Wedding Planning Mediation

KEEP CONFLICTS IN CHECK DURING THE WEDDING PLANNING WITH MEDIATION

Century City Mediation Group is proud to be one of the first companies in Los Angeles to offer wedding mediation services.

What is wedding mediation?

A wedding is a joyful occasion affirming a lifelong union. But planning the wedding can sometimes expose painful differences between parties all of whom have the best of intentions, and all of whom typically have a great interest in developing or maintaining a positive relationship. Wedding mediation is a means of bringing together such parties who may be locked in hurtful misunderstandings. Neutral, impartial mediators help these parties to try to work together to resolve their disputes so that the wedding planning in a manner acceptable to all.

Wedding mediation may include some of the following issues:

• Disagreements between the future in-laws regarding the wedding process

• Conflicting traditions

• Intra-family conflicts

• Guest and seating lists

• The role of each parent in the wedding process

• Helping emphasize common ground between the parties

• Helping the parties be inventive about options

• Helping the parties make clear agreements

Who contacts and hires the wedding mediator(s)?

Sometimes the wedding planner will include one or more mediation sessions as part of his or her overall fee. Other times, the planner will sense that mediation can help relieve an impasse, and suggest that the parties set up a session with us. A third way that we become involved is when the parties contact us directly after deciding on their own that their old way of working is in fact no longer working.

How much does it cost?

The cost of mediation will depend upon the number of sessions required and the complexity of the conflict. In relation to the thousands of dollars a wedding costs these days, wedding mediation can be one of the least expensive costs of the wedding. You can expect at least equivalent savings in money, time, and heartache avoided.

What should we expect?

The mediators will open the mediation by making sure that each person is comfortable, and assuring each that they will have a chance to be heard. After laying out ground rules for the meeting, the mediator will prepare an agenda with the assistance of the parties. Each person will have an opportunity to present her or his concerns. We will work with you to help you to understand one another’s interests and to find a way to resolve your conflicts in a timely manner.

When we have mediated a potential resolution to the conflicts, the parties should be able to answer the following questions affirmatively:

1) Is this a win-win solution?

2) Does it solve the problem?

3) Is it feasible?

4) Is it fair?

5) Can we live with it?

Do we need to prepare?

After the initial appointment is made, a questionaire will be sent to you to be completed by each party involved in the conflict. The questionaire should be filled out completely and honestly to help the mediators determine what the core disagreement is. We ask that you think carefully about what it is that is blocking your work at this time. If there are specific constraints, for example budget or religious considerations, we ask that you bring with you any documents that will help the mediators as well as the other parties to better understand your concerns.

The questionaires remain totally confidential and ONLY the mediators will read them. This insures that each party will answer the questions as honestly as possible.

Where will the mediation take place?

The mediation will take place at one of our convenient locations throughout Los Angeles County.

Please check our Locations page for a location near you. If requested, the mediation may take place in the home of either party with the consent of both parties.

For more information on wedding planning mediation or for any questions, please contact us at info@ccmediation.com

The goal at CCMG is to help wedding planners and wedding parties return their focus to creating a successful and joyful wedding that will be remembered for a lifetime.

WEDDING PLANNING MEDIATION