My advice for the wedding? Let them do whatever they want. It's your day and they cannot ruin it. It does not reflect on you. Or Tim.
That's my plan. It's not so much that I'm expecting the worst; more that I'm just calculating the possibilities so that *if* they act in a way Miss Manners would not approve of, it won't surprise me and then I can just get on with enjoying myself.
I think the best one can hope for in a wedding are disasters that make good stories.
Come up with wedding bingo. After the reception, see how many boxes you can cross off.
Trudy says what I meant to earlier.
Boutonnière?
Seriously, this is a great suggestion. It's a small thing, but an important gesture. We got a white boutonnière for each member of our family who attended our LA reception, and it meant a lot to them.
I've been feeling kind of absent myself lately. The thing I try to remember is that we will always be Buffistas and people will always care about us here, even if we have to take a break from time to time.
I take comfort in this. Still always reference my online friends and tell stories of the awesomeness to be found here.
And, of course, I cherish the fact that you guys indulge Birthday Attention Ho's so well (One week from today, for those playing along at home! Right between Cass & Steph - 'cuz I Can Too share the attention!)
And wow, Steph, apparently our moms were separated at birth. Who knew? You seem like you have a really healthy, mature grasp on the situation - no doubt hard-won. I hope your folks rein it in and you have a wonderful, beautiful wedding day.
eta:
Seriously, this is a great suggestion. It's a small thing, but an important gesture. We got a white boutonnière for each member of our family who attended our LA reception, and it meant a lot to them.
Seconded.
We were planning on boutonnières and corsages for family members -- I think maybe my dad doesn't know that. Or he just really wants to wear a black suit. Sometimes you just get so obsessed with an idea that you won't be happy unless you do it. I'm just going to consider myself lucky that all he wants to do is dress exactly like Tim (CREEPY SO CREEPY) and doesn't want to, I don't know, serenade me at the reception or something.
Tep's mom's comments came across to me as teasing. Not particularly funny teasing, but I don't think anyone would take them seriously.
As for bad behavior at the wedding, trust me, Tim's family will be too busy thinking things like "Oh my god, Uncle Sven is such a blowhard and he's probably boring Tep's charming brother to death," and "Please let no one ask Great Aunt Marta about her Rand Paul bumper sticker" to notice what your family is doing.
The fact that my grandmother went around my wedding telling people from both sides that we only got married because we "had to" (she wasn't getting enough attention and I guess stirring up drama by lying was how she got it) turned into a great anecdote pretty quick.
You could give him a tie for the wedding that does not match Tim's. Also, I just discovered there are "father of the bride" tie clips [link]