Wedding Pit Falls

We are about to enter into the season of weddings. I myself got married nearly a year ago, and my wife and I had an absolutely amazing day, one that I will remember for the rest of my life. However, although we had a great day and very little went wrong, some of the ripples of "family issues" are continuing today and look as if they will affect my family for some years to come.
But that's not what I want to talk about. What fascinates me is the trouble that weddings cause people in general.
Starting with the dreaded gift list. When we were planning our wedding we weren't going to have a gift list at all; we had been living together for a while and we felt that we were not getting married to get presents (although presents are always good!). But then we realised that people want to buy you a wedding gift, so we succumbed. However, we did have an issue where an Aunt did not want to buy us the baking tins, bun moulds etc that were on the list, so bought us vouchers instead, which we then used to buy the said baking tins anyway!!! My wife pointed out that the reason that we put them on there was because we wanted them.
Recently, we have been invited to my old school friend's wedding, so were browsing his gift list, whereupon my wife said that she did not want to buy him the bun mould that he and his fiancee had put on their gift list. I did remind her of her past comments!
This wedding, which we are attending in a couple of weeks, is as I say an old friend of mine, and I cannot wait to share his day with him. But then there is the worry of who you might end up sat with during dinner. Now I remember what a nightmare it was for us to put together our seating plan, so I do not envy his task. But I am slightly concerned with who we might be sat with, seeing as I will only know 4 people there, and they will all be sat on the top table! Time to start brushing up on small talk methinks. So if anyone has any suggestions for "polite conversation", please let me know!
A friend of mine is also attending a wedding shortly, where her ex boyfriend who she was seeing for a number of years will also be a guest. So as a bit of moral support, she has "hired" a male friend to escort her! Not so much as a pretend boyfriend, but I'm sure if her ex gets the wrong idea she won't mind!
For what is supposed to be such a happy day, weddings ain't half stressful!!!!