Summarize the following:
Part of building a lasting relationship with any person hinges on actually spending time with one another and engaging in a meaningful way. In order to create a positive relationship with your new in-laws, you should try to spend some quality time with them. Invite your in laws over for dinner or go away for a weekend vacation with them. Try any activities that force you together with your in-laws in situations where you can talk and get to know each other better. Identify social and/or recreational activities that both you, your spouse, and in-laws will enjoy. Partaking in an activity that one person may not enjoy may lead to a stressful gathering. Try to be creative and coordinate activities that will encourage you all to get to know one another, especially if this is a new relationship. When you engage with your new in-laws, it's important to try to establish your own relationship with each of them. Don't just rely on your partner's closeness with them to be sufficient for the both of you. Take some time to get to know your in-laws on a personal, individual level. Invite your father-in-law out for a drink or a friendly game of golf. Offer to help your mother-in-law with some yard work or take her out for coffee. Ask your in-laws how they would prefer to be addressed by you. Depending on their cultural family norms, some may prefer that you address them as "mom" and "dad," while others may be more formal. Identifying what they prefer, will help everyone feel more comfortable with one another. Realize that even if your in-laws prefer a more formal approach, this may change over time. Now that you've aced meeting your in-laws, it's time for both families to get acquainted. If that means introducing your liberal, outspoken New York parents to your fiance's conservative, reserved Nebraska parents, so be it. Ensuring that the meeting is effortless means following all of the above rules, which continue to apply throughout your entire wedding process. Try to pick a comfortable setting for the meeting like dinner at casual restaurant or lunch at your place. Make sure the location is quiet enough for everyone to be able to converse easily. Try to find things that you share in common with your new in-laws like favorite activities or travel destinations. And help your families discover commonalities, too. It's part of your job to facilitate conversations and to make sure that everyone is communicating. If you know both your dad and your fiance's dad love to fish, say something like: "Hey, Dad, Mr. Johnson just got back from a deep-sea fishing trip in the Gulf of Mexico." Or tell your sister who is interested in attending Yale that your fiance's brother just graduated from there and go ahead and introduce them. After the initial meeting, send a thank you email to everyone and attach a picture or two. By doing this, you will open up new lines of communication, giving everyone a chance to say anything they may not have had a chance to say. This will help to keep the conversation flowing and ensure the next meeting goes just as smoothly. By tying up loose ends, you'll feel more comfortable tying the knot. You want your in-laws to be happy to see you again and that you're joining their family.
Spend quality time with each other. Cultivate individual relationships. Introduce your families to one another. Find common ground. Follow up.