How to deal with family rifts at your wedding

With the wedding of Princess Eugenie fast approaching, and knowing the rifts between members of her family, it got us thinking how the rest of us would deal with family feuds on our own wedding day.

Princess Eugenie's parents are probably one of the best divorced sets of parents around (rumour has it they may one day wed again??!), so unlike many couples, we doubt she'll have to worry about her parents getting along. It is however well documented that Eugenie's grandfather, the Duke of Edinburgh isn't her mothers top fan and they do all they can to avoid each other!

Many families come with history, and some with very negative ones. Here's our advice on how to prevent a rift causing issues at your wedding.

1-Don't invite anyone who will cause havoc

This one seems brutal, but it depends on the extent of the damage that person (or people) will cause when a day is already full of emotion. Be very clear why you aren't inviting them and make sure you actually tell them rather than let them figure it out when they don't receive an invite. You never know, telling them they won't be invited may well give them the kick they needed to sort the feud out and you could end up being the reason all worked out well!

2-Invite them just to the ceremony

Alcohol and emotions don't mix well when there's a rift involved! Explain to the person or people involved that you would love for them to be there for the most important part of the day which is watching you get married. Explain you want the reception to be a peaceful and happy one, so to reduce the risk of a fight breaking out you're not having people there who threaten to ruin this wish.

3-Invite them, with a warning and trust someone to keep a watch on them

You can give them the chance to come to your day, enjoy it and not cause trouble by inviting them along. Have a chat beforehand and explain your concerns about the possibility they could kick off or make things awkward, and say that you truly hope this doesn't happen. On the day, make sure you have people you trust keeping an eye on anyone you're concerned about. They'll be on watch and will able to nip anything in the bud before it becomes known amongst the guests. Worst case if they do kick off your trusted security/peace enforcers can ask them to leave and escort them off the premises and into a taxi.

So there you have it, our quick guide on how to deal with trouble makers. We wonder if Princess Eugenie has had to have words with anyone...