The wedding day always has something go wrong. No matter how much planning you do, there will be someone who causes a scene or someone who can’t make it at the very last minute. And what about the family fights? While you can’t avoid all of the problems, the family fight issue you can avoid. There are some tips that you can follow to prevent any issues arising at your big day.
Make Sure Everyone Remembers It’s Your Day
This is your big day. If you have family members who regularly fight with each other but you really want them all there, make it very clear that this is your day. You don’t want to get into the middle of the arguments or find out from others that there are arguments going on. You can even warn them that they will be thrown out if they don’t respect your wishes.
Don’t Invite Them
If you can, don’t invite the members that tend to argue with each other. This isn’t always a viable option depending on who it is that gets into the fights.
Family members can feel hurt that they are missing out, so you may want to talk to them first to make sure they will make the effort to get along for this one day. Make it clear that the invitation is only there if they will be behaved on the day.
Keep Them Apart
If you really want to or need to invite everyone, make sure they stay apart on the day. You could sit them on opposite sides of the room for the dinner and then ask them that they stay apart during the evening function.
This can be hard after a few drinks and you don’t want to keep your eye on them all the time. If there are other family members who can help, talk to them about keeping an eye on the problem guests.
Assign Roles
Sometimes family members feel put out when someone else gets a role that they really wanted. This is especially the problem for the bride and groom’s parents or when it comes to step-families.
Giving everyone a specific role for the day is often the best way of handling this. Get them to do something special, such as looking after the kids or creating the decorations for the big day. If they feel like they have a special part that you want them to do, it is more likely going to keep them from arguing.
Be Firm
Don’t be afraid to get firm with the people who are causing problems on the day. If you get even the idea that they are going to cause a problem, go up to them and have a stern word. Make it clear that you can uninvite them just as quickly as you invited them, and you will have them kicked out if you really have to. If they continue to push your limits, follow through with your actions.