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Don’t want mother in law at wedding. What do I do?

94 replies

House174565 · 12/08/2020 20:44

I know this may seem selfish but I’ll explain.... please be kind/gentle.

Me and my mother in law do not get along. It’s completely irreversible. We did get along when I first got with my OH. She was a nice lady, bit of a drama queen but what MILs aren’t! Without sounding sour she does flit from man to man as she likes money and when they don’t buy her what she wants they’re gone, but that’s up to her.

Anyway, I found out rather quickly after being with my OH (8 months) that I was pregnant. My little boy wasn’t planned, I was on contraception but unfortunately it failed - I guess you hear that off a lot of people but genuinely it is the truth. I was on the injection for 5+ years and never missed any appointments.

My MIL was happy for us when we told her and everything was great until she met the man she’s with now. He’s a bit of a know it all / heavily opinionated type and when I was 30 weeks pregnant actually shouted at me for being heavily pregnant and too exhausted to take on tasks! But because I had a go back and told my OH (wasn’t there at the time) and my OH had a go, I’m in the wrong with my MIL. She’s called me every name under the sun and I’m deemed not good enough for her son.

At that point I said to my OH I think it best I not be involved with your MIL for a while as I don’t want to cause drama. He agreed but obviously he’s carried on a relationship with them. From that point she’s taken it a step further which in my opinion is a little psycho. She firstly tried to prove I was a liar to break me and my OH up. By 1. She called my old place of work up to ask whether I’d ever worked there. 2. She asked for my graduation certificates to prove my qualifications. 3. She asked for my registration documents to prove who I’m registered with (work related) 4. She did a check on my car to see what finance is on it and how much down payment I put on it. 5. She tried to gain passwords to check my personal information. She did A lot of other things too!
I did give my OH all the above details she’d asked for as she went on that much he started to doubt me.

She then tried to turn my OH against me. She again mentioned all the above even though none of it came to anything as I am not a liar. She then told my OH I’d only gotten pregnant to trap him and that I’d planned it all along. She actually asked him if he was sure our son was actually his! She made up lies, saying I’d told her things that were not true, apparently I’ve lied because I’m intimidated of her and so on..... bare in mind I was around 33-34 weeks pregnant when all this kicked off and I gave birth at 36 weeks! I also had very bad antenatal depression which went into postnatal depression. I personally think the stress she put on my relationship made it a lot worse.

I won’t keep rambling on but it does get worse. She’s said and done some very unforgivable things. I tried to forgive, I really have but then she started again after our son was born and to this day If my OH mentions me she’ll call me some nasty stuff. Oh and she had the audacity to ask my OH to rent her house off her as she’s moving in with her partner!

So....... fast forward. Me and my OH are looking at wedding plans as we’re going to book it in for early 2022. I really do not want her or her partner there. That much so that I’ll even consider not marrying my OH if it meant she not be there. I know factual shell say something at the wedding to hurt me. My main worry is a fight breaking out between my MIL and my family (they’ve never met). I also know she will put me down, there will also be several other dramas she’ll cause from now until the wedding. I just can’t do it, it’s making me feel sick thinking about having her there! Even other family members do not like his mum. My OH dad for example, doesn’t go to any function which involves her as she and his new wife actually end up physically fighting! When I first started seeing my OH his friends actually use to call to make sure his mum wasn’t home before they came round! It’s ridiculous!!

What do I do? I’ve spoken to my partner and we can’t agree on whether to having a small wedding in this country and only invite close family (which I’d absolutely love) OR to go abroad and not invite anyone. We have close family and friends who would love to be there, it’s just his mum! I also don’t want to ruin his relationship between him and his mum. I also don’t want to ruin our relationship as he might resent me for asking her not to be invited.

Could I have opinions please? Thank you xx

OP posts:
autumnboys · 12/08/2020 20:47

I would elope, if you’re completely determined to marry him. However, he’s clearly passing you everything she’s saying about you, so I think the question might be why is he not telling her to shut up and not talk about you like that?

Butterbeeeen · 12/08/2020 20:49

I just got married and didn’t have my MIL there. I got away with it by not inviting my DM either. We had our 5 closest friends and their children there. No family, no stress, no drama. You can’t invite everyone exept MIL without causing further problems in my opinion.

Feralkidsatthecampsite · 12/08/2020 20:50

Mil had no real involvement in our lives after backing away massively when we had a dc. Her choice.
Then 10 months later she tried to take over our wedding plans.
Dh went round and told as she wasn't really a part of our family it would be inappropriate for her to be invited.
She put on the tears and haven't seen her or spoken for 5 and a half years.
Bliss.
I somehow doubt from what your dp thinks that he will be as agreeable as mine was..

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BlodwynBludd · 12/08/2020 20:54

Elope!

Lovebug06 · 12/08/2020 20:55

Wow op that sounds tough. I'd say elope. It will cause a big fall out if you invite everyone but her, Of course she doesn't deserve an invite but will you dp stand by you if you do that?

Illuyanka · 12/08/2020 20:57

You are with your oh for 8 months, and the wedding isn't until 2022, yet you decided you want your oh to to ditch his own mother?
Seriously, it's long way to go, you may still be in the same situation, or it could be totally different in 2 years time. Why are you getting frustrated now?

Starlightstarbright1 · 12/08/2020 20:58

I would elope - do it abroad- I would prioritise my money on my family not the wedding.

7yo7yo · 12/08/2020 20:58

Why should the rest of the family miss out because your mil is a bitch? Have whichever wedding you want and don’t invite her. This is her fault not yours.

june2007 · 12/08/2020 20:59

Go abroad.

Wheelerdeeler · 12/08/2020 21:04

You have an OH problem. Do not marry this man.

saltycat · 12/08/2020 21:05

The answer is staring you in the face OP. If your DP is ok with it, do it yourselves with two witnesses.

Tell no one.

Or you can have the drama of a wedding where the MIL etc. are not invited and you know what will happen there.

Or you can invite her and ignore her, put her sitting beside Great Aunt Mildred or whatever.

I'd choose number one!

LillianBland · 12/08/2020 21:06

Marry abroad and only invite your closest friends. Tell her that you plan on getting married on a certain date but get married a few days earlier. You can say there was a cancellation and you jumped at the change of getting married sooner, so you could relax on your honeymoon, so she can’t spoil it. Quietly talk to your parents and tell them you want them to ‘surprise’ you by turning up. Don’t marry your partner unless he wishes up and tells his mum to wise the fuck up.

LillianBland · 12/08/2020 21:07

*wises up

SconNotScone · 12/08/2020 21:09

@Illuyanka the OP doesn’t state how long they’ve been together. It is more than 8 months though - they found out she was pregnant after 8 months, and now they have a little boy, so presumably they have been together at least around a year and a half, possibly more depending on how old the child is.

Blankblankblank · 12/08/2020 21:09

Gretna gree, Las Vegas or local registry office - it doesn’t matter where.

Just do it in secret so she can’t cause chaos.

BittersweetMemories · 12/08/2020 21:10

I don't know the answer.

My MIL to be has done and said some unforgivable things to me as well. DP stuck up for me and we went low contact for a while but she's wormed herself back in. I'm pleasant to her but keep her at arms distance.

We are getting married next year and she is invited because I wouldn't expect DP to not invite his own mother to his wedding however I do have recurring stress dreams about her objecting or crying during the ceremony or pouring a glass of red wine over me...

I'd rather she wasn't there but I couldn't ask DP for her not to be there so I just have to suck it up!

HathorX · 12/08/2020 21:10

Elope, then have a celebration party separately without her.

notacooldad · 12/08/2020 21:12

She was a nice lady, bit of a drama queen but what MILs aren’t!🙄
Plenty!!

Alwaysinpain · 12/08/2020 21:12

@House174565 unfortunately it failed

Hmm
merryhouse · 12/08/2020 21:15

Why do you need to go abroad? Just call up the Register Office and ask when they can fit you in.

TeaChocKitKat · 12/08/2020 21:17

I'd elope and avoid any drama. You can get some really lovely wedding for 2/ elopement packages in this country or abroad.

MyPersona · 12/08/2020 21:19

bit of a drama queen but what MILs aren’t!

Hmm
ladybirdsarelovely33 · 12/08/2020 21:20

Concerned as to your OH. Why are you or he supplying certificates etc to his mum?
It doesn't sound as if he has your back as much as he should OP. That is what concerns me.
If you marry him, can you step away from mum realistically?

cringeworthit · 12/08/2020 21:24

You have an OH problem

I'm inclined to agree. She has behaved unbelievably badly towards you. He is supposed to love you, he is the father of your DC and he wants to marry you. Yet he doesn't seem to be sticking up for you, does he?

Zilla1 · 12/08/2020 21:25

I'm sorry to hear that, OP.

You certainly have the right to invite whom you want, OP, in those circumstances. Ultimately you can present your DP with a choice, no marriage or a marriage without his DM and her DP. You seem to prefer a local wedding to which your family and friends could go and presumably your DP's DF. If you wouldn't worry his DM and her DP could try and turn up then plan for that - I suppose at a venue which could be secured (I think churches in England would struggle to prevent someone attending but a reception at a private house or hotel might be able to exclude them). If this would be a worry then I suppose an overseas wedding could remove that risk.

I suppose if your DP refuses not to invite his DM after what his DM did to his pregnant wife then that will tell you something, unfortunately.

Good luck.