Celebrate the launch of My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 by sharing your dos and don’ts for throwing a big family wedding and you could win a £300 Love2Shop voucher. NOW CLOSED!

[ZaneMumsnet]

Weddings should be occasions of joy and happiness; however there are some times when they can be stressful and downright insufferable. From unreasonable demands from brides to issues over inviting (or not inviting) children, not to mention the sticky issue of wedding lists and seating plans, they can be a bit of a nightmare. To mark the return of the long awaited romantic comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, we would like to hear the rules you’d put in place for successful big family weddings.

Written by Academy Award® nominee Nia Vardalos, who stars alongside the entire returning cast of favourites, the film reveals a Portokalos family secret that will bring the beloved characters back together for an even bigger and Greeker wedding. My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 hits cinemas on March 25.

Check out the trailer below:

If you were coming up with a list of dos and don'ts for how to throw a big family wedding what would they be? Have you been to some terrible ones you’d like to share a story about? If you were going to have one, how would you make sure it all went without a hitch?

Whatever your ideas and stories are, we'd love to hear them.
Everyone who posts on this thread with their tips will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky Mumsnetter will win a £300 Love2Shop voucher.

Thanks and good luck with the prize draw,
MNHQ

Standard Insight Terms and Conditions apply

Do: Invite children (a weddings not a wedding without them)
Dont: Include a wish list in with your invite - People are kind and dont like to turn down beggars

Don't get drunk, or drink red wine.

Don't invite an ex boyfriend and then sit on his lap during speeches.

Don't invite anyone you couldn't pick out in a police line out.

Do invite who you want BUT be consistent - if you don't want children, make that all of them. If you do, ditto.

An A list (see children above) and then B list will never fail to offend someone.

No one remembers napkin colour, favours, frills and silly bits. Good good, company, plentiful booze, nice people and good music.

Keep speeches short. Write them, then cut by half, then half again.

Enjoy. It may only happen once.

Do enjoy your day and cherish every moment because a few years after you will wish you could turn the clock back and have your special day all over again

Don't - fuss over material things such as expensive favours cake etc have what you and your partner wants not what you think everyone else will like because it doesn't matter what you have or what you don't have the most important think is your marrying the love of your life

After attending 4 weddings in the run up to our own and the 'mistakes' made by those couples, our tips are:

DO:
Spend as much as you can Ford on decent food. Create a menu whether that is for a buffet or a sit down of food people actually enjoy. Dried chicken breast with limp vegetables is never good. Forego other luxuries/extras for this. People ALWAYS remember good good and always forget things like detailed decor and favours.
Let everyone pick some music for the reception.
Provide entertainment of some kind for the kids and give them free access to the balloons.

DON'T:

Change something you feel passionately about because you are fearful of offending great aunt Doris or whoever.
Serve dried chicken breast and limp vegetables.

DO plan the wedding you want as you can't please everyone anyway!
DON'T let anything spoil the day...things will go wrong but if you go to bed that night as a married couple you've achieved what you set out to do.

Make it crystal clear that any family squabbles will NOT be tolerated!
Gown-ups should be able to put aside differences for one day if they truly want to help make your day special

Get a package deal at the venue which includes a wedding planner. Then they can deal with all the stupid little things e.g what sort of folding you have on your napkins!

If it's your wedding, do it how you and your partner want to do it. Don't feel pressurised by family members. This is your special day.

Ha, I had my own big fat Greek wedding and it was hard work with lots of drama from the in-laws! Based on my own experiences, these are my suggestions:

DO accept that there are people in life who try to make things about them, and there may well be people who try this for your wedding.

DON'T let them.

DO make a separate email account for RSVPs.

DON'T forget that however hard it may seem, the wedding isn't just about the day. It's about the time that comes afterwards. I clung to this thought throughout the run up to our wedding!

DO plan for some relaxation time/massages/spa days if possible both before and after.

DO remember you might feel a bit flat after the wedding. That's normal. Try and schedule in some nice things to do afterwards with your partner to help with this.

DON'T let the best man read his speech without at least one of you having checked it for things that might make Granny faint...

Thank you all for sharing your dos and don'ts. The winner of the voucher is Maclairey :)

Heres a few do's and dont's from my experience Don’t seat divorced parents at the same table, Do not go over 5 minutes when making a toast, dont forget to organise a back up plan If you are having an outdoor ceremony case of badweather. Don’t stress out over little things
Do Consider having wedding and reception at one location, it is much easier for
timing, Order a small bouquet for the bouquet toss, keep your bouquet as a momento and make sure your photographer knows which guests you really want photos of and my biggest tip would be Take time to look around and enjoy everything you have been planning for so
long

DO stand your ground regarding people inflluencing the guest list.

DON'T plan a venue that is difficult to get to for the majority of guests.

if it is your wedding do what you wish to do and if anyone complains show them the door
If it some elses just follow what they ask to be done as there is nothing worse than bickering families

My tip is not to have too many people involved in the planning as it gets too confusing and leads to arguments. Make a list of things that you will definitely not compromise on and don't allow anyone to take over!!!

Don't expect everyone to be happy!
Do expect gossips
Don't be afraid of your own choices

Do remember this is your day and you should make sure it will make you happy

Don't let it overwhelm you to the point where you won't enjoy it!

Let the bride have what she wants - as far as possible. It is her day and trying to change her mind about things will only lead to friction. Be of the 'I am only going to do this once' mentality and do everything to the best of your ability without getting into debt. Cherish the memories!

don't have one!!!! - go away just the two of you and if you prefer - a handful of those few nearest and dearest family or friends who mean the most to you.

All the expense, stress and hassle for one day to accommodate family members/people who haven't contributed much to your life and you're inviting them only because you feel obliged to , and in any case, they'll complain about your wedding because XXXX had ice sculptures and you hadn't .... don't bother!!!

And Never, and I mean NEVER..... put your name forward for 'Four Weddings'

Don't stress too much about anything, as long a the day is exactly how you want it to be then that's how it should be. When you start listening to all sorts of family advice about who should be invited and who should sit where it gets far too complicated!

try choose a location with good accommdation options or close by to home

Think of yourself it is your day. Try on to stress. Get others to help too.

I would say, dont hold a wedding to suit everyone else, do it your style! I didnt want arguments about who I had or had not invited so instead we got married away from home and invited everyone but said they had to pay for their own room. This way we ended up with the people who really do care about us!

Do enjoy it
Don't let other people make it their day

DO
Try and make your future in laws feel included (without them becoming over bearing).
Pick what YOU want for the food. Do not ask wider family's opinion because everyone likes something different. As long as you pick something most people like, and you love, it will be fine.
Take a time out during the day to just spend together, the rest of the time you are being pulled all ways with all the guests wanting to speak to you/take photos and remember it is YOUR DAY.

DON'T
sit family members together who hate each other.
Send a list of what guests HAVE to buy you (I have had an invitation like this!). Instead put "suggestions" etc.

knowing your family really well is essential. Knowing who does and doesnt get on with who and seating them away from eachother! lol