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“I Didn’t Even Have Time To React”: Bridesmaids Save Bride From Attention-Stealing MIL
Woman in elaborate outfit stands against sparkling gold backdrop at wedding, embodying MIL trying to be center of attention.

“I Didn’t Even Have Time To React”: Bridesmaids Save Bride From Attention-Stealing MIL

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The parents of the couple certainly have a role to play at their wedding. However, it’s not the center of attention—the spotlight is for the bride and groom. And sadly, not everyone understands this.

A recent post on the subreddit r/CharlotteDobreYouTube tells the story of a mother-in-law who seemed to be incapable of accepting that her son was committing to another woman, and what happened when she tried to make everything about herself. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t pretty!

RELATED:

    Some moms have a hard time accepting other women into their son’s life

    Middle-aged woman in white outfit sitting with crossed arms, appearing upset during wedding attention conflict.

    Image credits: Darina Belonogova / Pexels (not the actual photo)

    And they can cause a lot of unnecessary drama, especially during weddings

    Text excerpt from a story about a mother-in-law trying to be the center of attention at a wedding and being forced to change her outfit.

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    Text excerpt describing a MIL trying to be the center of attention during a wedding and interfering with planning.

    Text excerpt from a story about a MIL trying to be the center of attention during wedding and conflicting outfit choices.

    Text excerpt discussing a fairy tale wedding and a mother-in-law trying to be the center of attention during a wedding.

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    This woman even showed up to her son’s big day in a sparkly cream gown

    Woman in ornate white wedding dress with gold embroidery standing against a sequin gold background at a wedding event.

    Image credits: Kunsulu Saurtaeva / Pexels (not the actual photo)

    MIL trying to be the center of attention at a wedding by wearing a sparkly, cream-colored gown similar to the bride’s dress.

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    Text screenshot describing how a bridesmaid quickly stopped the MIL trying to be the center of attention during wedding.

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    Luckily, the bridesmaids were ready for her antics

    Bride in white wedding dress surrounded by bridesmaids in burgundy gowns during a wedding with MIL attention drama.

    Image credits: Joeyy Lee / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

    Text explaining MIL forced to change her outfit during wedding after trying to be the center of attention and security intervention.

    MIL trying to be the center of attention during wedding, facing drama and forced to change her outfit after confrontation.

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    Mother-in-law trying to be the center of attention during wedding, delivering a long speech and being asked to change outfit.

    Woman wearing a brown knitted sweater looking stressed, illustrating MIL trying to be the center of attention during wedding.

    Image credits: Kaboompics.com / Pexels (not the actual photo)

    Mother-in-law tries to be the center of attention at a wedding and gets forced to change her outfit by the couple.

    Mother-in-law tries to be the center of attention at wedding, leading to a forced outfit change before photos are approved.

    Mother-in-law trying to steal the spotlight at a wedding, advised to change her outfit and respect boundaries.

    Image credits: Ariel_lovekittens

    Image credits: Ron Lach / Pexels (not the actual photo)

    Even the most rational and loving mom can make her child’s wedding more difficult than it needs to be

    “If you feel that you are in a relationship with someone that you see yourself marrying, it’s important to invest time in that relationship with their parents,” says licensed marriage and family therapist Lauren Mollica.

    “The wedding planning process is just an example of overcoming stress or an obstacle together, and when you are married to someone, there will be bigger things that you will have to come together to tackle. Developing a relationship where sharing feelings is normalized sets really great groundwork.”

    According to Mollica, most conflicts that arise during wedding planning are not just about the color of the welcome bags or the shape of dessert forks. They arise from deeper things like emotional insecurities and stress.

    “Historically, this can be a pivotal time where there might be clashes between how a [person] was raised, family traditions, and moving towards acceptance from the mother-in-law that her [child] will be creating [their] own traditions and priorities,” she says.

    “It’s a big moment of reflection when it comes to new family boundaries that are being created, and that can be a scary feeling at times. The bride [or groom] is also coming in with their own traditions and values; it creates this dance of fear and defensiveness that can get really ugly.”

    Image credits: Quang Anh Ha Nguyen / Pexels (not the actual photo)

    But upstaging the bride on her big day should be avoided

    Traditionally, white is reserved for the bride, and anyone who wears the same shade is considered to be stealing her attention.

    And yes, the rule also applies to cream, ivory, and beige. “It’s all white!” says stylist Micaela Erlanger, who works with the likes of Lupita Nyong’o and Diane Kruger.

    Certain colors can look white in the photos, too. So, it’s better to avoid pale pink, butter yellow, or something similar that’s a tad too close.

    One way couples can avoid misunderstandings is by letting their guests know in advance what they have in mind. “Now more than ever, this idea of giving your guests recommendations or suggestions, along with the dress code, has become more common practice,” Erlanger says. “I’m frequently asked to provide mood boards that are linked to clients’ wedding websites with suggestions for what guests should wear. Part of the invitation design, and part of the idea of curating your event, also includes really fun attire recommendations. By no means is it an instruction manual, but it points guests in the right direction.”

    However, something tells me that even if the Redditor told her mother-in-law exactly what to wear, she still would have arrived in something else.

    The woman’s story has received a lot of attention online

    Reddit users discuss a mother-in-law trying to be the center of attention during a wedding and being forced to change her outfit.

    Screenshot of a Reddit conversation discussing a MIL trying to be the center of attention at a wedding and outfit changes requested.

    MIL tries to be the center of attention during wedding, shocked guests react as she is forced to change her outfit

    Online discussion about MIL trying to be center of attention during wedding and the impact on family dynamics.

    MIL trying to be center of attention at wedding, facing outfit change to avoid upstaging the bride and groom.

    Comments discussing a mother-in-law's outfit at a wedding, with one joking about a Halloween costume replica.

    Comment on online forum about supporting husband when dealing with difficult mother-in-law trying to be the center of attention during wedding.

    MIL tries to be the center of attention during wedding, bridesmaids enforce dress code change to set boundaries.

    MIL tries to be the center of attention during wedding, causing drama and being forced to change her outfit.

    Comment advising husband to set boundaries with MIL trying to be the center of attention during wedding event.

    Comment warning about not letting MIL be the center of attention or have access to your home key.

    Comment advising to avoid letting the MIL be the center of attention during the wedding and control communication.

    Comment about MIL trying to be center of attention at wedding and being forced to change her outfit discussed online.

    Comment about MIL trying to be the center of attention during a wedding and handling intrusive behavior.

    Comment about MIL trying to be the center of attention during wedding, with advice on photo editing and appearance adjustments.

    Comment advising to set firm boundaries with MIL to prevent attention-seeking behavior during wedding and enforce consequences.

    Mother-in-law wearing a cream-colored floor-length gown trying to be center of attention at a wedding event.

    Mother-in-law trying to be the center of attention at a wedding, being asked to change her outfit by guests.

    Comment text on a white background saying Huge fan of your bridesmaids with username Impossible_Balance11.

    Mother-in-law tries to be the center of attention at a wedding and gets forced to change her outfit by family members.

    Comment about mother of the groom trying to be center of attention at wedding with inappropriate outfit choice.

    Alt text: Comment discussing a mother-in-law trying to be the center of attention during a wedding and needing to change her outfit.

    MIL tries to be the center of attention during wedding, gets forced to change her outfit by family members.

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    Comment reading MommaGuy requesting to post every unflattering picture of a woman, discussing MIL attention during wedding and outfit change.

    Comment praising MOH and bridesmaids for support during wedding, mentioning prime steak and ice cream treats.

    Comment discussing a husband's role in managing his mother-in-law who tries to be the center of attention during a wedding.

    Reddit comment discussing a mother-in-law trying to be the center of attention during a wedding and causing conflict.

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    Rokas Laurinavičius

    Rokas Laurinavičius

    Writer, Senior Writer

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    Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 300 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to.

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    Rokas Laurinavičius

    Rokas Laurinavičius

    Writer, Senior Writer

    Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 300 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to.

    Indrė Lukošiūtė

    Indrė Lukošiūtė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

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    I am a Visual editor at Bored Panda, I'm determined to find the most interesting and the best quality images for each post that I do. On my free time I like to unwind by doing some yoga, watching all kinds of movies/tv shows, playing video and board games or just simply hanging out with my cat

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    Indrė Lukošiūtė

    Indrė Lukošiūtė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    I am a Visual editor at Bored Panda, I'm determined to find the most interesting and the best quality images for each post that I do. On my free time I like to unwind by doing some yoga, watching all kinds of movies/tv shows, playing video and board games or just simply hanging out with my cat

    What do you think ?
    Alexandra
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is what being a bridesmaid is about: making sure the bride can enjoy her day by keeping negativity at bay for her.

    FranSinclair
    Community Member
    1 month ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My husband and myself never had a wedding and even 20years in our familes ask when/if we will and i tell those im close with (& my family that doesnt know her) that im waiting until (my husbands) Aunt Deb dies. No lie...i have never seen her not show up late *loudly* right as the bride is walking down the aisle. Flower girl, bride, loud a*s deb. Theres usually just eye rolls but my family is not like that....idk if my bio mom or step mom would tackle her first or if theyd team up for a royal rumble in the parking lot while im saying my vowels 🤣

    FreeTheUnicorn
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Would people really pay attention to MIL instead of the couple and the booze? People go to a wedding because it's a good party, and a chance to catch up with folk they haven't seen in a long time. Anyone acting up is just embarrassing themselves, there's no need to feed the chaos fire they are trying to start Guests are just going to look at MIL's outfit and see her for the tacky person she is OP is only giving her MIL power when she reacts just enjoy the day, or duck out and start the honeymoon early

    Tabitha
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Listen with people like this MIL, if you give them an inch, they’ll take ten miles. Let her wear what looks like a wedding dress to her son’s wedding? No f*****g way. Stopping that b******t hopefully stops her ratcheting it up throughout the wedding, trying to barge into the honeymoon, and generally trampling on their marriage til the day she dies. No, nip that s**t in the bud immediately and be on guard for it to happen again. Glad the bridesmaids had the bride’s back and ganged up on MIL. That’s a posse to be a part of your whole life.

    Load More Replies...
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    Alexandra
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is what being a bridesmaid is about: making sure the bride can enjoy her day by keeping negativity at bay for her.

    FranSinclair
    Community Member
    1 month ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My husband and myself never had a wedding and even 20years in our familes ask when/if we will and i tell those im close with (& my family that doesnt know her) that im waiting until (my husbands) Aunt Deb dies. No lie...i have never seen her not show up late *loudly* right as the bride is walking down the aisle. Flower girl, bride, loud a*s deb. Theres usually just eye rolls but my family is not like that....idk if my bio mom or step mom would tackle her first or if theyd team up for a royal rumble in the parking lot while im saying my vowels 🤣

    FreeTheUnicorn
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Would people really pay attention to MIL instead of the couple and the booze? People go to a wedding because it's a good party, and a chance to catch up with folk they haven't seen in a long time. Anyone acting up is just embarrassing themselves, there's no need to feed the chaos fire they are trying to start Guests are just going to look at MIL's outfit and see her for the tacky person she is OP is only giving her MIL power when she reacts just enjoy the day, or duck out and start the honeymoon early

    Tabitha
    Community Member
    1 month ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Listen with people like this MIL, if you give them an inch, they’ll take ten miles. Let her wear what looks like a wedding dress to her son’s wedding? No f*****g way. Stopping that b******t hopefully stops her ratcheting it up throughout the wedding, trying to barge into the honeymoon, and generally trampling on their marriage til the day she dies. No, nip that s**t in the bud immediately and be on guard for it to happen again. Glad the bridesmaids had the bride’s back and ganged up on MIL. That’s a posse to be a part of your whole life.

    Load More Replies...
    Load More Comments
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