Tips for keeping your wedding from becoming a political battleground

abcnews.go.com:

Uncle Jim is profoundly red, politically speaking

NEW YORK — Uncle Jim is profoundly red, politically speaking. Cousin Jane is liberal, activist left. The two can't usually be in a room together without sparks flying, but both are invited to your wedding.

“I’ve had couples call me in a panic after realizing their seating chart might accidentally turn their reception into a town hall debate. Fun times,” Los Angeles wedding planner Natalie Benett said.

“As much as we all wish weddings could be a bubble of pure joy and confetti, sometimes the world outside sneaks in, and election cycles are no exception,” she added.

As the polarizing November election creeps closer in the U.S., wedding planners, etiquette experts and conflict-resolution pros have an arsenal of strategies for mitigating political friction at weddings, especially those well-soaked in alcohol from an open bar.

First and foremost: Get ahead of it with friendly pleadings on wedding invitations, websites and even signage posted at the welcome table on the big day imploring guests to leave politics at the door.

Distance potential sparring partners when planning seating arrangements. Well-placed human buffers can help if putting a football field of real estate between guests who are likely culprits isn't feasible, Benett said.

“Another trick I’ve seen work is having a designated peacekeeper. Maybe it’s your maid of honor, or that one family friend who’s great at steering conversations back to, 'Oh my gosh, did you see her dress?' It’s all about knowing who can step in and diffuse the tension with charm," Benett said.

Etiquette consultant Jo Hayes calls those useful folk “diffusers,” the socially skilled, suave, well-spoken brother/sister/cousin/friend who can