by Jennifer Howard

Created on: August 08, 2008

I have encountered some difficulty in my life. For a long time it seemed I would not have anything worth celebrating. Then my path crossed with my husbands and that changed. My view on weddings has always been that of a celebration of the joining of two people an their families. I always pictured not just a day about the bride, but a day to celebrate my new husband's and my happiness. Unfortunately your hopes and reality do not always mesh.

I am a very accommodating person and almost always try to make everyone some what happy. You may want to be a bridezilla, but remember his family will be yours after you say I do. Let your dating and engagement period be a guide for the level of involvement you wish you soon to be in-laws have.

Let me use my in law experience as an example of dos and don'ts for your wedding planning. Now it seems that my experience was a worst case scenario for bad in-law wedding planing relationships. My sister in-law is a very opinionated person and unfortunately she believes she is never wrong. You may encounter this personality with your future in-laws. Try to be flexible. There will be things that you can show a little flex with then there will be those that you should put your foot down. If they are paying for the wedding, don't be a bridezilla about the budget. A good rule of thumb is not to be childish. It may be your day, but try not to cause hurt feelings over something as silly as flowers.

Remember to put things into perspective. The things that seem realy big before the wedding in all likelihood will be forgotten when it is all said and done. It is very stressful to plan a wedding and things get blown out of proportion rather quickly.

If you have a good relationship with you future in-laws before hand then include them as much as possible. You will need all the help you can get. As with any relationship good communication is the key. Sit down and talk with them. Be clear about where you are willing to compromise and where you will give up ground. Use good diplomacy. Sometimes you have to give up a battle so you can win the war.

Your in-laws will be part of your life after you say I do. You are testing the waters with your pre-wedding plans. You do not want to sacrifice the important things to make them happy. Treat them with the same respect you want to be given. Hopefully everything will work out in the end.

Only in extreme cases should your in-laws not be part of the planing or wedding itself. This will cause can cause some major

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>