What is your greatest wedding-day fear? As a bride-to-be, Kelly Barker expected that the most difficult issues would be ill-fitting gowns, bad weather, and no-show guests. But when she started planning the wedding, she realized her true problem was her soon-to-be mother-in-law’s tendency to make a dramatic scene every time things did not go her way.
The happy couple
Kelly Barker knew she’d met the man she’d marry the moment she met Colin Lewis. He was thoughtful and compassionate, as well as honest and hardworking. It was difficult not to fall for him. He felt the same way about her when they met that fateful day that would change the course of their lives.
She recalled thinking to herself that he must’ve been raised properly. She thought that his parents must be responsible for the values and the manner in which he carried himself. Imagine her surprise when she discovered that his family had nothing in common with him.
Mom-in-law
Kelly Barker was a very friendly woman with a large circle of acquaintances. She got along with almost everyone, because she had an agreeable nature and was easygoing. Her fiance’s mother, and soon-to-be mother-in-law, was unfortunately not one of them, and was not preoccupied with concealing her true feelings about her.
Kelly and Colin were in their early thirties and had been dating for two years when Colin finally went ahead and proposed. Kelly nodded yes with happy tears, utterly oblivious of what she was getting herself into. She never could have anticipated what was about to come her way.
Awkward and civil
Kelly has had quite a few encounters with her future mother-in-law over the years. From all those occasions they spent time together, she had the impression that she did not like her one bit. Her fiance’s mother did not make any type of effort to get along better with her.
This was the main reason why Kelly did not invite her to go wedding dress shopping. Instead, to make her feel included, she texted her a picture of her selected garment so she could see it and give some feedback. It was a decision she would come to regret later.
Unexpected reply
What Kelly’s future mother-in-law received in the text was a lovely flowy beachy-looking dress with a delicate embroidered corset design around the waist. It looked perfect for the wedding and the garment was tastefully put together.
She got it from a little neighborhood boutique that she and Colin both adored. It was handmade, it fit her beautifully, and the price was right. Kelly expected a simple nice text from her mother-in-law after she sent the photo to her. Something like “Oh, it’s lovely! You made a great choice!” Instead, chaos reigned supreme. Her future mother-in-law was having none of it.
Acting aggressive
The despotic mother-in-law wrote back right away, demanding that she searched for another dress. Kelly honestly believed she was joking or being silly to get on her nerves, until she received a barrage of hysterical texts in response. It was no joke, she did not want her to get that dress for her own wedding.
Kelly shook her head as she scrolled through the threatening texts. She made it clear that she did not like it and that, therefore, she could not have it either. Kelly responded back, perplexed and wary, and asked why, but her response left her speechless.
Indignant
“I do not need to give you a reason,” she said when Kelly questioned why. You should follow my instructions without questioning them. That outfit isn’t proper.” However, much to her surprise, there was a hidden explanation — and it was unexpected!
However, Kelly was not going to allow someone tell her what to wear or not to wear at her own wedding. This is a once in a lifetime event and it has to be her way. Kelly said, “Sorry, but I’m still wearing this dress,” adding fuel to the fire. The mother-in-law took this reply as defiant and disrespectful.
Defiance
Kelly’s mother-in-law was a harsh woman who was obsessed with keeping up appearances. She grew up in a wealthy family and always appeared to obtain everything she desired. Her entitlement to other people’s lives and decisions felt natural to her. It was as if she were the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland, what she said was to be done.
Kelly’s disobedience was like a slap in the face. It was a sign that she wouldn’t take her word as authority for the way she conducts her life with her son. This defiant stance sent her off the rails.
Rising tension
Later that day, the unthinkable happened. Kelly received a call. It came from her future father-in-law, who told her that unless she agreed to change the wedding dress, the entire family would refuse to attend their wedding.
Their wedding was to be attended by only 40 individuals of closest friends and family. Colin’s family accounted for 15 of those individuals, all of whom were acting in an irrational manner. As it was expected, tensions between the engaged pair began to rise. Colin was put in a very compromising position by his mother and later with that call from his father.
Giving in
Colin pleaded with his bride-to-be to be flexible and change her mind about the dress. Her blood pressure was rising as a result of his reaction. How could he possibly support his family in this? They were acting completely out of character.
But her entire wedding was on the line. She did not want her future husband’s family to miss out on the wedding, but she also felt compelled to defend herself. She thought about it and decided to swallow her pride, because she wanted a peaceful celebration. So, she made a choice that would come back to haunt her.
Complete shock
Kelly finally gave up and chose a different wedding gown. So the day came and Kelly’s in-laws attended her wedding, and everyone was pleasant and polite– until she saw her mother-in-law’s dress.
Kelly’s mouth dropped open as she saw her mother-in-law attend her wedding in a green version of her previous wedding gown. As she strolled around in what should have been her bridal gown, true malice was written all over her face. It had now become personal. Her official mother-in-law had declared war on her and she was ready to put up a fight. This would not go unnoticed.
Reasoning
After witnessing her husband’s mother walking around the salon in the same wedding dress she was forbidden to wear, Kelly started looking for reasons why she would have done this. It became plainly evident why her mother-in-law prevented her from wearing her former wedding gown. She had purchased the dress for herself, but in a different color.
According to her, she claimed that if she wore the same dress as her “Everyone would think she was pathetic and trying to mimic her son’s wife on her wedding day.” She thought only of herself and what people would think about her.
Confrontation
Kelly approached her mother-in-law, enraged to the point that she thought she could spew molten lava from her pores. Hell broke loose inside of her and she went to confront her about this lack of respect.
“How dare you! Is this why you didn’t want me to wear the bridal gown of my dreams? Kelly snarled, “Because YOU wanted to wear it on my big day?” People started staring and shortly after a crowd started to form. The guests couldn’t believe what they were witnessing! It was as if a physical fight was about to happen between the two women.
Feeling livid
Kelly’s husband had no choice but to acknowledge his own mother’s disdain for his wife. Even he could not overlook her childish behavior any longer. It was very hard for him to deal with this situation in the middle of his wedding when everything should have gone perfect.
Kelly composed herself and took a step back, and went ahead and pretended to ignore her for the remainder of the day. Nevertheless, she could not hide the fact that her husband’s mother was spoiling her wedding day. But, something had to be done, there had to be justice in this world.
Taking action
Kelly should have been surrounded by individuals who loved her and Colin equally. They wanted to celebrate their marriage in a joyful and selfless way, and make it a memorable event to look back at when they get old. Her mother-in-law, on the other hand, made her feel insignificant and did not care about anyone else but herself.
She approached Colin after supper and confided in him. She told him how she felt about the entire situation. Everyone at the wedding party was taken aback by what they did next. The surprise was big because no one saw it coming!
Kicked out!
As Colin listened carefully to his now wife, he could see Kelly’s point of view and couldn’t help but agree with her assessment of his mother’s behavior. She had crossed the line and insulted his wife at her own wedding party. There had to be consequences to these actions.
They resolved to approach his mother after the lunch and politely begged her to leave the party. She wasn’t welcome to stay with them anymore because of her bad attitude. The mother, on the other hand, did not go quietly and caused quite the scandal for all the attendees to see!
Second doubts
As she stood up, she looked around at the present. When she eventually left, she had taken the majority of Colin’s family with her. Colin was heartbroken to have to urge his family to leave, but he could no longer tolerate their behavior.
He thought he had done the right thing. Kelly felt like she did the right thing as well, but the controversy ruined her special day and broke her husband’s heart. All these emotions made her question herself whether she had acted right. So, she went ahead and shared her tale on Reddit. She was appealing for assistance.
Looking for advice
She went on Reddit to explain the story and ask for people’s opinions. Was she in the wrong for kicking her mother-in-law out of the wedding party or did she exaggerate everything? After all, even if she was petty about the matter, she wanted to be able to admit her mistake and apologize. These people were now part of her family by marriage.
There was no way to get away from them at this point, they were here to stay and she would have to learn to deal with them. But here’s what Reddit users had to say about it.
Online opinions
Once she posted a summary of the grim events, the comments started multiplying fast. People seemed passionate about the story. “You can wear whatever you want,” one commenter said. However, at some point, you may need to consider whether this dress is more important than your wedding and your relationship with your in-laws.”
“I agree with this,” another Reddit user said, “but mom-in-law and her family are ridiculously overreacting.” Kelly kept reading the replies and reflected on the opinions of hundreds of strangers that were now emotionally invested in her story. Colin was curious and also read the Reddit comments.
Word of warning
Another anonymous internet user, on the other hand, gave Kelly a piece of advice. “Given how insane everyone in this family is, she should reconsider marrying into this family. These folks are insane, and they are going to make her life a living hell.”
This final piece of advice would come back to haunt Kelly and Colin just 6 months later, when the dreaded mother-in-law struck again in a way no one could have predicted. She was the kind of person who would hold a grudge forever and seek revenge when the time was right. This was just getting started!
Moving forward
Despite the warnings from fellow Redditors to flee the chaotic family, Kelly and Colin were adamant about letting love triumph and move on with their lives. They were newlyweds and had a lot of hopes and dreams for this next chapter in their lives.
They were able to settle into their new life without having to see much of their insane mother because they lived so far away. The long distance helped to not have to interact with that side of the family that often. That is, until Kelly’s parents announced a major event. Things were about to get messy.
The anniversary celebration
The 40th wedding anniversary of Kelly’s parents was coming up and the plan was to have a large gathering with all their family members. It was to be a big celebration with food and dance. Kelly had already planned a few great things in her thoughts, one of which included a short video tribute. All the verbal and digital invitations had been sent out.
Everything seemed to go as predicted. But suddenly, Colin burst into the kitchen with a concerned expression on his face. Something appeared to be distressing him greatly and Kelly was about to join him in sentiment.
Demanding an invite
Colin’s mother had dialed his number to speak to him as she usually did. He took the chance to inform her that he would be unable to visit them due to the anniversary celebration from his in-laws.
The conversation swiftly turned negative, with his mother accusing him of being impolite for not inviting her – after all, they were all family. Kelly’s pupils dilated with amazement and her blood boiled. Was she for real? She could already see the dreadful scenario that was about to unfold. Once again, she made it everything about herself and caused unnecessary drama in the family.
Reluctant compromise
After several lengthy discussions, a compromise was reached: Colin’s mother could attend, but that was it. There was simply no room for anyone else on that side of the family. Kelly’s parents also told Colin that no nonsense would be tolerated. When the big day arrived, people flocked to the recreation center, which had been decked out in a vivid, joyful Hawaiian motif.
Kelly’s blood began to boil when Colin’s mother entered the room. Once again, her mother-in-law was creating drama on purpose just to ruin other people’s celebration. She was hungry for attention, but even hungrier for Kelly’s wrath.
Overdressed, and then some
And so she entered the party, dressed in the same green gown she had worn at the previous wedding. That same gown that had caused mayhem on Kelly and Colin’s wedding day. But that was not the end of it.
Despite the demand for a casual dress code, she stood there with a full, intricate updo, heavy evening makeup, and costly jewelry, as if she were ready to go down the red carpet. The woman stood out like a sore thumb, and her grin was much more noticeable. The spiteful woman was trying to outstage anyone and everyone on purpose!
Barging in
Kelly received a regretful glance from Colin.He could not believe what was happening and he felt so embarrassed to have her as a mother. Kelly’s parents shook their heads and resumed meeting other members of the family.
The mother-in-law walked straight to the front table and sat in the spot that was assigned to Kelly. When she was asked to relocate to another place, her indignation was at nuclear levels. Unfortunately, the heinous acts continued to happen one after the other. The woman wasn’t self aware at all that she was causing trouble and hurting her son and daughter-in-law.
Trying to celebrate
Games, speeches, and emotional presents were all part of the festivities for the special wedding anniversary. Kelly was incredibly proud of her tribute video to her beloved parents, which she had worked on for days on end. Everyone in the family was in tears as a result of it.
Colin’s mother, on the other hand, sneered and rolled her eyes throughout it all as if it were a joke to her. She would also reach over and whisper something to the people sitting next to her. She was very much out of place and was being incredibly rude to them.
More than rude
She was apparently bragging about her own anniversary celebrations and how tacky a beach theme was. Those were only a few of the many abuses she hurled at the people around her at the table.
It did not take long for everyone in the family to want to get rid of her. Kelly’s father finally rose up and approached her to confront her about her poor attitude. He was not going to let this stranger ruin his anniversary like she had ruined his daughter’s wedding. Someone had to stop her and he felt he had to do something about it.
Bye bye
“If all you came here to do was be rude, you can leave. My daughter may have had no option but to put up with your actions at her wedding, but we do not have to.” Kelly’s father spoke from the heart and with class.
Colin’s mother quickly rose to her feet, her face flushed red with wrath. Colin immediately cut her off as she opened her mouth to speak in retaliation. “Mom, just get out of here. You are not welcome here.” It was another difficult and hurtful moment for Colin but he had to do what was right.
A new family
While a few others expressed similar views, the entire family erupted in cheers when the awful mother-in-law finally left. As furious texts from his mother flooded in, Colin turned off his phone.
He knew sticking up for his wife and in-laws was the right thing to do. He told Kelly’s parents, “At least I have one set of excellent parents.” They came together for a big group embrace and it was a bonding moment for everyone. The rest of the party was fantastic. They were all in agreement that that woman would never be invited to another event ever again.