Dad stepdad walk down the aisle

I also have a good relationship with both my dad and stepdad, but my dad would have been super hurt by me including my stepdad equally. I could have told him look my stepdad is important to me so deal with it, but didn’t feel that was the best thing or would have worked in my family dynamic. My dad walked me down the aisle and did the father daughter dance. I still got a boutonnière for my stepdad, reserved him a seat in the front row, got him a gift, and took special photos with him which I had printed. His biological daughter doesn’t speak to him so those things alone felt special and made him cry, even more than I would have thought. Good luck!

I went to a wedding where the stepdad walked the bride part of the way down the aisle and handed her off to her bio dad to walk her to the alter / give her away. It was very sweet an emotional, as we all know that the bride’s bio dad and stepdad are both in her life. The dads were both on board — my understanding was that her bio dad was particular about him giving her away but was otherwise open to creative ideas. Perhaps see if something like this could work for you?

Before my mom divorced my stepdad, I had always planned on doing something with both my stepdad and my father. But my former stepdad stopped talking to me and told people I wasn’t his kid so that went out the window.


Originally I was going to do the shared walk down the aisle (never figured out if they both were going to walk me at the same time or if we were going to split it) and then each of them get their own father daughter dance with different songs.

My FSIL got married a few years ago and had her bio dad walk her down the aisle and her stepdad (who raised her and really is her dad for all practical intents and purposes other than biology) officiated the ceremony. They split the father-daughter dance so she danced with both.

I had the same question awhile back. Maybe you can have one walk you down the aisle and one you can share your first dance with or share with both? For me, I will have my former step dad (brother's father) walk me down the aisle. I talked to my bio dad and he completely understood. My bio dad wasn't in the picture until my college years but now we have a great relationship. I will be sharing the first dance with both of them starting with my former step dad and end with my bio dad.

One of the things that connected my bio dad and I was poetry. I started writing in high school and I found out he's been writing forever and does spoken word. Since we now have a pretty close relationship, I talked to him about also reciting a collaboration piece at some point during the reception as well to make him feel even more involved and have a more intimate moment between just the two of us.

I am in a very similar situation and have decided to have both my dad and step-dad walk me down the aisle. I’ll do the father-daughter dance with just my dad though.

My eldest sister has a different dad, so my dad was her stepdad. My parents actually divorced prior to my sisters wedding (maybe like 3ish years or so).

She still had both of them walk her down the aisle and give her away.

Alternatively- you could have your stepdad walk you the first half of the aisle, hand you off to your dad, and your dad would walk to remainder and "give you away" to your FH. This way, your stepdad is very much still involved (as he is an important person in your life) but your dad still gets the honor of being the only one giving you away.

I personally do not care for it when both dads walk the bride, or worse, when one hands her off to the other. Too much like passing kids of for custody visits. I by far prefer when each has their own role. If one walks you down the aisle, let the other welcome everyone at the reception, and give a 2 minute speech and toast. Have separate dances with each h of them, each a full dance .
All these spotlight dances are a new thing. You can do the traditional thing, and only have a spotlight dance everyone watches, with the groom. And for Groom and Mom, and your and each Dad, have you announced, with a request everyone join in. First you dance with one. Then next song, you are announced, with other Dad, and everyone joins you on the dance floor. So you do not have guests sitting there watching dance after dance after dance. But when called/ announced to start the Dance, a nice photo moment, and an honor, each time, for each of them.
Most important, do what you like, that will make it clear you honor both of them, and always will, and slight neither.