At the same time a wedding is focused on the love between a bride and groom, there are other important relationships that come into play: the bride and her bridesmaids, the groom and his groomsmen, the couple and both sets of parents, even the relationship with wedding guests.

Keeping all of these relationships on an even keel will make for a happier wedding day and a brighter future for the newlyweds.

“The wedding is only one day and it’s important to remember that you’re going to want to be on good terms with all of these other people for the rest of your lives,” says Amy Eisener, an editor for WeddingChannel.com.

“It’s easy to get wrapped up in the cake, the flowers and the gown, but the most important thing to remember is that you’re starting a new life with the person you love.

“A wedding is also about joining two families.”

Eisener believes a lot of stress and strain can be alleviated by making your plans enough in advance and keeping to a schedule.

“Try to remember the bigger picture,” she says.

With your bridesmaids, for example, remember you’ve chosen them for a reason, because you’re good friends so it’s nice to keep their thoughts and feelings in mind.”

Eisener says it’s also important for a bride to find out the ways in which her groom would like to be involved with the planning.

“After all, he’s 50 percent of the marriage.” she says. “Don’t assume that he doesn’t care about the wedding plans.”

Eisener’s best advice: Don’t cut out people who really want to be involved.

The more involved others feel, the less likely they are to get angry. Try to listen and learn from them.

“If your future mother-in-law would like to do something for the centerpieces, try to listen and approach the discussion in a polite way,” Eisener says.

“If she wants to plan the rehearsal dinner, let her go for it.

“Above all, don’t ever ask the groom to take sides when it comes to choosing between his future wife and his parents.”

Family therapist Terri Orbuch, dubbed the “Love Doctor,” believes stress is often the culprit when it comes to damaging relationships at wedding time.

Orbuch is a research scientist at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan who has studied the marriage, divorce, romance and relationship patterns of thousands of individuals nationwide.

When a bride is stressed, she says, she’s much more likely to snap at someone, say something she’ll later regret, or neglect to show appreciation.

“A wedding is an extremely stressful time in a woman’s life for a variety of reasons,” says the author of “5 Simple Steps to Take Your Marriage From Good to Great.”

“Women tend to take on too much, to make all the decisions themselves. Often they haven’t learned to delegate.”

Too many brides, she believes, have unrealistic expectations about their wedding day and assume it’s going to be a magical fairy tale.

“Then when people are late, the flowers are the wrong color, the zipper won’t go up or Uncle George gets sick and has to stay home, she is devastated.”

Brides, she advises, need to delegate, allow time for the unexpected, accept what can’t be changed, and maintain their sense of humor.

“Don’t forget to communicate and take time to be with your partner, and also take care of yourself — eat well, get enough sleep.”

A wedding is going to be stressful and there are going to be disappointments and conflict, says Orbuch. Don’t take them personally.

“The disappointments and conflicts are not about you, your partner or your relationship,’ she says.

“They are about any event that needs to get scheduled with a lot of people and a lot of interests and desires.

Eisener says it’s important to sit back, have fun and enjoy your big day.

“Try to look at the bigger picture and remember what the day is really all about.”