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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

ILs won't contribute to our wedding but spent fortune on BIL

258 replies

gobblefiend · 17/09/2022 16:08

Would you be annoyed if ILs paid £35000 + for BIL/SIL wedding but did not want to contribute a penny to yours?

Both my family and ILs are well off. SIL family aren't rich so ILs paid for their entire wedding. Big big wedding, country house, entertainment then paid honeymoon business class flights upgrade for them both. Spent a fortune on them.

MIL made it very clear she did not want to pay for our wedding by saying 'I'm not paying for it' very bluntly after we announced our engagement. We were shocked she was so tactless but she has form for not wanting to help us. This furthered my already deeply held suspicion of favouritism towards BIL/SIL anyway (long story).

Now, firstly let me say that we didn't expect any contribution from ILs, genuinely. We were going to pay for it ourselves, but am I wrong to feel hurt that she said this? To not want to contribute anything for her other son? I feel she is jealous of my family's money (even though she is rich herself) and it stems from this (plus the favouritism) that she'd go as far as not wanting to contribute anything. Our feelings weren't considered and never are, it's all about pleasing her son/DIL.

My family don't splash the cash like her, in fact the opposite, they are very frugal. I couldn't imagine doing it to my kids, I would always treat them fairly but AIBU?

OP posts:
NomeatNoveg · 17/09/2022 18:13

MelodyPondsMum · 17/09/2022 17:46

Too many grabby posters on MN confuse money with love.

And some, like you, miss the whole point of the post altogether.

wholesomen · 17/09/2022 18:13

gobblefiend · 17/09/2022 18:02

I think all my ILs see is that 'her family have money'. There's jealously there for sure. That money is not in my bank account though! As I said they are frugal. We are paying for our own wedding. ILs are NC with their respective siblings (about money), fall out with business partners about money, the list goes on

This is the shit I got too. The weird thing is, I'm as common as muck, but apparently, in potential MIL's eyes, I come from wealth. I have no more wealth than a fella you'd see begging on the streets. None of us got hand-outs. We were dragged up (I'm still dragging myself up lol). Nothing I did was right. Everything was criticised. Apparently, I spoke posh? I think it's just a weird thing with mothers whose first born child is a son. It's like the second coming.

diddl · 17/09/2022 18:14

The fact other dil gets on with her is very telling

Perhaps MIL didn't see it as her son's wedding & was happy to pay for the wedding of a dil she liked?

As pp have said though, it's the unequal treatment of the sons which is baffling.

wholesomen · 17/09/2022 18:15

Spidey66 · 17/09/2022 18:08

BIL's not Bill. Unless Bill is invited.

Whatever you do, don't invite Bill. He causes trouble wherever he goes! 😂

RedHelenB · 17/09/2022 18:15

Riverlee · 17/09/2022 16:54

Sorry if I’ve missed this, but was it their daughters wedding they paid for, ie, in the traditional parents-pay-for -daughters wedding. Or sons wedding?

Their son's but their dil's parent couldn't afford to host a big wedding.

gobblefiend · 17/09/2022 18:15

diddl · 17/09/2022 18:08

She's demanded a lot of money from my dad to help us start a business

How does that work then?

Why was she involved?

My husband is an only child & his mum is still disappointed that he didn't go to grammar school.🙄

(He's nearly 60!)

She stuck her nose in where it wasn't wanted. I asked my dad if we could borrow money to start a business she's involved in. Long story short, it was 90000 start up, we decided it was too much to ask then she went round to his house as she wasn't happy...unbelievable no?

OP posts:
gobblefiend · 17/09/2022 18:16

diddl · 17/09/2022 18:14

The fact other dil gets on with her is very telling

Perhaps MIL didn't see it as her son's wedding & was happy to pay for the wedding of a dil she liked?

As pp have said though, it's the unequal treatment of the sons which is baffling.

DIL does get on better with her as she has so much money spent on her! They actually had a falling out last year so it's not all roses

OP posts:
wholesomen · 17/09/2022 18:20

gobblefiend · 17/09/2022 18:16

DIL does get on better with her as she has so much money spent on her! They actually had a falling out last year so it's not all roses

Ok. Let's get down to the nitty gritty practicalities of a future marriage. How involved is this woman going to need to be in your future business ventures/lives/support/lives/lives/lives?

wholesomen · 17/09/2022 18:23

You need to walk into this with your eyes wide open. She will never like you. Why? Because HER BABY loves you. So, now that we've that aside, how enmeshed in your financial affairs is she?

Have you any common ground? Can you stand being around her?

Snog · 17/09/2022 18:23

Often the money comes with a serious amount of strings attached and expectations from the recipients that will stretch way into the future.
It may well be a blessing in disguise that no money is coming your way.

billy1966 · 17/09/2022 18:23

Why are you marrying into an family?

You are spectacularly naive and you will regret it.

I mean that kindly.

That laid back man who doesn't notice things is actually probably weak and will NEVER stand up to them.

The money is the least of your problems.

You are marrying a man from a toxic background who is cowered by them.

You are young and think love will conquer all, when the truth is it often doesn't when you marry weak men that are frightened of their bully parents, and have been reared to accept shit behaviour.

@Whokno post is a sensible approach if you insist on marrying him.

If you insist on marrying him, ask his immediate family and no one else, no friends, or other randomers.
If they kick off tell them their attendance isn't necessary.
Be prepared to go NC.

You will not want any children you might have around such toxicity.

Women like you often bitterly regret marrying into such a toxic stress.

No happy gatherings.
No warm and loving involvement.
No feeling you have an extended group of people who want the best for you and are genuinely interested in you.

Life is short and to knowingly tie yourself to such awful people is such a waste.

If you were my daughter I would strongly recommend you rethink this.

That you found it acceptable that his mother has been so rude and unpleasant to you for so long, and he doesn't seem to notice, should be a huge red flag to you.

Most women with boundaries and self respect would have run for the hills, and realised who needs this bullshit in their lives.

I mean all of the above very kindly to you.

Do you really want this?
A life with a man whom you are constantly having to discuss how rude, nasty and ghastly his family are?

Mosso · 17/09/2022 18:23

It sounds like you've been together years. I wouldn't want to pay for an expensive wedding then either.

No idea why but I wouldn't see the point.

wholesomen · 17/09/2022 18:24

billy1966 · 17/09/2022 18:23

Why are you marrying into an family?

You are spectacularly naive and you will regret it.

I mean that kindly.

That laid back man who doesn't notice things is actually probably weak and will NEVER stand up to them.

The money is the least of your problems.

You are marrying a man from a toxic background who is cowered by them.

You are young and think love will conquer all, when the truth is it often doesn't when you marry weak men that are frightened of their bully parents, and have been reared to accept shit behaviour.

@Whokno post is a sensible approach if you insist on marrying him.

If you insist on marrying him, ask his immediate family and no one else, no friends, or other randomers.
If they kick off tell them their attendance isn't necessary.
Be prepared to go NC.

You will not want any children you might have around such toxicity.

Women like you often bitterly regret marrying into such a toxic stress.

No happy gatherings.
No warm and loving involvement.
No feeling you have an extended group of people who want the best for you and are genuinely interested in you.

Life is short and to knowingly tie yourself to such awful people is such a waste.

If you were my daughter I would strongly recommend you rethink this.

That you found it acceptable that his mother has been so rude and unpleasant to you for so long, and he doesn't seem to notice, should be a huge red flag to you.

Most women with boundaries and self respect would have run for the hills, and realised who needs this bullshit in their lives.

I mean all of the above very kindly to you.

Do you really want this?
A life with a man whom you are constantly having to discuss how rude, nasty and ghastly his family are?

This with bells on.

BadNomad · 17/09/2022 18:25

I'm another one who thinks you should really think twice about marrying into this family. It's not so much because of MIL, but rather because you and your DP are not on the same page when it comes to his mother. You need to be a united front. If he's going to be "laid back" and never pull her up on her awfulness to your family (you, DH, any children), and allow her to treat you both badly for the sake of keeping the peace, then you are going to have a lot of problems in the future. You'll be back on here being told "you have a DH problem, not a MIL problem".

wholesomen · 17/09/2022 18:26

Don't come crying back here when you end up telling her 'YOU'RE THE CARCASS!'

Zebedee55 · 17/09/2022 18:28

The first wedding was for their daughter. Old traditions are that parents pay/help out with their daughter’s wedding.

You are the female here, and if they’re traditionalists, they would expect your parents to pay/help out for you (their daughter).

wholesomen · 17/09/2022 18:29

Zebedee55 · 17/09/2022 18:28

The first wedding was for their daughter. Old traditions are that parents pay/help out with their daughter’s wedding.

You are the female here, and if they’re traditionalists, they would expect your parents to pay/help out for you (their daughter).

WRONG.

Two sons.
OP is marrying the eldest son.
The unsuccessful younger brother is the BIL in question.

gobblefiend · 17/09/2022 18:33

billy1966 · 17/09/2022 18:23

Why are you marrying into an family?

You are spectacularly naive and you will regret it.

I mean that kindly.

That laid back man who doesn't notice things is actually probably weak and will NEVER stand up to them.

The money is the least of your problems.

You are marrying a man from a toxic background who is cowered by them.

You are young and think love will conquer all, when the truth is it often doesn't when you marry weak men that are frightened of their bully parents, and have been reared to accept shit behaviour.

@Whokno post is a sensible approach if you insist on marrying him.

If you insist on marrying him, ask his immediate family and no one else, no friends, or other randomers.
If they kick off tell them their attendance isn't necessary.
Be prepared to go NC.

You will not want any children you might have around such toxicity.

Women like you often bitterly regret marrying into such a toxic stress.

No happy gatherings.
No warm and loving involvement.
No feeling you have an extended group of people who want the best for you and are genuinely interested in you.

Life is short and to knowingly tie yourself to such awful people is such a waste.

If you were my daughter I would strongly recommend you rethink this.

That you found it acceptable that his mother has been so rude and unpleasant to you for so long, and he doesn't seem to notice, should be a huge red flag to you.

Most women with boundaries and self respect would have run for the hills, and realised who needs this bullshit in their lives.

I mean all of the above very kindly to you.

Do you really want this?
A life with a man whom you are constantly having to discuss how rude, nasty and ghastly his family are?

Having boundaries and self respect is only a recent development of mine unfortunately. I've been a doormat for too long. Thank you for your post it has resonated with me

OP posts:
gobblefiend · 17/09/2022 18:41

Mosso · 17/09/2022 18:23

It sounds like you've been together years. I wouldn't want to pay for an expensive wedding then either.

No idea why but I wouldn't see the point.

BIL/SIL have been together longer than us so your logic doesn't work there!

OP posts:
wholesomen · 17/09/2022 18:43

This advertisement used to be around donkey's years ago. I loved it then. For some reason it didn't last long on TV (I suspect some MILs complained)

wholesomen · 17/09/2022 18:49

Ok, OP, seriously. This is your future life. If you're going to enter into a marriage, you need to be a team in that marriage. Marriage and relationships come with all sorts of tests. This is not a frivolous fling. This is a marriage you're entering which, I'm pretty sure you know, is a legal and binding contract. Are you confident that your marriage partner is on the same page as you? Has he the same goals? The same dreams? Are you his priority? Or is his mother?

worriedatthistime · 17/09/2022 18:52

All those who say they wouldn't be bothered etc . Do you treat your own children with such favouritism because thats what it is
Even the daughter thing of parents paying is old fashioned , outdated and sexist really.
But even adult children are your children, so if you help out one you try and help the other when needed.
You wouldn't order a pizza for one kid and tell the other there bread in the cupboard would you
Obviously people can do what they like with their money but then when it comes to how people treat them later in life they need to remember they reap what they sow
My mil treats my dh poorly compared to his siblings, which is fine and her choice and also out choice not to help out now she needs it or do any care as what goes around comes around

bpirockin · 17/09/2022 18:53

I can understand your resentment totally, but for me it's the way she's gone about it rather than the money itself. Having been involved with a man from a controlling family, it certainly isn't an easy situation to deal with, and is only likely to get worse over time if the pair of you don't set some boundaries now. A friend of mine is happily married to a man from a similar and moneyed family. His parents told him that if he married her they wanted nothing more to do with him and he would be cut out of their Wills. He married her, moved away and had children, moving back to 'home' ground some years later. The family reconnected, the grandparents adore their grandsons, and the defiant son who stood up to them is now considered the only one with any gumption, and has their respect. The other siblings continue to be manipulated for fear of losing their inheritance, while the brother who stopped taking their shite, is now the favourite.

Your partner has been a people pleaser for a long time, he'll need your help to put his brother and his parents where they should be, by not accepting their complete disregard for you, his chosen partner. It'll be uncomfortable for a time undoubtedly, but worth it in the end. They don't have to like you, but if they have such a preference for the other son, then let them get on with it. Let them bail him in out when he needs help. You're on your own and managing perfectly well thank you. Show them that their controlling behaviour only succeeds in pushing you away. One day they'll realise it is their loss.

worriedatthistime · 17/09/2022 19:06

@Zebedee55 read the op they have to sons no daughter mentioned

billy1966 · 17/09/2022 19:06

Good for you for learning to assert yourself.

The thing is how exhausting and soul destroying it is to be married to a man that is conveniently "laid back" AKA someone who avoids conflict and will stand by while his wife is bullied and disrespected.

How exhausting it is to live a life where you have to be constantly alert and ready for the next insult and put down from his ghastly family.

It's no way to live.

You are young and energetic now.
A decade on with a family like that and you will look back at this time and think differently.

So many posters have written how if they had their time over they would have made a different choice, the stress and upset is not worth it, even more so with children involved.

I would strongly recommend you press pause and pay for some good therapy for yourself.

It will be money well spent.

What are your parents like?
How do they feel about these awful people and their precious daughter attaching herself to a weak man and his toxic family?

They can hardly be happy?
Who on earth would want this for any child?

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