Stepchildren in Your Ceremony
Second Wedding Etiquette Guidelines
If you are preparing to get married and are about to become a stepparent, you’ll want to include your fiancé’s children in the ceremony. Second wedding etiquette guidelines will help you incorporate your soon-to-be stepchildren into your wedding. You’re about to enter a marriage not only as a couple, but as a family, so it’s important to communicate that throughout the ceremony to ensure that your stepchildren feel loved and included.
Why?
You might wonder why including everyone in your ceremony is important. Stepchildren are typically afraid that they’ll be excluded from the family once someone new joins the family, so including them from the get-go will help calm that fear. It’s also a reminder to everyone that this is a new venture for everyone involved—not just you and your fiancé. Studies show that it generally takes eight years for stepfamilies to feel like a real unit, so the earlier you welcome this bond the better.
How
Include your stepchildren’s names in your vows. In any instance that you say your fiancé’s name, add on the names of his or her children to that vow. Another great way of including them is to find meaningful jewelry pieces and give them to the children as gifts before or after the exchange of rings.
Honeymoon For All
In addition to your traditional honeymoon that you share with your new partner, plan a blended family honeymoon as well. Pick a place that the entire family agrees on and view it as your first official trip as a family.
Read more: