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Wedding comparisons getting me down

210 replies

SP346 · 17/01/2024 07:07

I’m going to start by saying that I know I’m being unreasonable. I’m very pregnant and hormonal right now but I still need to get this off my chest.

I got married to my husband 2 years ago. We have an amazing marriage. We rarely argue, we get along great. We’re both quiet people and we keep our relationship private. We post photos together on social media and hold hands in public, but we don’t broadcast details about our marriage. For example, we sort any arguments out by talking through them together rather than by sharing it with others or letting it turn into shouting.

As we’re both quite quiet and shy people, we had a small wedding and we did a few non-traditional things to ease our anxieties. We’re in the UK where private first looks aren’t common but we had one and saw each other privately just before the ceremony. We both got very emotional with this, which meant neither of us cried during the actual ceremony as we got it out of our system early. We also had a private first dance with no audience, and we wrote a speech to each other, which we read to each other privately in our honeymoon suite with wedding cake and tea. These intimate moments were my absolute favourite part of our wedding and are memories we both cherish. We have no recordings of them but we don’t feel the need to. We still mixed with guests but those moments just the two of us were perfect.

My husbands brother got married in the summer and he and his wife could not be any more different than my husband and I. They both do acting as their careers and are very theatrical. We all know every detail of their marriage and they frequently argue in front of family. I know it’s normal to argue though and that every couple is different.

In their wedding, they saw each other for the first time in the ceremony. My husband’s brother broke down sobbing and his reaction was beautiful. They had a public first dance and shared their speeches about each other publicly too. This was all so lovely and I felt nothing but happiness for them.

Since their wedding has passed, however, my husband and I have received a lot of comments from his family. I’ve been told, ‘I bet you wish he cried when he saw you’. We’ve been questioned about why we didn’t do speeches or a dance, etc. My husband has a 26 year old sister who’s just got engaged and has openly said that she wants to be reacted to in the same way when she walks down the aisle, and she openly pities me, as does my MIL.

At the time I really didn’t care. I adore my husband and I know he adores me, and I wouldn’t change anything about our wedding or our marriage. It’s just started bothering me that our weddings are being compared so much. As nobody saw our intimate moments, his side of the family assume they just didn’t happen, and use that to state that my husband’s brother must love his wife more than my husband loves me.

im very much of the mindset that not every little thing needs to be shared publicly, and I wouldn’t change having the big wedding moments done privately for anything.

I know my husband adores me, and I know I’m being unreasonable and ridiculous and it’s my pregnancy hormones. And I feel ridiculous writing this. We just ignore the wedding comparisons and I didn’t care about them until I got further into my pregnancy.

Please tell me I’m being ridiculous, and please also share if you’ve experienced similar.

To add also, I’m not jealous of their wedding. I’d have dreaded doing a public first dance and speeches because of my anxiety and it would have spoiled my enjoyment of my wedding day

OP posts:
TygerPassant · 17/01/2024 09:54

BIossomtoes · 17/01/2024 09:44

No. I’d never heard of it before this thread and I’ve been to weddings that had some very odd elements.

I must say I’m enjoying the insights into things other people clearly consider normal.

The bride and groom continually retreating to do things ‘privately’, but announcing it in the order of service anyway, sounds a bit like exclusive clubs that then have roped-off VIP areas ordinary people aren’t allowed into.

The weeping, overcome grooms who go to pieces at the sight of the bride in a wedding dress always remind me of the bit in When Harry Met Sally when Sally is watching her friend Marie try on her wedding dress. She’s zoned out, eating sweets and talking about her own relationship woes, and it’s only when Marie actually draws her attention to the dress, which she’s been wearing for the whole scene, that Sally sits up, realises she’s supposed to be moved and admiring, puts on a pious expression and says ‘Oh, MARIE!’

MediumDwarf · 17/01/2024 09:52

Same!

I did everything I wanted cost no object, for 60 people. I’d have been happy with 40, but our parents wanted to invite wider family.

garlictwist · 17/01/2024 09:51

We are planning our wedding. We are not having a first dance, I am not having a hen do and my dad isn't doing a speech. This is all my preference because I am a low key person and don't want loads of fuss on me. My sister keeps telling me I will regret it if I don't "do it properly" but I disagree entirely. Your wedding day sounds lovely and what it should be - an intimate expression of love between two people.

RootVegAndMash · 17/01/2024 09:50

I can't think of much that would put me off more than if dh had 'broke down sobbing' as I walked down the aisle 😬 Is that really a desirable reaction?!?

I remember dh looking proud and happy and smiling at me, which was perfect.

If anyone told me it was a shame dh hadn't cried I'd laugh at them tbh.

NoWayRose · 17/01/2024 09:49

“I bet you wish he cried…” This comment is nuts! It says everything about the sayer and nothing about you

Workawayxx · 17/01/2024 09:49

Myglassishalffullish · 17/01/2024 08:23

Smile sweetly, say “comparison is the thief of joy” do a smug shrug 🤷🏼‍♀️ and change the subject ….. your celebrations sound perfect 👌🏻

This is a great idea. Do this every single time in exactly the same way and they should get the message that their stupid comparisons are getting boring.

Alternatively, if someone keeps on with the same boring shit, I just start going "mmhhmmm..." when they start on and basically ignore them. Grey rock, grey rock, grey rock. Takes the wind out of their sails when they get no reaction!

I do feel for you and don't think you are being unreasonable at all. It's really rude of them to make these comparisons. Suggesting your DH loves you less because he reacted differently to you coming down the aisle? That's just really unkind (and ridiculous). Just keep remembering it's more to do with them than you or what is actually true. My mum has married lots and lots of couples and has seen every reaction possible! I'm 100% sure she would say that the reaction or any aspect of the day is not indicative in any way of how much in love the couple are or how compatible they are, it's just different personalities reacting differently to a very emotional and often stressful situation.

MayMore · 17/01/2024 09:49

I think the whole wedding difference thing is a red herring.

Your in-laws sound immature and quite toxic - even if your wedding was 'in their style' this would've leaked through somewhere. Saying the things they said to you isn't the behaviour of well balanced secure people. Pity them and their immaturity OP, it almost certainly won't be the last of the jellyfish comments.

itsanewera · 17/01/2024 09:47

Your wedding sounds perfect! I've been to a lot of big weddings ( mine included) and I don't think I've never seen any bride or grooms cry! They all have perfectly happy marriages!

DappledThings · 17/01/2024 09:47

tennesseewhiskey1 · 17/01/2024 09:41

is this ‘private view’ a thing?! 🤔

I think it's an American thing. I've seen various US wedding reality shows where the couple meet before the ceremony for photos of their first look.

BIossomtoes · 17/01/2024 09:44

tennesseewhiskey1 · 17/01/2024 09:41

is this ‘private view’ a thing?! 🤔

No. I’d never heard of it before this thread and I’ve been to weddings that had some very odd elements.

tennesseewhiskey1 · 17/01/2024 09:41

is this ‘private view’ a thing?! 🤔

Iwasafool · 17/01/2024 09:39

You had what you wanted so why worry about what they think? My wedding was much more low key than yours, 5 guests, lunch at a local restaurant who were lovely when they realised we'd just got married and quickly did some decorations on our table which they moved to be more private. I travelled with husband in his van, we didn't have lowers, no new dress for me or suit for him. We've been married for almost 40 years and that's the bit that matters.

DappledThings · 17/01/2024 09:37

determinedtomakethiswork · 17/01/2024 09:33

I'm assuming you are from an Indian or Pakistani family, OP? You don't seem to have met before the wedding. It was pretty obvious that the actors were going to burst into tears no matter who appeared! It sounds like you had just the wedding that you wanted and you just have to keep repeating that.

There's nothing that suggests they hadn't met before the wedding. Not seeing each other on the day of the wedding until the ceremony is pretty standard for many cultures.

Dibilnik · 17/01/2024 09:35

Just tell them you and your DH don't really like each other that much, that's why your wedding was (apparently) so under-emotional. Then you can laugh about it in private 💗

Honestly, people like this are not worth wasting your energy on.

diddl · 17/01/2024 09:35

they frequently argue in front of family

I think that that is awful behaviour.

I know it’s normal to argue though

Nope!

My husband’s brother broke down sobbing and his reaction was beautiful.

Sounds embarrassing to me!

Your husband's family sound very rude.

For all their show, at the end of the day, both weddings resulted in a legal marriage-neither one meaning more or less than the other!

Evaka · 17/01/2024 09:34

AfterTheSummer · 17/01/2024 09:13

If I were told the bride and groom were retreating to the honeymoon suite to exchange vows in private, I’d assume “exchange vows in private” was code for a shag.

Dying!

determinedtomakethiswork · 17/01/2024 09:33

I'm assuming you are from an Indian or Pakistani family, OP? You don't seem to have met before the wedding. It was pretty obvious that the actors were going to burst into tears no matter who appeared! It sounds like you had just the wedding that you wanted and you just have to keep repeating that.

Evaka · 17/01/2024 09:32

Your wedding has literally inspired me to get married OP. Partner and I like the idea but all the public emotional spaffing makes me feel so nauseous. Just not who we are. You guys nailed it. Good luck with baby and ignore your super basic in laws xx

Revelwithacause · 17/01/2024 09:30

They are just annoyed you didnt share those moments with them.

Toddlerteaplease · 17/01/2024 09:28

As a PP said. If the groom was crying that much I'd be worried he was having second thoughts!

DancingInBigCircles · 17/01/2024 09:25

I think there is a fair amount of unspoken resentment underlying all this. The comments you describe are obviously not ok, but you know that, so ignore and concentrate on your pregnancy, and probably ask your husband to speak with them.

I do also think however if you have a wedding, rather than eloping, it is important to treat wedding guests well and include them in the day. People come to weddings because they want to share the experience, fun and celebration. If those elements are removed, people may feel excluded. It costs time and money to be a wedding guest, so I do think considering your guests is really important. Otherwise, why invite people? Eloping is the more obvious private choice.

I do think telling guests about sections of the wedding they were excluded from may also exacerbate this.

Goldbar31 · 17/01/2024 09:25

The way you did it sounds just perfect.
Comparison is the thief of joy and all that.

Your in-laws sound delightful.

HalebiHabibti · 17/01/2024 09:24

Maybe adopt various grey rock phrases?

"We were very happy with the way our day went."
"I was very happy with my wedding and wouldn't have changed it."
"Everyone is different, aren't they?"
"Oh well, never mind."

Keep the same set of boring statements on repeat and maybe they will get bored?!

When next sister gets married and people say "But didn't you want THAT for your wedding?", maybe vary it up with "We did have that - it was just private, which we were happy with."

They do sound like the epitome of 'pics or it didn't happen'!

Toddlerteaplease · 17/01/2024 09:23

I didn't know 'first looks' was even a thing. You did what you wanted. Sod everyone else!

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 17/01/2024 09:21

Ask your husband to stop passing on their comments when you're this pregnant and any equivalent about you babies too if possible