How to Deal With Difficult Guests at Your Wedding

Your wedding day is the happiest day of your life.

Allegedly.

Why allegedly? Well, you might be walking down the aisle dreaming of a happy future with your soon-to-be spouse but you’ve got the reception to get through first.

Weddings are a hot-bed of emotions and not just for the bride and groom. Strained relationships between relatives, jealous friends and bored, tired children can all contribute towards a wedding reception that turns into something resembling more of a riotous night out down the pub than a sophisticated soirée.

And that’s before you’ve added alcohol into the equation.

Of course, if your wedding reception is down the pub in a rough area and not at a prestigious wedding venue in Essex, then a rowdy night out might be just what you’re looking for.

However, if you’re after a more subdued affair, here are some ways to deal with difficult guests at your wedding.

Don’t invite them in the first place

Of course, not inviting guests who are going to be unruly only works if a) you know in advance they’re going to cause trouble because they can’t go anywhere without making a scene; or b) you’re psychic.

We’re guessing you probably aren’t psychic but everyone has that friend or family member who can’t be trusted to behave at gatherings, especially if there’s alcohol involved.

Unless leaving potential troublemakers off your guest list is going to be more trouble than it’s worth, we advise you just don’t invite them to your wedding in the first place. You could just say you forgot or you could be honest and let them know why they’re not invited.

If it’s children you’re worried about being unruly and spoiling the ambience, have a ‘no-children’ policy on your big day. Friends and family with offspring might get offended, but it’s your day and therefore your say.

Plan your seating arrangement carefully

Be careful who you seat next to whom. It’s usual for the parents of the bride and groom to be seated next to each other but if they’ve been acrimonously divorced for a few years, this won’t be such a good idea.

Obviously, you’re not going to want to offend either party by delegating them to a table that’s not the top one, so consider having two top tables.

If it’s more that you’ve got a guest on the list who’s likely to get rowdy after they’ve had a couple of glasses of champagne, seat them on a table with quieter, more moderate drinkers who will be a calming influence on them and won’t encourage them to get drunk.

Have someone ready to deal with any conflict

The last thing you want to do while you’re basking in the glow of being newly married is to deal with an unruly guest. Have someone ready to step in at the first sign of any unrest. This could be someone at the wedding venue, your wedding planner or a trusted friend or family member.

Whoever it is can deal with the trouble quickly and discreetly without causing any disruption. In the best case scenario, you won’t even know anything has happened until you’re back from your honeymoon.

Hopefully your wedding day will go smoothly, with all your guests enjoying themselves. But on the off-chance tensions do arise, you’ll be prepared to deal with it.