Houstons and the Browns pay separate visits to Bobbi Kristina's wake as marquee goes up for today's contentious 'Sweet 16' funeral that is dividing the family

• e-mail

Bobbi Kristina's relatives and friends were seen arriving at the 22-year-old's wake on Friday ahead of her contentious funeral. 

The 'Sweet 16' themed ceremony, overseen by aunt Pat Houston, has been a source of dispute within the family amid arguments over Bobbi's $20 million inheritance. Dionne Warwick, Whitney Houston's cousin, has even threatened to boycott the event.

Mourners arrived at Murray Brothers Funeral Home on Friday afternoon for the wake before she is laid to rest on Saturday.

Soon after the Houstons left the funeral home, the Brown family arrived to view Bobbi Kristina's body, causing speculation that the families had planned to avoid each other.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS

Mourning: Bobbi Kristina's aunt Pat Houston emerged looking solemn from the wake in Alpharetta, Georgia on Friday afternoon

Mrs Houston, who is married to Whitney Houston's brother Gary, was one of the first to arrive at the memorial, which she has overseen, wearing yellow and purple

Father's pain: Bobby Brown looked tense and emotional as he walked slowly out of the funeral home on Friday

Distraught: The singer closed his eyes and made his way to his car a night before the official funeral

Family: Bobby was joined by his wife Alicia Etheredge, who embraced members of the family at the funeral home on Friday

Upset: Singer CIssy Houston, the mother of Whitney Houston, is seen arriving at her granddaughter's wake amid family quarrels 

Forlorn: Bobbi Kristina's brother, Bobby Jr, was also in attendance with a large group of the Brown family 

On Friday afternoon a number of guests, some dressed in smart suits and dresses, others in more casual wear, arrived at Pat and Gary Houston’s mansion in an exclusive suburb of Alpharetta, nestled on a quiet street close to a members-only swimming pool and tennis courts. 

Pat Houston has been liaising with Bobbi Kristina’s father, Bobby Brown, over the funeral plans for the 22-year-old.

The invite-only funeral is due to take place on Saturday at 11am at St James United Methodist Church in Alpharetta.

Two black SUVs manned by security guards were parked in front of the Houston property as guests entered by the side door and the main entrance.

A white gazebo was erected in the back yard and two young men were seen moving boxes from the car, taking out trash and breaking bags of ice. 

Pat Houston left her home looking solemn in a yellow and purple dress with sheer cut-outs and wearing sunglasses at around 3pm accompanied by three women.

She returned about an hour later before leaving for the funeral home with husband Gary.

Whitney’s mother, Cissy Houston, was also seen leaving the home along with other guests who climbed into the SUVs.

They traveled in convoy amid rush-hour traffic to the Murray Brothers Funeral Home in Atlanta arriving at around 6pm. 

Later, after the Houston clan left, Bobby Brown entered the funeral home with his wife, Alicia Etheredge, son Bobby Brown Jr, and his sisters, Tina Brown and Leolah Brown. Some young children were also seen being shepherded inside.

The family were seen hugging and leaning on each other when they left around 8pm.  

Meanwhile, more plants and furniture were being delivered to the family home nearby in Alpharetta, Georgia, for what looks set to be grand memorial. 

As Daily Mail Online revealed on Thursday, Dionne Warwick is the latest family member to be dragged into the fray which has played out between relatives during the last six months, since Bobbi fell into a coma and eventually died. 

Warwick, who oversaw Whitney’s funeral, strongly disapproves of Pat Houston’s management of Krissi’s 'sweet sixteen themed' funeral which is due to take place in Alpharetta, Georgia, on Saturday.

Speaking to Daily Mail Online the source said: ‘Dionne is planning a trip and threatening to not attend the funeral because Pat Houston is taking over even though she should be making decisions with Bobby and not doing it on her own.’ 

Soon after the Houston family and friends (pictured) left the funeral home, the Brown family arrived to view Bobbi Kristina’s body, causing speculation that the families had planned to avoid each other 

Pouring in: Family and friends arrived for the viewing of Bobbi Kristina's body on Friday in Atlanta, Georgia

A source told Daily Mail Online that Dionne Warwick (not pictured) was one of the latest family members to become involved in in-fighting, even threatening to boycott the ceremony. She was not seen on Friday

Hugs: Passers-by could see the vast family hugging on the porch, six months after Bobbi fell into a coma

The Houstons arrive to Murray Brothers Funeral Parlor from the back entrance in two SUVs on Friday

Embrace: Though relatives are said to be fighting over Bobbi Kristina's inheritance, they put on a united front on Friday

Bobbi Kristina was 22 when she died last Sunday in hospice care, three and a half years after her mother Whitney Houston died

The source continued: ‘Dionne resents Pat acting like she is the head of the Houston family when in reality she married into the family. Also everyone knows that Bobbi Kristina and Pat didn’t get along well after her mother died because she was trying to run her life and tell her what to do with the money she inherited.

‘Pat wants to have a “sweet sixteen” theme funeral but Dionne feels that is stupid and disrespectful to Bobbi Kristina.’

Bobbi Kristina died on Sunday age 22 six months after she was found face down and unresponsive in the bath-tub of the Roswell, Georgia, home she shared with then boyfriend, Nick Gordon, 25.

Gordon is now a person of interest to investigators attempting to piece together the events that led to Bobbi Kristina’s untimely death.

But according to TMZ, he has still written to Bobbi Kristina's father and Pat Houston begging for permission to attend the funeral service.

Privacy: Large black and white umbrellas were put up to shield relatives as they entered and exited the funeral home on Friday

Patrol: SUVs were seen arriving in convoy to the Georgia funeral home for the event on Friday after having traveled from Pat and Gary Houston's mansion

Decorations: One guest carried a plant into the funeral home on Friday in Atlanta, Georgia 

The email states: 'I loved Krissi with all my heart and I am destroyed that she is gone and I need to say goodbye.

'Krissi loved me very much and she would want me there'.

The chances of him being accepted by the family are, however, slim to none.

The Houston family has slapped him with a $10million lawsuit alleging that he abused her and stole her money while she was in a medically induced coma.

While Gordon has been a figure of controversy with Bobby Brown banning him first from his daughter’s hospital bedside and latterly from the hospice in which she spent her final weeks, he is the only point on which the Brown and Houston families appear to agree.

The $20million fortune that Bobbi Kristina inherited on her mother’s death will now go to her grandmother Cissy leaving her father Bobby Brown out in the cold.

Today Bobby Brown’s sister, Leolah took to her Facebook page to issue just one of many rants against Pat Houston whom she earlier damned for attempting to raise money for her foundation through public donations in Bobbi Kristina’s name.

Then, she wrote: ‘The Brown family has just learned that Marion Patricia Houston, AKA: Pat Houston, is asking for the public to send money to her foundation (The Marion P Foundation) on behalf of my niece Bobbi Kristina.

Grand: A large bouquet of flowers was brought into the funeral home early on Friday ahead of Bobbi Kristina's wake 

Potted plants were carried into the funeral home on Friday after a marquee and furniture were delivered on Thursday to Pat Houston's home

Nick Gordon (not pictured) was not invited to the family ceremony despite personally appealing to Bobby Brown

Red roses: Here, a man is seen arriving with a delicate bouquet for Bobbi Kristina's send-off

Ready to go: Nearby, a tent goes up in the backyard of Pat Houston's Georgia home for the Saturday event

Nick Gordon with Bobbi Kristina Brown. He has reportedly begged her father Bobby Brown for an invite to her funeral on Saturday

Close: Bobbi, who died aged 22, was closed to both her aunt Pat (left) and her mother's cousin Dionne (right)

‘She has not even sat down & spoken to my brother Bobby, who is Bobbi Kristina’s father, about this. PLEASE keep your money in your pockets and give absolutely NOTHING to the Marion P foundation. Unless you don’t mind supporting such an evil and dirty foundation. Lastly, keep your eyes & ears open as THE TRUTH is being revealed.’

In her latest Facebook diatribe, posted today, Leolah appears to challenge Pat Houston to face off with her publicly.

She wrote: ‘You notice, no matter what I say, Pat never says anything following, to at least defend herself? Just think about it. Use your God-given brains. If, what I was saying was untrue or just talking for no reason at all…whey would she not defend herself if I am wrong?

‘…I will tell you. Because SHE CANNOT talk back to truth. She has no leg to stand on.

‘Furthermore, she is not the sweet quiet person that she “tried” so hard to make people believe she was on the Oprah show. She would like the public to think that..but she is very good and polished on keeping her composure when she is under the microscope.’

Leolah goes onto claim: ‘Whitney and I spoke on this on many occasions – so don’t let her fool you. Although she is being quiet, she is indeed heated right now! Because her world is tumbling down!’

In the lengthy and rambling post Leolah stated: ‘She is actually in shock right now J because a Brown is usually silent. If you check my record: “I never have said anything until Whitney was murdered and now my niece Bobby Kristina!...I play no games nor pull any punches when it comes to the truth! I am ready on any given day. And she could come any way she would ever choose. She will be at the bottom. This is why she is quiet and refuse (sic) to comment of fight me on anything I say!’