Seating Divorced Parents

My fiance's parents are divorced. His mother is single and still carries her married name, but his father has a serious girlfriend who will be attending the wedding and ceremony. How do we sit his parents and his father's guest at the ceremony and at the reception? His parents get along fine, but it is just awkward.

When the groom's parents are divorced, but not remarried, if they are congenial, they might sit together in the right front row at Christian weddings; women sit on the left and men on the right at Jewish ceremonies. Otherwise his mother sits in the right front pew and his father and girlfriend sit in the third row on the right side. (This is also an individual decision.) For bride's parents, simply reverse the seating.

The reception seating is also a personal call. Ask his mother and father (separately) how comfortable they are regarding seating in both the ceremony and reception. This is your best guide. They can all sit at the same table (head table or individual) if they are all on good terms. Or they can be seated at separate tables and even different parts of the room. Since you say they get along fine, and if they decide to sit together, enjoy your day and good fortune in reasonable in-laws and don't give it another worry. It may be more awkward for you than for them or your other guests. Most parents are sensitive to getting along extra well at children's weddings, so as not to cause extra stress or spoil the day. If you don't make an issue of it, they may not either.

Divorced Parents

My parents are divorced and I'd like some ideas on the invitation wording.

Generally, the parent who raised you does the inviting. If that is your mother and she hasn't remarried, she has a variety of choices for wording her name - Mrs. Johnson Smith (maiden/married) or Mary Johnson Smith, or Mrs. Mary Smith, or Mrs. Mary Alice Smith requests the honour of your presence at the marriage of her daughter Jennifer...

If you parents are still friendly, they can both issue the invitation... Mary Alice Smith and John Martin Smith request the honour of your company at the marriage of their daughter Jennifer... or Mrs. Mary Alice Smith and Mr. John Smith request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter, Jennifer...

If your mother has remarried, you could say: Mr. and Mrs. Paul Martin request the honour of your presence at the marriage of Mrs. Martin's daughter...(same goes if your father has remarried)

If your parents are not speaking to each other and don't want their names together, you can have one parent invite to the ceremony and the other to the reception (both sent to guests in the same envelope). Mary Alice Smith requests the honour of your presence at the marriage of her daughter, Jennifer... and then John Martin Smith requests the pleasure of your company ..date, time, location of reception, RSVP, etc.

Or you can simply say Jennifer Lynn Smith and Craig Allen Jones together with their parents request you to share in their joy as they are united in marriage...

Also, go to Plan/Order Invitations and Announcements, click on the light bulb on the right. That has lots of advice and sample wordings.

Dinner and Dancing

How do I word the invitation to say that there will be dinner and dancing?

Below the location line on the invitation you can say:
Reception immediately following - if it is at the same site as the ceremony,
or
Reception immediately following the ceremony
Mark's Swing Band
Glen Wood Country Club

or you can have a separate reception card like:
To help us celebrate
please join us for the reception
immediately following the ceremony
IDS Tower 50th floor
710 Marquette Avenue
Minneapllis, MN
Music by The Jay Anderson Trio

R.s.v.p. [this can be on the reception card or on a separate rsvp card]
827 Arbor Lane
Hopkins, MN 55343

There is no need to specifically indicate there will be dancing, although you could if you prefer. Most receptions have a DJ or band and dancing.