No matter who you are, there are always going to be a few black sheep in your social network that could end up attending your wedding or reception. These black sheep inevitably cause awkwardness and drama where ever they go, regardless of the formality of the event. Most often these people are friends, but many times they are relatives or an ex. No matter your relationship to these black sheep, they have the potential to cause an awkward situation or moment, putting a blemish on your wedding day, but there are some steps you can take to minimize this risk.

In some cases, you may be able to sidestep the situation altogether by not sending your black sheep an invitation or inviting them only to the reception. Without an invitation, the black sheep may not know about the wedding until it is over, but this can be risky depending on how connected they are. If you know your black sheep will definitely find out about your special day, you may need to take more drastic measures.

You may want to use your wedding to put a stop to the madness this black sheep brings into your life, but this may not be possible. For instance, if the black sheep is your sibling, or your partner's best friend, you will probably be stuck with them. If your black sheep is someone who will definitely be at your wedding, you still have a few options.

The worst case scenario is that your embarrassing guest will respond to the priest when he asks if anyone has any objections or reasons you should not be married. Luckily this part of the ceremony is commonly skipped in this day and age, and you can request this of your minister. However, if someone does have an objection, hopefully you can quickly glaze over it, by simply ignoring the person, or if necessary, having them removed.

If you anticipate this happening, you may want to employ the help of your friends and family to prevent this from happening. Hopefully a stern talk will help, but if there is any doubt, sedatives could be the answer. If other people at your wedding feel the same way about this person, they will be more than happy to hear some snoring rather than their opinion of your marriage, as you would as well.

Depending on how extreme your black sheep is, you may want to avoid them on your wedding day, but if they must be there, some communication before hand may help stave off disaster. Hopefully, they will respect your wishes and acknowledge how important your wedding day is to you, but if this is not effective, you may have an awkward situation on your hands.