Feel Included At Your Wedding
With a divorce rate of 50% in the United States, second marriages and blended families are more common than ever.
While many people have grown to love their own version of the non-traditional family structure, though, one particular event can cause a lot of stress: weddings.
Weddings have a long, traditional history that typically emphasizes the role of biological parents. In today’s day and age, though, these societal norms are obviously changing.
So, many brides and grooms struggle to strike a balance– figuring out how to incorporate their stepparents into their big day.
Fortunately, though, you can rest assured. If you want to give your stepmom or stepdad a proper place during your nuptials, you have plenty of options. So, here are six key ways you can make sure your stepparents feel included in your wedding– both before and during the big event.
Seek Their Planning Opinions
When it comes time to find a venue, purchase a wedding gown, or book vendors, you could always ask both your biological parents and your stepparents to join you.
Of course, this is completely up to you, your comfort level, and how well your parents all get along with each other.
But, if you think remaining civil is not an issue, then opting to include them in the wedding planning is a surefire way to show you care about their input.
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To make this process less stressful and chaotic, you can also split up the responsibilities. For instance, you can go wedding dress shopping with your biological mom but go cake tasting with your stepmom.
Finally, you can even opt to assign different tasks to both sets of parents. Your parents might help you assemble floral arrangements while your stepparents put together favors. You get the picture.
Include All Names On Your Invitations
If you already planned to include your biological parents’ names on your wedding invitations, you can include your stepparents’ names, too.
This is a nice gesture and shows you care about them being involved and having a role on your big day. Plus, if your stepparents are contributing to the wedding in any financial capacity– otherwise “hosting”– this is a sign of appreciation and gratitude.
Don’t Forget About Attire
Parents typically dress up along with the bride and groom, so you can be involved in your stepparents’ wardrobe options and help guide their decisions.
Perhaps you can go dress shopping with both your mother and stepmother if they get along. Or, go one-on-one with each of them to still create a nice bonding experience pre-wedding day.
Plus, for the actual event, you can provide your stepmom and stepdad with special accessories or a matching color palette to adhere to. This will ensure they feel like a part of the family.
Different Ways To Walk Down The Aisle
It is typical for biological fathers to walk brides down the aisle. But, if you have stepparents, you may opt to do this completely differently.
Primarily, you could include your stepparents in your processional along with the bridesmaids and groomsmen– giving them a space to feel included without foregoing the traditional bridal walk. Or, you could switch it up and have your father and stepfather walk on either side of you. You could also opt to have your stepfather walk you halfway before your father gets up and finishes the walk with you.
Finally, if everyone gets along, you could even choose to have both sets of parents walk you completely down the aisle.
This decision is entirely up to you and ultimately comes down to your family dynamic and comfort level. The most important thing to remember, though, is that you should plan the moment in advance to avoid any confusion or upset on your big day.
Family Photos
If you would like everyone to be included in your wedding photos, be sure to inform your photographer about your family structure in advance. That way, they can come up with portrait arrangements that make everyone feel comfortable and included and make sense for your family.
Honor Dances
If you are close with your stepparents and feel comfortable doing a dance, you can include them in your honor dances. You can dance with just one stepparent, either before or after your biological parent dances.
Or, you can start a dance with your biological parent before they “spin” you away– allowing you to finish out the second half of the song with your stepparent.
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