Hi, I am conflicted on a couple issues. A) my father has not been very involved for the last 10 years. He barely even knows my fiance. B) my mom has a newish boyfriend (like 1 year, he is a widower, their relationship has a lot of issues and I am not very on board). The plan since becoming engaged and planning the wedding has been to have my mom walk me down the aisle, my grandfather to dance with me, and my father to be invited, but just as a guest. Recently, my mom has voiced her opinion that my father needs to feel special too and that he should be seated in the row behind my mom so that when the priest asked who gives me away he and my mom can stand together and say "we do" (he will most definitely not be in the processional). So, my plan is to seat him in the 2nd row with his wife, his brother and my cousins. Fair?
Second, my mom has casually mentioned in conversations that she and her boyfriend will be in the front row (behind bridesmaids). I haven't thought a lot about it, but I just assumed that he would not be in the front row since he is not in the processional and since my mom is walking me down the aisle, she would sit on the end of the 1st row with my grandparents, who are very close to me and are in the processional. They are not engaged (nor close to being engaged either), they don't even live together. Sometimes I don't even see him when I make the flight home for a week or so. Also, back to my intro, I am not very supportive of the relationship. He is a widower, dating too soon in my opinion and brings his late wife way too much...to the point where I feel really bad for my mom. Honestly, I know more about the late wife than I do him. I try to be sensitive to his situation and I feel the pain for him and what he has gone through, but he is in a new relationship and should honor that.
Anyway, my wedding is quickly approaching (few weeks away) and the last thing i needed to think about right now is the arrangement with my father, and now I feel stressed about the seating of my mom's BF. It is my feeling that I would like to look into the front row and see my immediate family, the people that have helped me grow, raise me and loved me my whole life. So I would like to seat my mom and grandparents in the 1st row, mom's sister, other family on mom's side and mom's BF in the 2nd row, and then my father/uncle/cousins in the 3rd row withe open seating following in the 4th row and back. Am I wrong? Need advice ASAP! Thank you!
