Attendance of Children at the Wedding of One Parent

Greetings,

According to Ashkenazi custom, children are not permitted to attend their parent's chuppah, nor the meal. However, according to Sephardi custom, if the parent wishes for them to attend, they may participate in the entire wedding celebrations.
 
Sources: Regarding Ashkenazi custom - in the book of customs from וורמיישא, part II (page 51) it states that sons and daughters of the widower or widow do not go to the synagogue on the day of their father or mother's wedding, and certainly do not attend the wedding meal. It seems this also applies to a divorced person, and it is brought in the name of Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv zt”l in the book Ashrei Ha'ish, part Even Ha'ezer, part I (chapter 21, section 44), that the custom is for children not to attend the weddings of their parents in a second marriage at all, and it makes no difference if it is for the meal or some other part.

As for the Sephardi custom - it is mentioned in the book Me'in Omer, part 12 (chapter 3, section 117) that Rabbi Ovadia Yosef zt”l was asked about a thirty-year-old son whose mother was going to marry, whether he should attend the wedding, and he replied: if the mother is embarrassed for him not to go, he should not attend, but if she wants him to come, then he should go. And the author of the commentary notes (there, note 117) that it is clarified in his words that the reason for the custom is due to the parents feeling embarrassed during the wedding when their children see someone else taking the place of their father or mother. Therefore, when the father or mother wishes for them to attend, and they might be hurt if they do not come to their wedding, there is no issue. Additionally, see further in the responsa Ateret Paz, part VI (part Even Ha'ezer, section 1) that in most Sephardi communities we find that there is no strict prohibition regarding this.

Best regards,

Hillel Meirs