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Geneva
Just Said Yes March 2022

Bride has no voice

Geneva, on January 18, 2022 at 9:15 PM Posted in Etiquette and Advice 0 5

I (37F) am trying to plan a wedding with my fiancé (42M). I am 4 months pregnant and we have a shorter planning timeframe, with us ideally getting married in late Feb / early March. We initially went into this whole thing with an agreement that it would be a very small ceremony (us, our parents and fiancé’s sister) and then we would take off on a small honeymoon somewhere. I was fine with a chapel in Vegas or Reno, and fiancé was onboard with this, too. All I cared about was that I had a pretty dress for the actual wedding. Well, I got the dress last week (courtesy of my parents), and MIL and my mom came to the fitting. At the fitting my mom mentioned Reno, and MIL made a comment that Reno was “a pit”. MIL then suggested having it in a park local to her (I shot that idea down right away). Cue snarkiness and tension now between moms. I tried to deflect and change the subject since I was trying on dresses and it was supposed to be a happy time. Fast forward to this week, and now suddenly MIL has contacted several venues that she is offering to pay for in her area that start at $5000. MIL also wants to invite approx 12-18 family from her side, despite me still not wanting to really invite anyone on my side. Again, I’m preggo, I never wanted anything pricey and I do not have the energy to deal with planning (and I don’t want others planning it all for me). Suddenly now we are talking invitations and napkin colors, and a caterer with a type of food that I despise. I broke down in tears and told fiancé I wanted none of this and it is too stressful for me. Now fiancé says he does kind of like his mom’s ideas and he would like to have some of his family there for the wedding. So this infuriates MY parents of course, as they feel left out and as if they are going to be expected to pay for a wedding to cater only to fiancés family. Parents have been on my case for the past few days to either elope or postpone the whole thing (I can’t even THINK about planning a wedding while trying to figure out how to be a new parent) and it got to the point I told all parents and fiancé they were to leave me alone, not contact me or discuss anything wedding-related. Today, I just learned that my parents had called his parents and pretty much lit into them and said all kinds of hateful things, pretty much ruining that whole relationship. My parents now refuse to attend the wedding at all. I have brought up other nice venues to them in the $250/hr range but they cut me off and say that my ideas are stupid. And fiancé says he still wants to do a ceremony with family (with Reno / Vegas being a “last resort”) even after all this. I feel so lost and hopeless, like I’m screaming into a black hole. Does anyone have any advice on how to deal with parents and fiancé, or have any suggestions for compromises? I’m not even excited about any of this anymore and have given up even trying to think about it.


5 Comments

Latest activity by bevbabe, on January 19, 2022 at 9:14 AM
  • KYLIE
    Super May 2019
    KYLIE ·
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    OP, what a mess. I am so sorry. It seems like there's a lot of overstepping on both sides—from your MIL who wasn't listening to what you wanted to your parents calling your future inlaws to lay it into them (so inappropriate!!). If you and your fiance are going to raise a child together and commit to a life together, you need to get on the same page without anyone else involved and communicate your SHARED vision to everyone else.

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  • J
    Super March 2022
    JA ·
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    Weddings really do bring out the drama..... ugh. So sorry about this. I would have a heart to heart with FH about what you want and what he wants and come to an agreement (maybe its eloping, maybe it is signing the papers and calling it a day, maybe it is postponing) and then each of you needs to talk with your parents about what you have decided and tell them it is not open for discussion. I would explain that their actions have caused a lot of hurt and that it has made you really upset about what is supposed to be a happy time.

    Both of your families will either accept your choice and support you, or they won't. But absolutely be on the same page as FH and stand your ground.

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  • Jacks
    Rockstar November 2054
    Jacks ·
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    You and your fiancé are not on the same page here, which has to be stressful. He's telling you one thing then another. His mother definitely shouldn't run the show, and I would decline any and all help or money from her. He needs to stand up to her and advocate for what you both want.

    I'm not sure why your parents overstepped so badly, but I think they owe his parents an apology.

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  • Chloe
    Devoted February 2022
    Chloe ·
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    I'm so sorry you have to go through this. Have you thought about postponing your wedding until after your baby is born? Just have a long stress-free engagement, enjoy the first months with your baby, settle into being a family and then see if your priorities shift. I would honestly tell your parents and your future in-laws that, at this stage, you have no energy for their drama and you will be marrying later on your own terms. And if it isn't an option, then I just hope your FH will stand firm by your side and not cave into his mother's demands! You're a team and you have to hold to one another.
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  • B
    Devoted June 2023
    bevbabe ·
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    I think you should postpone the wedding, don't have your parents pay for it, and since your fiance and his family want a big wedding then they should contribute to it. However, you and your fiance need to come up with ideas and decisions you both can agree to. Maybe do a small courthouse wedding with just your parents and then a small vow renewal with your fiance's family (and any family you want) in a year? Your fiance's family should still contribute to that if that's what they want.

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