Elegantly Navigating Family Issues: Semantics

When a bride and a groom from divorced families decide to tie the knot, there are A LOT of issues that come up during wedding planning that I absolutely did not expect.   I think that this is something that a lot of brides and grooms deal with, and need advice on. 

The first small issue that came up was invitation wording.  P's mother has been married to his stepdad (who P is incredibly close with) for years.  P's dad is not remarried, but has been with the same woman for many years, and she happens to be our florist-friendor!  My mother has been remarried for a couple of years to a man I am not very close with, and then we have my father, who is remarried, and who probably won't come.  Add all that to the fact that the groom's family will be paying for a large portion of the costs, we will be paying a portion, and the bride's mother will be paying a portion.  Is your head spinning yet?  Mine hurts.  Here is what I imagine our invitation will look like (in my worst nightmare):

Mrs. and Mr. Bride's mother

and

Mr. and Mrs. Bride's father (who probably won't show up)

invite you to join them in the celebration of love as their daughter,

Bride-whose-head-is-hurting

is united in marriage to

Groom-who-thinks-the-solution-is-to-send-an-evite

son of Mrs. Groom's mom and Stepdad

and Groom's dad and partner (who won't like being at the end of the invite)

Woa.  OK, I know that would never happen but OMG. 

Then I began to search the blogs and saw the perfect wedding invitation wording:

Together with their families

The Bride

and

The Groom

would like you to come party with us! (or something like that)

Ahhhh.  Simplicity.  Perfect.

So what is the lesson we've learned today?  Keep it simple.

Have you had to elegantly navigate any family issues?  How have you handled it?