Through a series of shocking and eye-opening stories, these individuals have taken to social media spaces to expose the troublesome behaviors of their mothers-in-law, shedding light on the complexities and strains within family dynamics.
In the following three Reddit stories, the mothers of the grooms showed how entitled they were by misbehaving. These narratives reveal the extent to which some mothers-in-law will go, from mildly annoying to outright destructive behaviors. Read on to find out more!
The Wedding Dress Betrayal
A woman posted a query on Reddit after she experienced something unusual at home. She mentioned that she was preparing for her wedding with her fiancé and bought her wedding gown a few weeks before writing the post.
A wedding dress on display on a mannequin | Source: Pexels
Like most women, the original poster (OP) wished to look stunning on her special day. She spent $3,000 on the gown, unaware that someone else would wear it first. Soon after buying her dress, her fiancé's mother asked to try it on saying she really liked wedding gowns.
When OP refused, her future mother-in-law (MIL) kept "pestering" her about it and even offered to pay $100 to try it on. One day, the Redditor returned home from work and was surprised to see her fiancé at her place. She recalled:
"He freaked out after seeing me and tried to prevent me from going into my room while trying to text somebody on his phone."
An older woman looking at herself in the mirror | Source: Freepik
Suspicious of his actions, she entered her bedroom and saw her soon-to-be MIL standing inside. What shocked the woman was that her fiancé's mother was wearing her brand new wedding dress! OP immediately pulled out her phone and took a picture of the older woman in the gown.
She was shocked at her future MIL's audacity and threatened to show the image to everyone in the family if the older woman didn't pay her for a new dress. The Redditor gave the older woman three days to pay for a new wedding gown, but her fiancé thought she was overreacting.
An angry woman looking at her phone while holding another one | Source: Freepik
At that point, the groom's mother left the room in tears while he began shouting at his fiancée, saying his mother didn't cause any harm and just wanted to try on the dress. The Redditor said:
"But I refused to listen to him because, in my opinion, the dress should only be worn by the bride and the bride only."
An older woman crying into her hands | Source: Freepik
OP added that she felt "disgusted" looking at her wedding gown and didn't want to wear it anymore. Meanwhile, her fiancé thought she was treating his mother like an enemy, and the situation turned into a bitter argument between the couple.
The bride-to-be was offended because she had "worked hard" to buy the dress, and her fiancé's mother didn't think twice before wearing it. However, when OP told her family about it, they felt she overreacted and feared the conflict might ruin her relationship with her fiancé and his mother.
A displeased couple standing facing away from each other in a kitchen | Source: Freepik
Soon enough, her fiancé called her to propose a solution to the problem. Besides offering to pay for the dress, he asked her to apologize to his mother. Moreover, he wanted her to give her phone to him so he could delete his mother's picture. He also asked her to "swear" that she didn't have more photos that could embarrass his mother. he Redditor added:
"He asked that I quit his family group chat and log out of Facebook for at least a month."
An upset woman sitting on a cushion with her hands covering her face | Source: Pexels
The woman said she wasn't sure about agreeing to her fiancé's conditions mainly because she didn't want him to pay for the dress. She wanted his mother to pay because she was the one who wore it. This incident sparked outrage and sympathy among Reddit users, who sided with her, saying her reaction had been valid.
Wedding Wars: When a Mother-in-Law’s Vision Clashes with the Bride’s Dream Dress
In another startling revelation, a woman, 33, turned to Reddit's "AITA" forum in September 2022, sharing her story and seeking advice. She revealed that she and her fiancé, 28, were preparing for their December wedding. However, she faced mounting challenges primarily due to her future MIL's involvement in the wedding preparations.
A happy couple playing with their dog | Source: Shutterstock
Despite her MIL being described as generally nice but somewhat intrusive, tensions were brewing, and the wedding planning was going downhill. OP noted that her future MIL made things difficult by being unwilling to agree on most things.
The situation escalated to the point where her fiancé got involved. He sided with his parent by insisting that, as his mother's only son, OP should respect and appreciate the "vision" she had for the wedding and how she wanted it to unfold.
A woman trying on a wedding dress surrounded by her friends | Source: Shutterstock
The turning point came when the future MIL insisted on accompanying OP to shop for her wedding dress, joining her mother and friends. During this shopping excursion, the soon-to-be bride found a gown that resonated with her.
However, her fiancé's mother had a different vision in mind. The older woman chose a dress, claiming it was the one she had always envisioned her son's bride wearing. But her words left OP's friends and family feeling uneasy.
Different wedding dresses on display | Source: Pexels
Despite feeling uncomfortable with the older woman's choice, OP politely expressed her gratitude for her input but explained that she already envisioned a different dress for herself. Her response did not sit well with the older woman, who shared her disappointment with her son.
When the bride-to-be returned home, her fiancé confronted her, stating that she'd made his mother feel rejected and excluded from the dress selection process. An argument ensued, with the fiancé insisting that OP reconsider wearing his mother's chosen gown, alleging that the two weren't that different.
A man talking to an older woman while a younger woman sits to the side looking away | Source: Shutterstock
OP strongly disagreed, noting the substantial disparities between the two gowns. The argument eventually subsided, but tensions remained high. Things worsened when the bride-to-be returned home one day to discover that her chosen wedding dress had been replaced with the one favored by her future MIL.
Her fiancé confessed to the switch being made but explained his belief that OP should give the new one a chance. Overwhelmed with anger, she screamed at him and left to stay with a friend. Determined to resolve things, her fiancé argued that her response was an overreaction, emphasizing that it was his wedding too, and urged her to give the new dress a chance.
Two women arguing | Source: Shutterstock
He insisted on his mother having good intentions and her desire to see OP in a gown of her choosing. OP's mother was livid and wished to confront her future son-in-law and his mother; however, her husband advised against it, fearing it would damage whatever relationship they had with their future in-laws.
A young couple having an argument at home | Source: Getty Images
He suggested OP goes along with the groom's mother's wishes to keep the peace. Frustrated and seeking advice, the Redditor asked the online community if her reaction was justified. Luckily, many users recognized the future MIL as a classic control freak and also noted that the fiancé wasn't any better, having failed to defend his future wife.
Shocking Betrayal: The Day a Mother-in-Law Destroyed Her Future Daughter-in-Law's Dream Wedding Dress
The saga continues with another Reddit user sharing the story of how excited she was to marry the love of her life. She and her soon-to-be husband had been planning their special day for months. However, they were about to get the shocker of their lives.
A woman writing something on a paper | Source: Pexels
OP and her future MIL had a difficult relationship, and because of this, she was left in a sticky situation with her soon-to-be husband's mother. The Reddit user needed advice on how she should've handled the situation as she felt like she might have been petty for her feelings.
OP mentioned that her fiancé's mother had always been distant and was not welcoming when she started dating the older woman's son. The Redditor explained that her future MIL had never been friendly, and when she and her fiancé got engaged, the older woman did not seem happy for them.
A wedding dress hanging in front of a stone wall | Source: Shutterstock
For this reason, the Reddit user decided not to include the woman in her wedding planning. Her fiancé's grandmother asked to be included in the wedding planning but remained silent throughout. Despite the mistrust, OP then asked her future parents-in-law (PIL) if she could store her wedding gown at their house.
An upset woman with her hand on her forehead while holding a phone | Source: Pexels
Her future father-in-law (FIL) readily agreed, with his wife never saying much about the situation. However, a few days before OP's wedding day, she received a call informing her that her future MIL had cut her dress into "a million pieces." She lamented:
"I literally felt like I was going to throw up."
A bride crying on her wedding day | Source: Shutterstock
Thinking about it, OP didn't believe her fiancé's mother could be that evil and thought the dress would be easily fixable. She drove over to the older woman's house to assess the situation, but what she found when she entered the house shocked her.
She discovered that her future MIL had indeed cut her dress into pieces. She felt if her fiancé didn't hold her back, she would have been in a physical altercation with his mother.
Despite the heartbreak, she proceeded with the wedding, albeit with a heavy heart, as she was forced to settle for a less expensive dress at the last minute. This unforeseen compromise cast a shadow over what was meant to be the happiest day of her life and she cried the entire morning before she exchanged vows with her husband.
An older man talking on a phone | Source: Shutterstock
Her mother-in-law said she had cut up the gown because she had never had a wedding. OP noted that it didn't seem as though the older woman felt terrible for what she had done.
Her mother-in-law was placed in a mental institution for 30 days, after which she and her husband divorced. After that, OP had no contact with her mother-in-law for a long time, however, she saw her at occasional family events and heard the older woman was in intensive therapy for a while.
A woman wiping her tears away with a tissue | Source: Getty Images
She also discovered that her mother-in-law had gotten engaged, her ring was beautiful, and the man was perfect for her. Many Reddit users told OP that it wasn't her mother-in-law's fault and that she had been sick. Someone else said OP should've pressed charges, while another advised OP to stop updating her mother-in-law on their lives or listening to updates about hers.