Your wedding should be the happiest day of your life, but somehow, guests always seem to make it about them. During the planning process and the week leading up to the wedding, certain conflicts might arise that are a little uncomfortable.
From issues with people not bringing a plus-one to who is actually invited to the rehearsal dinner, it can get a little sticky. Check out these common issues between the bride and groom and their guest leading up to the big day, and how to solve them so that everything gets eased over before the wedding.
Here are 10 common conflicts and how to solve them, to make sure your wedding day really is the happiest day of your life.
10 Dealing With Selective Plus One's
Plus one's are super tricky, most weddings these days don't necessarily allow them because it brings up the cost of the wedding and most people don't want someone random coming to their celebration.
What gets even more tricky is when you are selective about who gets to bring a plus one. Decide how you will follow the rule, such as only married or engaged couples can bring a date. Then on the invitation, be specific about who is invited. If only inviting a guest, even the envelope should only be addressed to them.
If it does not say guest on the invitation or envelope, guests should not be wondering about the plus one rule.
9 Exceptions About The No Kids Policy
Similar to the plus one exception, the same thing goes for the no-kids policy. You are bound to get some frustrated parents if they see some kids at the wedding while their kids are at home with a sitter.
Stick to no kids, the only exception can be a flower girl and ring bearer, but technically they should not be invited to the late-night ceremony.
8 To Invite Or Not To Invite Your Co-Workers
You definitely don't have to invite everyone that you work with, but you should not leave out just one or two people for example. Think about it, is it a small office that is tight-knit? In that case, you should invite everyone. Or is it a big office and you just have a few close friends? In the ladder situation, it is not a problem to just invite a few folks, nor is it offensive to your coworkers.
7 Inviting People Who Invited You To Their Wedding
The precipitation conflict is easier to solve than you might think. If you went to someone's wedding, but don't feel very connected to them in your own life, you don't need to reciprocate.
It is a clear message about how you feel about the relationship, so be prepared for that push-back. If you have had a falling out with the couple, or you haven't seen them in years, it is normal to not invite them.
6 Single Friends & A Plus One
The easiest solution before sending an invitation with a single name on it is to ask your friend if they are in a serious relationship or not. When your friend is causally dating someone, it is normal to not invite them to the wedding. Even if things get serious up to the day of the wedding, it isn't a big deal.
Just ask, and be clear about who you want to be there on your big day.
5 Who Is Invited To The Rehearsal Dinner
The rehearsal dinner is supposed to be an intimate event, which means only family and the bridal party. If you are close friends with your best friend's date or your best man's date and want to invite them because it would be fun and it makes sense, then do it. But you are not expected to invite all of the bridal party's dates to the rehearsal dinner as it is a more intimate event.
4 Guests Who Have A Destination Wedding Travel Issue
Destination weddings cost more money, it is a fact, and as you are already spending a lot of money on the wedding, it can be hard to help guests out with the extra costs of travel. First and foremost, let guests know about the destination and date as soon as possible so they can make travel arrangements and hopefully get some deals.
You can do your part by providing the names of a few places to stay that are near the venue and of various budgets, and you should cover the costs of travel between the venue and their hotel, if not also from the airport.
3 How To Say You Really Don't Want Gifts
No matter how many times you say it, people might show up with gifts for you anyways. It is one thing if your grandparents gift you a family heirloom, or your best friend gives you a special necklace, and something different if your great aunt shows up with a microwave that you already have.
Be understanding that some people are set in their ways but do communicate that you don't want gifts, or you only prefer monetary funds for the wedding, or even a charity fund.
2 Ways To Make People Feel Included Outside Of Your Bridal Party
It is hard to make decisions about the bridal party, as some friends or family members might feel left out. But just because they haven't been invited to the bridal party does not mean that they will be left out. You can invite them to intimate events like the rehearsal dinner and bachelorette party, and ask them to take on a role at your wedding such as reciting a poem or making a speech.
Making someone feel important at your wedding isn't so much about the matching dress as it is how you make them feel included.
1 How To Properly Disinvite Someone
Nowadays more than ever, it is more normal to disinvite someone to your wedding especially if your wedding was postponed for several years due to global events. While the best practice might be allowing someone to go, if you really can't stand to see them, do call them or meet them in person to have a conversation, and don't send an email or text.
