Each Wednesday, we tackle wedding etiquette. At times, it’s a reader question or one from a colleague, friend or family member and other times we’ll cover a popular issue. (Note: Questions may be edited for clarity and brevity.)
Question: My fiancé and I are working on the guest list for our upcoming wedding. My mom remarried over the past year and my stepdad, whom we all adore, will be involved in the festivities. He has three grown children, but I’ve only met one. We love her too and would like to invite her, but would rather not invite the others, since they live out of state and we’ve never met. I’m sure they are lovely, but the guest list is already getting a bit unwieldy. Do I have to invite all three of my stepsiblings if I only know one?
Answer: It’s wonderful that you get along with your stepfather and his daughter. Obviously, if you’ve never met his other children, it’s hard to gauge whether or not they are people you’d invite were it not for the blending of your families. In these situations, it’s best to either invite all of his children or none. Despite never having met, if you invite one daughter and not her siblings, it can look like or be taken as a slight. As a gesture of good will and in the spirit of welcoming new family into the fold, if your budget permits, invite all of the siblings. A family wedding might be just the occasion they were awaiting to spring for a trip to the Big Easy.
Do you have a solution to share or a wedding etiquette question? Email LTEC@MyNewOrleans.com.
