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KristaltippsHall
Beginner February 2011

Anxious - why can't we all just get along?

KristaltippsHall, 20 October, 2010 at 11:08 Posted on Planning 0 12

I always said I would never get married, and the main reason for that is that I have so many different groups of friends and family who are so very different and who I feel may clash badly. I also tend to feel that (especially in the past few years) I have kind of learned to deal with this by being a different facet of myself with each group.

Basically I am becoming increasingly anxious about people getting on, both on the hen nights and the wedding. I am planning to have 2 hen nights, one in my home town and one in the city where I live now, each organised by the repsective bridesmaid, but there will be people who have never met, people who are from hugely differing walks of life, and people who literally hate eachother, and I'm worried that there will be bitching and discomfort.

I am thinking about sending out an email just before the wedding saying something along the lines of :

"We are incredibly excited about the prospect of all of our beloved friends and family being in the same room to celebrate our marriage, and whilst we understand that everyone cannot be best buddies, we would ask that any differences be put aside for the sake of happiness and harmony. Thankyou in anticipation."

What do you think? and what about the hens? do I ask each bridesmaid to do something similar? anyone else worried about this or am I just really mental?!

12 replies

Latest activity by tahdah, 20 October, 2010 at 13:02
  • K
    Beginner November 2011
    katy1039 ·
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    What a total nightmare. Is there no way you would think of 2 hen do's? If i had such totally different sets of friends I would consider one in my hometown and one where I live now. Just to avoid the arguments.

    I dont think the email is necessary to be honest and could even put people's backs up a bit? Yes I would be worried about it but I would have to hope and trust that my friends would understand that it is MY day and they had best not start anything.

    Maybe have a word with everyone seperately? Say something like... "I know some people might be a bit arsey, I just hope that doesn't happen, I would be completely devastated..." Then it's not like you're telling that exact person to behave, but you are getting your feelings on the subject out there.

    I'm sorry chuck, sounds like a right old stress.

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  • D
    Beginner
    Doodle ·
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    This may not be what you want to hear but if I got that email I would think it was well odd. We had a smallish wedding of 34 during the day and 60 in the evening - very very different groups of people withn thoes numbers that would under normal circumstances probably not get on. However they all behaved as I would have expected grown adults to do - in a civil fashion at worst and got along great at best.

    If you have people that really hate each other - sit them on different tables, or for the hen do - make sure they know whos coming. Then they can make the choice as to if they can behave as an adult for the day.

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  • judeclarke
    Beginner October 2011
    judeclarke ·
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    I have to agree, I don't think the e-mail isnecessary, and maybe a bit off-putting. I have a similar problem, and I will be appointing a couple of close friends who understand the situation as 'peacekeepers' who will step in and have a word if anyone kicks off. I addition to this I've had to take the decision not to invite a couple of friends on the grounds that they are likely to say something inappropriate or make an ass of themself.

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  • Little Madam
    Beginner
    Little Madam ·
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    I can understand how you feel. I also didn't want to get married following my mom and dads horrific divorce.

    My dad left my mom for Mom's brothers wife. Suddenly my 3 Cousins became my step brother / sister - and all hell broke loose between Mom / Dad / Stepmom (was auntie) / Uncle.

    That was 8 years ago now, and still to this day no one has spoken or seen each other since. I have verbally expressed the kind of message that you want to get across to mom / stepmom / uncle. But I am petrified what's going to happen!

    My way of handeling has been to make the above comment to everyone and my brother has said to my mom "I adore you, i'm on your side, but if you mess us my sisters special day i'll never speak to you again" which didn't go down fab, but i've not mentioned it since, and i'm not planning on them meeting before the day,

    Mom and dad will come face to face at the rehersal, but mom won't see stepmom until the day!

    I hope you come to some compromise and things work OK in the end. My SIL advised me that no-one will fight / argue / ruin your day if they love you enough and I am hoping she is right.

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  • ajdown
    VIP September 2011
    ajdown ·
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    Are these people ones that you consider good friends and really want to share a hen night with - or people (like work colleagues) where it's hard to invite some and not others?

    I personally think hen/stag nights are a waste of time anyway - and I'm glad I don't plan on having one when there's so much complication involved, exacerbated by the usual overindulgence on alcohol during the events.

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  • A
    Beginner August 2011
    amythest76 ·
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    ? what?? thats the best bit!!!!

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  • ajdown
    VIP September 2011
    ajdown ·
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    I don't "do" alcohol. Perhaps that's why people aren't grasping why I don't want a stag night.

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  • A
    Beginner August 2011
    amythest76 ·
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    i realised that-it was a joke!

    why not do something like a driving experience or paint ball, i work in a spa and we get lots of stag do's in there having a manly pamper day (we love it!!?)

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  • ajdown
    VIP September 2011
    ajdown ·
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    You wouldn't love us lot - look at my photo, I'm hardly a Chippendale now am I?

    I honestly cannot be arsed with all that faffing around, and most of the things I'd probably enjoy most other people wouldn't.

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  • A
    Beginner August 2011
    amythest76 ·
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    Oh AJ dont say stuff like that!!-tbh we mainly get great big old hairy men in, but they are a much better laugh than the stuck up old ladies that think they own the place!!

    well even if its a dvd and yr favourite dinner, i hope you do something for yourself before the day just becasue its an excuse to indulge yourself!

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  • Storky
    Beginner May 2011
    Storky ·
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    Kristall, I appreciate the sentiment of your email but if I was on the receiving end of it I'd think that you felt I was a muppet who couldn't be trusted to behave! It may be that some of your guest are muppets who can't behave but reminding them of that may not be such a good thing!

    Do you have any trusted friends or relatives who can discreetly pass the message on? Might be a better way of doing it.

    I'm sure they'll all behave. It would be very rude and very selfish of them to spoil your day. i hope you get it sorted.

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  • tahdah
    Beginner September 2009
    tahdah ·
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    Just invite who you want to invite to the wedding/Hen/Stag regardless of how you know them and whether they'll get on.

    It's not a 2 week holiday and people will stick with their own, it's not a networking event.

    Don't send the email...just get on and enjoy yourself.

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