To ask Mil to return the dresses?

[Ginmakesitallok]

We have an important family wedding early next year. Today we (dds and i) bumped into dmil in town. She was excited to show me 2 dresses she'd bought in the sales for dds. They were awful! (But half price, so Mil couldn't resist) Dd1's face fell when she saw hers - white floaty thing with diamanté, dd2's was a sparkly bridesmaid dress. Neither of dds are bridesmaids. I was in a stinking mood, having spent the morning school shoe shopping. I told her that I didn't like them, they were too bridesmaidy and asked if she could return them. She did. I feel guilty. Should I have just taken them???

She managed to return them no problem- made me go with her to tell the cashier that I didn't like them!

Now we've sorted out the school shoes, what is an important wedding? Are there unimportant weddings?

Tone is everything, along with body language.
If you were very nice, smiley, appreciate of the effort and apologetic to ask her to take them back, then YANBU

If you were giving off a vibe of frustration, due to shoe shopping and your body language was off, then YABU.

Nobody can tell you as we weren't there.

Most important wedding to me so far in my life as it's my only twin brother who is getting married. I'm not implying that other weddings are unimportant. ..

Perhaps your MIL is trying to insinuate that your DDs should be bridesmaids for your twin brother's wedding?

Surely that is for the bride and groom to decide, not the op's mil?

Surely that is for the bride and groom to decide, not the op's mil?
Definitely but why else would you be buying dresses (bridesmaid style) for a wedding that you are not even invited to?

Because they were a bargain and Mil can't walk past a bargain....

My mother would be exactly the same with a bargain!

I kind of like her style in dragging you to the till

she should have thought about that before she bought them, without asking for the child's mothers opinion first.
Absolutely, by saying that she might not be able to return them I meant that it was sort of tough on the MIL as she might not be able to take them back not that the OP should have to accept them.

She managed to return them no problem
Luckily (for everybody) she managed to return them.

My MIL was very much the same when she was still able to leave the house on her own. She couldn't walk past a 'bargain' even if it was something she didn't want for herself. Would often buy cheap crap just because, 'I thought you might like it'. Tremendous tact was required.

Would often buy cheap crap just because, 'I thought you might like it'. Tremendous tact was required.
That sort of reminds me of when my son used to help at his scout group's jumble sales and he would come home with some right old tatt and say but I thought you would really like it and it was only 10p.
It was so hard not to laugh.