When you imagine your wedding, you probably imagine everyone smiling, happy, and having a great time. However, that doesn’t always happen. The truth is that families sometimes have drama. Plus, you’re adding two separate families into the mix, which doesn’t always go as well as you might hope. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to facilitate togetherness and increase the chances of a smooth ceremony and reception.
Introduce Everyone as Early as Possible
In a perfect world, your partner’s family and your family will all know each other prior to the wedding and will get along amazingly. Sadly, that’s not always possible. You and your partner may have families that don’t live in the same place or that have never met for a variety of reasons. In these cases, try and arrange a pre-wedding meet and greet as soon as possible. This will make things a lot less awkward at your wedding and will give people a chance to make some friends and get comfortable with each other.
Be Mindful About the Seating Arrangements
You know your family better than anyone. As such, you should consider any possible “sticky situations” as you make the seating arrangements. If you have divorced parents, for example, and their relationship is hostile, you may not want to seat them together. Similarly, if you have an inkling that one member of your partner’s family may not get along so well with one or more members of your family, you can avoid having them sit too close.
Address the Issues
You don’t have to heal every family heartache to have an awesome, drama-free wedding. But, with that said, it’s not a bad idea to speak clearly and directly about how you want your wedding to go, especially if you know there are some issues brewing behind the scenes. Get your guests together, either in-person or virtually, and emphasize how important it is that you have an enjoyable, stress-free wedding. Politely ask your guests to leave any issues at the door, and invite them to come to you if they foresee any problems. Let them know you’ll do whatever you can to help them feel comfortable.
Whether your wedding is being held in a Hawaiian paradise, like Maui, or your own back yard, people are still people. They get hurt and angry, and sometimes they fight and act out. Hopefully, this kind of thing won’t impact your ceremony or your happiness. Following these tips can help, but, above all, keep your head held high, focus on the positive, and don’t be afraid to put yourself and your wellbeing first.
