After reading those articles, I hope my SD's elope.

In general, weddings are seen as some glamourous display of pomp which I object to no matter what. Why all the reality shows like Bridezilla, etc.??

It's just a symbol of entitled "ME" generation getting married and then a few months after the fact are getting divorced; even before the bills for said gawdy wedding have been paid!!!

Weddings and Marriages are highly, highly, highly, highly overrated!!! IMHO.

Such B.S. I love that the SD can sit in the front row with BM & her family but it is exceptable for dad & SM to sit 3 rows back, I personally think that all parents should sit in the front row step & bio & the rest of the family sits behind. All stupid advice like this does is justify some nitwits chance to stick it to old dad.

It is hard to believe people actually write this kind of trash. Here is my review of “Proper Wedding Etiquette for the Stepmother”

Dealing with stepmothers can be a difficult situation.
That’s the way we like to keep it. Everyone knows SHE is the problem.

Begin by thinking about what the stepmother should wear.
A yellow hounds tooth polyester pantsuit topped with a red clown nose would be ideal.

Where should the stepmother sit?
If there isn’t an outdoor toilet how about the third row back?

There may be an etiquette problem when it comes to family photos. It is not strange for the stepmother to not be seen in any official wedding photos so do not take this personally.
No one wants HER in any pictures anyway. Was she even there?

During the reception, etiquette again requires that the stepmother take a back seat.
Perhaps SHE should stay in the backseat of the car where SHE belongs?

What about the family dance? Proper etiquette has the stepmother bowing out gracefully and allows the bride to share this day with her biological parents.
Best thing, is don’t invite HER in the first place. Just tuck away the money she gave to you and forget about it. In fact tell everyone she gave you nothing.

These stepmother etiquette hints will hopefully allow the stepmother to deal with wedding plans without making mistakes that could hurt or embarrass their stepchild.
Make sure SHE and everyone else knows she is an unwelcome intruder and that should prevent HER from embarrassing you on your very special day.

Finally THE stepmother should remember, SHE is not on the losing side. SHE has your loving husband with her—the proof and trophy that SHE is the winner!

This passes off as Etiquette? Haha. It must have been a joke. I hope.

I don't have a problem with most of it. I just think that people put too much thought into the STEP. Why do people feel the need to put her in her place? The only thing she is guilty of is loving the child's father. I don't even care if it is portrayed as if she was the reason for the break-up of the marriage. Truthfully, she couldn't have broken a marriage that wasn't already broken. I think of her as the result, not the cause. It really should be the decision of the bride and ALL adults should honor her request regarding her day, except of course for exclusion of the stepmother. I don't think it is proper to invite one part of a couple no matter the circumstance. I know if my husband wants me to attend any event for his children, I am right there by his side. I'm there for him, no one else.

It is true that it is the bride's day and it is a very special moment between mother and daughter. It was for me with my mother and my own daughter. I certainly wouldn't want that experience to be usurped by a stepmother. So, I think it is common courtesy for the stepmother to take the backseat to this event. We get the same opportunity and should be afforded the same courtesy with out own children. Why make it a competition? It will only upset the man we are supposed to love.

Etiquette? Get real!!!! We'd be starting with a bride who pumps out kids for a living. We'd have a groom who may or may not be the daddy of a few of them. I'm sure, if she ever gets married, she'd wear the whitest of white dress, preferably one that accentuates her multitude of tattoos. Yeah, I'm concerned about ettiquette! Seriously hoping I'm not on the guest list!

lol all i have to say to that is goooooood luck. Good luck trying to wrangle your father into sitting next to bm and not me on your wedding day. Good luck not having the stepmother and father who you were raised by, who at this point have put you through college, and who are most likely the sole financial backers of this wedding/honeymoon to not have a say in the seating chart and, more importantly, guest list. Good luck getting the photographer that in all likelihood i am paying for to not take any pictures of me at the wedding of the child i have raised since i was barely more than a child myself. Gooooood luck there buck-o.

My aunts (multiple) wanted me to follow the Dad sitting 3 rows back thing in my wedding to DH.....HELLO, I was in my 30's and yes we were having a formal wedding (and oh my I even wore white- because it was cheap!) but to think that my dad would sit behind half my family when he raised me.......hello!

My mom sat the down and said, IT'S her wedding, back off.

My dad, brothers and grandmother sat in front pew
My Mom, Sdad, ssiblings, sat right behind.

HE IS MY PARENT, and isn't sitting behind anyone. I had them sit in different pews because I was uncomfortable with them sitting in one.

My thought, you sit me and DH in seperate areas, or 3 rows behind you mother and family. She can pay for her princess to get married, I will pay you 1/3 of what we were going to pay- a reduction for each pew you sit me from the front where you DAD belongs.

My aunts (multiple) wanted me to follow the Dad sitting 3 rows back thing in my wedding to DH.....HELLO, I was in my 30's and yes we were having a formal wedding (and oh my I even wore white- because it was cheap!) but to think that my dad would sit behind half my family when he raised me.......hello!

My mom sat the down and said, IT'S her wedding, back off.

My dad, brothers and grandmother sat in front pew
My Mom, Sdad, ssiblings, sat right behind.

HE IS MY PARENT, and isn't sitting behind anyone. I had them sit in different pews because I was uncomfortable with them sitting in one.

My thought, you sit me and DH in seperate areas, or 3 rows behind you mother and family. She can pay for her princess to get married, I will pay you 1/3 of what we were going to pay- a reduction for each pew you sit me from the front where you DAD belongs.

I have no idea why stepmothers are so often bullied. As someone posted above, "The only thing she is guilty of is loving the child's father." I like steptalk, because it actually takes the stepmother's feelings into consideration. Most other so-called etiquette sites act like the step-mom doesn't even have feelings or who cares? AND, they act like the step-mom is supposed to show up at these events and just know/accept that she is going to be treated like trailer trash when she had absolutely NO clue that she was going to be treated like a criminal for simply wanting to be with her husband. Can't believe it! Regardless of whether you are a step-mom or step-child, how would you like it if you showed up an event with your husband or date, and as soon as you walked through the door, someone pulled you away from him, stuck you in a closet, and locked the door. Then, when you finally beat your way out, all act like you were the one who did something wrong! Figuratively speaking, but this is how it winds up feeling for a lot of step-mothers at weddings. No one should have to tolerate this. All I can say is, if anyone is planning to spring some sort of bride or groom-imposed seating/couple rearrangement for their wedding, make sure you tell ALL parties prior to the day of the wedding. Don't expect step-mom, for instance, to just know that she is to stay out of everyone's way, including her own husband's, and be seated in the third row way back behind her husband. To her, that would just seem unnatural to not be by her husband's side/her husband's date. To maybe a handful to people at the wedding, it might sound natural to have bio-mom and bio-dad in the front row together, with their spouses way in back. But, to most others it will look odd or even inappropriate to not have a currently married couple seated together.

I have no idea why stepmothers are so often bullied. As someone posted above, "The only thing she is guilty of is loving the child's father." I like steptalk, because it actually takes the stepmother's feelings into consideration. Most other so-called etiquette sites act like the step-mom doesn't even have feelings or who cares? AND, they act like the step-mom is supposed to show up at these events and just know/accept that she is going to be treated like trailer trash when she had absolutely NO clue that she was going to be treated like a criminal for simply wanting to be with her husband. Can't believe it! Regardless of whether you are a step-mom or step-child, how would you like it if you showed up an event with your husband or date, and as soon as you walked through the door, someone pulled you away from him, stuck you in a closet, and locked the door. Then, when you finally beat your way out, all act like you were the one who did something wrong! Figuratively speaking, but this is how it winds up feeling for a lot of step-mothers at weddings. No one should have to tolerate this. All I can say is, if anyone is planning to spring some sort of bride or groom-imposed seating/couple rearrangement for their wedding, make sure you tell ALL parties prior to the day of the wedding. Don't expect step-mom, for instance, to just know that she is to stay out of everyone's way, including her own husband's, and be seated in the third row way back behind her husband. To her, that would just seem unnatural to not be by her husband's side/her husband's date. To maybe a handful to people at the wedding, it might sound natural to have bio-mom and bio-dad in the front row together, with their spouses way in back. But, to most others it will look odd or even inappropriate to not have a currently married couple seated together.