Expert Advice from wedding guru, Sharon Naylor
Question:
This is both of our 2nd marriages, after long-term and successful 1st marriages that ended for each of us with the deaths of our spouses. We are in our early 50's and are trying to figure out what would be the best thing as far as seating for our parents. Our wedding ceremony will be taking place in the same room as the reception so it's not as if my parents will sit on one side of the church and his on the other, but what I am wondering is whether it would be appropriate to sit our parents at the same table? We are thinking they would each like to sit with other family members they don't see often enough and would enjoy that much more immensely but is there some kind of expected protocol that would suggest they should be seated at the same table? This isn't like we are a young couple starting out, needing to blend two families together for future grandchildren, etc, as tends to be common at that stage of life. Do you think it is OK if we just don't seat them together?
Answer:
Nope, there's no protocol saying that both sets of parents have to sit at the same table. So you're free to set up your seating charts so that they can sit with their own closest relatives and friends.
Everyone mingles during the reception, so as long as one set of parents goes to visit with the other set, perhaps sitting down to chat for a while, it will be completely fine.
Congratulations on your wedding! Many years of happiness to you!
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