Avoiding the Family Feud

When it comes to avoiding a family feud, there are many different scenarios you could potentially face during the planning phase and actual day of your wedding. For starters, you may have parents that do not get along. They may be divorced or separated, remarried and moved on. However, they may still hold grudges and bicker at every turn. This kind of family feud has the potential to turn gatherings quite sour, from the engagement party right down to the cutting of the cake. Your best bet is to keep them seated far apart from one another; and have a one-on-one talk, asking for peace on your special day.

Other potential family feud moments include:

Bickering Parents and In-Laws

Your parents might be the picture of marital bliss, but don’t particularly care for your fiancé's parentage. In-laws either click right away (beaming with joy for the upcoming nuptials) or immediately bump heads with one another (nit-picking every detail). Uncooperative in-laws may even disapprove of you, causing your parents to come to your defense. You can't force your in-laws and parents to get along, but you can at least make sure they stay on their best behavior and don’t cause a family feud at your wedding.

Unruly Siblings

When it comes to a family feud associated with your upcoming nuptials, you may run into a surly sibling, such as your younger sister, who can't stand you having all of the attention. Usually, situations like this will play out on their own, but if you need to avoid an emotional outbreak during the rehearsal dinner or a pouty face staring back at you from the pews, a good talk is in order. Explain how important it would be to you if she happily accepted this event and took an active role in its planning.

Trouble-Making Cousins

We all have them – cousins who think it’s funny to spike the punch bowl or prey on single ladies at the wedding reception. If you want to avoid a family feud, you should start off by setting some ground rules and possibly omitting a few unruly relatives from the guest list. This is your day! Friends and family should respect your wishes.

Learn Meditation, Yoga, and Breathing Exercises

When people say take a deep breath to relax, they're definitely saying it for a reason. Breathing exercises have proven a great stress reliever for eliminating tension in not only everyday situations, but also the constant stress of dealing with other people. When your parents are driving you crazy or you can't get an RSVP from your sister, you may need to do much more than take a deep breath. Learn how to center yourself through advanced breathing techniques, as well as embrace the power of meditation and yoga.