Another interesting read from the Huffington Post. Let me know if you agree.
Awkward Wedding Situations (and How to Handle Them)
Strange things happen as a part of almost every wedding. Here is
a list of some common awkward moments and suggestions of how to
navigate them:
1. A guest shows up that didn't RSVP or wasn't invited
-- One problem with Facebook and other social media sites is it becomes
very easy for people to learn the details of your wedding plans. You
have a couple of options for how to handle this. I chose to pay for an
extra table to accommodate any unexpected guests. I just figured it
would be easier that way. Some brides choose to have someone check all
guests in against a list. That way that person can tactfully tell them
that you weren't expecting them and don't have a seat for them.
2. Someone RSVPs that you didn't invite -- I spoke
to a bride recently and someone RSVPed via the wedding Facebook page.
Apparently another guest invited this friend to the page assuming they
were invited as well. First, change the settings of your wedding page
to disallow people from adding people (who does that?) to it. Second,
have a tactful conversation with that person. Let them know that you
would love to invite everyone but finances or your venue require you to
make some tough decisions. Third, have a conversation with the
well-intentioned jack nard that is inviting people to your wedding all
willy-nilly.
3. Someone has too much to drink at your reception
-- Everyone has that uncle/aunt/cousin/friend/sibling that drinks too
much and gets out of hand. If you don't have one, don't worry. I bet
your fiancé does! This is kind of hard to avoid. In my family, people
bring their own alcohol just in case it isn't served. Don't stress
yourself over babysitting these people. If you are super concerned about
this person, don't invite them. In any event, make sure you let them,
and whoever they are coming with, know your concerns in advance and be
clear that you want them to enjoy themselves but not to excess.
4. Inviting an ex -- I don't think this is ever a
good idea, whether it's your ex, your parent's ex or even someone you
have a child with. If everyone gets along, it's your call but you have
to think about your other guests. They may not feel comfortable with
your ex or your former step-father there. Their presence may distract
from the meaning of the day.
5. Seating divorced parents -- If you think your
parents will play nice and put their differences aside for until your
reception is over, then by all means seat them together on the front
row. If either has remarried it is wise to seat one in the second row.
At the reception, each parent should have their own table where they
host their respective family.
6. Someone you dated is in the bridal party -- This
(hopefully) doesn't pertain to the happy couple but more to a guest or
bridal party member. It's very common to run into someone you once
dated at a mutual friend's wedding. If this happens, be an adult.
Smile, say hello and walk away.
7. Inviting guests with adult children at home --
This one is tricky. You want to invite your mom's best friend, but not
her son that lives with her. Be very explicit in your wording on your
invite. Specify Mr. and Mrs. So-and-so and ask for her dinner choice
and his. It may also be a good idea to enlist your mom to clarify if
there is any confusion.
8. Dealing with family feuds -- Unfortunately not
all families get along. My husband has a relative that doesn't like me
for reasons I will never understand. And it was tough trying to decide
whether or not to invite her. In the end I decided to invite her and
hope that either she wouldn't come or if she did, she would behave. In
my case, she didn't show and my wedding was wonderful, but in your case
she may come. If she does, keep your distance and pretend she's not
there. If the feud is among your guests, seat them as far away from
each other as you can and recruit other relatives to keep them apart as
much as they can. Ignore them and enjoy your wedding day.
9. You are invited and someone else isn't -- It's
very exciting to get an invitation to a friend's wedding. That
excitement shatters when you find out that another friend isn't invited
to the same event. If your friend asks you to find out if they were
invited or why they weren't invited, tell them no. You don't need to
get in the middle of it. I'm very good at tactfully handling situations
like this. I would tell the friend no, but mention something to the
bride. I may say something like, "She mentioned that she didn't get an
invitation. I don't know if that was intentional or an oversight but I
just wanted to make you aware." And then leave it alone.
