How To Include Several Parents in the Wedding??

[jenne]

Both my parents and my fiance's parents are divorced and remarried. So between us, there are 8 parents coming to the wedding. We don't want anyone to feel left out and I am racking my brain trying to think of a nice way to include them all.

 

I will for sure have my dad walk me down the aisle. I am torn about whether to ask my step-dad to walk me as well, or my mom. My sister got married in 2007 and had both my dad and step-dad walk her, so I feel like I should do this as well, but also like the idea of my mom.

 

We would like to have a sand ceremony and have our mothers pour the sand. So now we still have not included my fiance's dad, or either of our step-mothers. Would it be weird to have all 8 of our parents pour a little sand? Or does anyone have any other ideas on how we could include everyone??

 

We are not religious so we won't have any readings from the bible or anything like that. Any other ideas are welcome!

[hoyt75]

I feel your pain! My parents are divorced and re-married, but my brother is more of a father figure to me; however, FI's parents are still together. I was trying to think of ways to incorporate everyone w/o it being weird, and here's what I've come up with: my brother is going to walk me down the isle (could never picture my dad walking me down the isle, ever), and the sand ceramony will be split so that all parents have a chance to participate. For example, FI's parents will have 2 viles of sand and which they will pour into 1 vile, then my mom and step-dad have 2 viles that they pour into 1, and my dad and step-mom will have 2 viles they pour into 1. THEN, my mom and dad will pour each of those 2 viles into 1, which I will then use for my sand and FI will use his parents vile for his. Probably sounds odd and confusing, but I think it's a good way to incorporate them w/o leaving anyone out, and not hurting any feelings. Also, I think it will be a good way for my parents to officially "bury the hatchet", or atlest it would mean a lot to me. To us, the idea of a sand ceramony is to represent 2 families coming together, and it just happens that I have 2 sets of parents which makes for a big family.

 

Hope this helps and you figure it out! Let me know what you come up with!

[jenne]

Thanks! That is an interesting idea, I will have to think about that and see if I can make it work somehow.

[TonyandTricia]

I have parents galore as well!!! What I have come up with...Our 4 moms will each have a small vase of sand. My mom and step mom will pour into mine and his mom and step mom will pour into his vase. My step dad will ride with me in the carriage to the ceremony site where my dad and step dad's fiance will be waiting for us. Step dad and his fiance will walk down the aisle together. Then my dad and I will walk down. FI dad has passed away (which we will honor in the welcome book). His step dad will get a bout and walk down with his mom... I think that covers everyone!

[jenne]

We have figured out what we will do and I think it will work perfectly!

 

Before the ceremony, everyone will arrive and sit down except for the parents and the wedding party. Then we are going to have our parents walk up the aisle first, each with a jar/vile of sand. Each person on my side will have one colour and each person on my fiance's side will have another colour. My parents will pour their sand into my jar and his into his jar, and then sit down. Then I will have my Dad and my Step Dad walk me up the aisle and they will get to pour the sand too. Then during the ceremony my fiance (or hubby maybe at that point!) will pour into the large jar. This lets all of our parents be part of the sand ceremony and feel included, without having to have 8 people get up during the middle of the ceremony.

[Stina4242]

I love the sand ceremony and it is so customizable. Include whoever you want do it however you want! I was going to end up having all of my guests be apart of it if I did it. My dad and fiance thought it was cheesy, I couldn't disagree more.

[Erika J]

Dad- walk me down the aisle.

Step dad- said grace

Mom and dad - came and gave me a hug after I walked up.

Step mom is shy, and hates being in front of people but I would have had her do a reading.