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AIBU?

To want my mum to understand that it's supposed to be a simple wedding?

114 replies

TypicallyEnglishMustard · 25/02/2017 18:09

Our wedding is five weeks today. DFiance and I have planned and are paying for it ourselves. It's supposed to be "simple" in terms of arrangements, not in size (I have a very big extended family), e.g. No photographer (I can't bear hanging around for photos, and I definitely don't want to at my own wedding!), no cash bar (we've just bought loads of wine and beer and stuff to give to our guests), bridesmaids can wear whatever dress they choose, so won't be matching (they are all grown women and very different in appearance, so I'd rather they have something they ALL feel good in. I am, of course, paying for them, though), wood-fired pizzas for the dinner, reception is in a converted barn, no "theme colours", I'm doing my own hair and make-up, we are just going in the family car to the church, etc.

Essentially, we just want it to be a relaxed and fun day, with minimal fuss and faff. The money has largely been spent on food, drink and a venue which will be comfortable for guests (the barn has accommodation for 24 guests included in the price, so the few people who are coming from further afield will have somewhere to stay for free).

But my mum keeps getting herself involved in the planning. For reference, this is not through being a deliberate PITA, or because she craves control, or anything like that. My mum and I are extremely close, and she is absolutely lovely. My whole family, in fact, are very close: we all live in the same village, most of us live on the same street, etc. But I think she has a very specific idea for what her daughter's wedding should be, and she keeps "offering" to "improve" on our plans, by trying to arrange things which are bigger, better and more expensive than what we have planned.

I recognise that these are first world problems, and I'm very lucky to have a mum who cares, but I'm absolutely fed up with trying to fight my corner with my own plans, and stopping her from ordering last-minute expensive wedding cars, photographers, make-up artists and so on. Even a hog roast had to be cancelled the other day! (We've already paid for 80 large pizzas, with sides, and canapés, and pasties for the evening! There are only 80 guests to eat it all without a whole pig, too!) Things like photographers and make-up artists in particular make me feel very uncomfortable, as I hate anybody fussing around me, which I assume is what that involves.

After meeting mum for a cup of tea this afternoon, I have come away feeling more drained than I did finishing a 60 hour work week last night. At this point, I'm not looking forward to it at all, and I just want the whole thing over with, which isn't like me, as I did always want a proper wedding, not an elopement or anything. I think mum thinks we can't afford the things she wants, so she wants to pay for it for us. But it isn't that at all, she knows we both earn good money, we just don't want to spend it on things we feel we don't need.

AIBU to just want to keep it to my own (relatively) simple plans, and how on earth do I tell her to just leave it alone without hurting her feelings? Sorry for writing such an essay, think I just needed to vent as well.

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2bluestars · 25/02/2017 18:39

Not my mum but my MIL couldn't resist 'helping' but we managed to contain it to table decor- she was therefore incredibly focused on that vital job :) We had a lovely small wedding. No car, photographer, white dress, bridesmaids, none of that jazz. You just have to be blunt and tell her it's stressing you out and if she keeps on you might uninvite her ;)