Should divorced parents sit next to each other?

First, your future spouse should make this decision. Presumably they know their parents best.

Second, "forgo the whole seating arrangement so there are no fights" is confusing to me. Making a seating arrangement so that the parents sit separately sounds like the best solution. Neglecting to make any seating arrangement at all could lead to awkwardness. But, you do mean for the reception, right? Not for the ceremony? It's not really clear.

And third, I would try not to worry about fights, alcohol, who talks to whom, etc. The truth is, you can't actually control how adults act. They will likely behave themselves (my own parents saw each for the first time since their divorce at my wedding; I was nervous; it was fine). And if they don't, they can be asked to leave.

My husband's parents are divorced, but they are civil. However, we still didn't sit them together. I think you can sit create a seating chart without forcing them to be at the same table. My mother-in-law sat with her sisters and their husbands whereas my father-in-law sat with his sister, nephew, and my mother-in-law's one sister who he is still good friends with and her two daughters. I would just sit them with people they actually get along with. I was also worried about people drinking and getting along. My father-in-law is estranged from two of his four children so I also made sure to sit them far away from each other. Everyone got along just fine because they knew if they didn't they would've been asked to leave. All of them are adults and should know how to act appropriately. I will also add that creating a seating chart given this difficult situation would actually be more helpful rather than creating awkwardness when they would go to sit down.

My parents divorced when I was younger too, and it’s been almost 20 years so they are finally civil but I’ll still be separating my fathers family from my mothers. I’d like to think having them on either side will work. It’s really my fathers family that takes issue with my mother (you’d think after so long people would move on) so to make her feel comfortable I’ll seat her on one side and my fathers family on the opposite side for the reception.

So I have this exact same problem except with my own parents, my mom basically refuses to be a civil adult. I originally had them at a table together but decided against it. I just put my mom at a table with her closest friend basically my aunt and i put my own children at their table, then I put my Dad and step mom separately and sat them with my brother and his children. I really wanted and planned for a seating chart, so I'm hoping this is the easiest option for everyone and that they can just suck it up for a few hours lol. ...Hope this helps, sorry you have to deal with all that stress!

I honestly think it would be kind of a good idea to just set them at separate tables but that is again up to your spouse and if he thinks that it’s a good idea

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We might just do that lol I'm stressed because every single wedding I been to that was in my family someone got into a fistfight over whatever drama

My uncle and my aunt have a daughter together, well sort of, she isn't biologically his daughter but he is like her father. Anyway my uncle is dating some one, has been for over 2 years. He doesn't like to introduce his girlfriends to my cousin and aunt. But he is bringing his girlfriend to the wedding. I have seated them at separate tables. I put my uncle, GF, grandpa, great aunt, minister, and 2 friends that know my grandpa and uncle at one table. I have put my aunt, my cousin's kids, her male friend (I don't like asking too many questions on this one), and my parents at the other table. I also put a table between them. I think making a seating chart was the easiest way to solve this that way there is less drama.

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Yikes, hopefully separating them will help lol! I have a few tables in between my parents so that way they aren't right next to each other either! I'm hoping for an out of sight out of mind type of thing, that way everyone will be focused on you and not pettiness!

Assign tables for everyone and put them at opposite ends of the room. Forgoing a seating arrangement will only make things worse.

My fiancé’s parents are divorced, since he was a kid and do not speak to each other. I have his mother on the front row of the ceremony with the father on the second row on the aisle. I also have them seated at separate tables at the reception pretty far away from each other. It’s just easier that way, I think.

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OMG I would be worried too, if that had happened in my family! I think you'll be fine as long as yo seat them at different tables.

Like another person said, they should know how to act like adults and behave themselves. However, for the family you are worried will get drunk and start drama, start spreading through word of mouth (through family members), that you will not tolerate that crap at your wedding, and you will not hesitate to have anyone removed who can't behave. Once the family knows ahead of time that this is your stance, they will probably try to behave. But don't make it an empty threat. Follow through on it if you have to.

Talk to your venue about what kind of security they can provide, and make sure to have someone there who will ask unruly guests to leave. If they don't have bouncers or security people, look into hiring one or two private security guys for a few hours. It will be worth every penny if it keeps your reception from turning into a drunken brawl!

All depends on their relationship. My parents were civil enough to be seated next to each other at the ceremony but way nicer for them that we separated them for the reception.

My parents are happily together and I STILL sat them separately (though back to back) because it just made the most sense with our seating arrangement. There’s no need to put anyone who doesn’t get along next to eachother just because you’ve seen it at other events. Your seating arrangement should be whatever works best for you and your family ! There’s no wrong way .

Both our parents are divorced and two have remarried. We sat them with their families & friends, not next to each other.