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MOG Troubles.....
Moms and Maids
MOG Troubles.....
Is a family member or your BFF getting married? Get and give advice here.
I am in desperate need of some MOG help.. I really dont know how to handle my FMI.. She seems to either have a problem with everything I'm doing in planning this wedding or can't seem to handle gettin
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Moms and Maids
MOG Troubles.....
Is a family member or your BFF getting married? Get and give advice here.
I am in desperate need of some MOG help.. I really dont know how to handle my FMI.. She seems to either have a problem with everything I'm doing in planning this wedding or can't seem to handle gettin
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Forums  >  Special Topic Wedding Boards  >  Moms and Maids  >  MOG Troubles.....
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MOG Troubles.....

posted at 2/7/2012 10:46 AM EST on theknot.com
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I am in desperate need of some MOG help..

I really dont know how to handle my FMI.. She seems to either have a problem with everything I'm doing in planning this wedding or can't seem to handle getting her own dress to look right..

I all started with the guest list..(Keep in mind that my dad is paying for EVERYTHING except the Rehearsal dinner.) First  she had issues with how many people their side could invite. Which I feel if she wanted the extra people that she could cough up some of her own money rather than expecting my parents to pay for her random work friends to come.. That just her first spree of complaining.
Next it's time to order invitations.. My mom and I sat down and decided the wording of the invitations and ordered them. In my opinion, if my parents are paying for the entire wedding and it is taking place in the state they live in then they are the host parents.... right? Well not according to my FMI... She has seriously thrown a huge temper tantrum because her name wasnt on the invitation. She even went so far as to tell my fiance that "i'm not coming to the wedding then!" .... The worse part is that my fiance is a huge mama's boy and will take his mothers side on ANYTHING! She even called my mom to tell her how upset she was that her name wasnt on the invitation.. and told my mom that she thought they were supposed to pay for everything even the RD.
Problem #3.. Her dress.. so my mom and I are at the florist and I call my FMI and ask her to text me a picture of her dress.. Oh my gosh! I got a picture of a dress that did not remotely work with the wedding colors and it was DARK NAVY/ LOOKS BLACK dress with FULL SEQUINS! I bout killed her.. she knows the colors of the wedding and that navy is not remotely one of them.. and come on.. who wears as the MOG a FULL sequined dress.. and this was yet another situation that my FH took his mothers side and got mad at me for saying something to him.. 

Idk what to do anymore.. am I wrong for these things?? what do I do? and how do I handle a fiance who ALWAYS takes his mom's side? 

Re: MOG Troubles.....

posted at 2/7/2012 11:29 AM EST on theknot.com
Joined on
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COLUMBUS
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Last: 5/23/2012


Her dress doesn't have to be in wedding colors. 

Re: MOG Troubles.....

posted at 2/7/2012 11:37 AM EST on theknot.com
Joined on
12-06-2009
CONNECTICUT
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Posts: 2744
First: 12/7/2009

Last: 5/24/2012


1. Your parents are paying for the wedding and therefore they get to decide how many guests will be invited.

2. Your parents are the hosts of the wedding reception. You are correct that it is traditional to put the hosts names on the invitation. So technically you are correct there. FMIL has no right to complain. However, most invitations that I receive list the groom's parents,also, as in:

                   Mary and John Kakery
 invite you to attend the marriage ceremony of their daughter
                            Kylie Anne
                                  to
                            John Adam
       son of Patricia and James Jones
                  blah blah blah blah blah

Your FMIL may have recieved similar wedding invitations. Are you obligated to mention her on the invitations? NO. But it's a nice courtesy to extend to the groom's parents. It's your parents call, though.

3. You are wrong to be upset over FMIL's dress. The MOB/MOG may wear whatever the wish. They do not have to match or compliment each other, the wedding party or the decor. They should choose a style, length, color (except white or ivory) that suits their own individual styles and matches the formality of the wedding, i their own opinion. If for some reason her dress is over the top, she, not you will look out of place.

4. If your Fi is ALWAYS taking his mom's side over yours, then you need to seek couple's counseling. He needs to learn how to cut the apron strings. You need to learn how to pick your battles.

Re: MOG Troubles.....

posted at 2/7/2012 11:37 AM EST on theknot.com
Joined on
01-07-2012
RHODE ISLAND
4236615505694847
Posts: 109
First: 1/8/2012

Last: 5/7/2012


I was with you until the dress comment. She is a grown woman and can dress herself. If she looks ridiculous, then 1) she looks bad, not you, 2) no one is going to be looking at her anyway and 3) nothing says she has to even remotely match your colors. The only rule here is that she shouldn't wear white and even then you can't tell what she can and cannot wear.

I'm still fairly new to the wedding stuff, but I believe if your parents are paying for everything then they are the ones hosting and therefore they get their name on the invite. If I'm wrong, please correct me. Although I can kind of understand her point of view, as the invite is a good keep sake and it would have been nice for her to have her name on her son's wedding invitation.

If she's not paying for anything then she doesn't get a say in the guest list.

The fact that your FI is taking her side on everything is a huge problem that needs to be nipped in the bud right now. They both need to understand that by getting married you now come before his mother as you and him are starting your own family. By not being in your coroner he's setting a very bad precedent for your future together. What's going to happen down the road when you have big life choices to make? Is her opinion always going to trump yours? What if she wants you to name your child Banana Hammock? Is his going to take her side then?

Finally, stop talking about the wedding to her. Then she won't have anything to complain about.

Re: MOG Troubles.....

posted at 2/7/2012 12:24 PM EST on theknot.com
Joined on
07-08-2009
BALTIMORE
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Posts: 3238
First: 12/22/2010

Last: 5/24/2012


Ok your first two points are understandable but as far as what she wears...she can wear whatever she wants...it does not have to coordinate with your wedding colors and you cannot tell her what she can wear.

Honestly, I would be more worried about your FI and the fact that he can't/won't stand up to his mother.  This will cause serious issues in the future.

I would stop sharing any details with her regarding your wedding.
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Re: MOG Troubles.....

posted at 2/7/2012 1:23 PM EST on theknot.com
Joined on
06-17-2010
PHOENIX
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Posts: 9219
First: 6/24/2010

Last: 5/23/2012


In Response to Re: MOG Troubles.....:
1. Your parents are paying for the wedding and therefore they get to decide how many guests will be invited. 2. Your parents are the hosts of the wedding reception. You are correct that it is traditional to put the hosts names on the invitation. So technically you are correct there. FMIL has no right to complain. However, most invitations that I receive list the groom's parents,also, as in:                    Mary and John Kakery  invite you to attend the marriage ceremony of their daughter                             Kylie Anne                                   to                             John Adam        son of Patricia and James Jones                   blah blah blah blah blah Your FMIL may have recieved similar wedding invitations. Are you obligated to mention her on the invitations? NO. But it's a nice courtesy to extend to the groom's parents. It's your parents call, though. 3. You are wrong to be upset over FMIL's dress. The MOB/MOG may wear whatever the wish. They do not have to match or compliment each other, the wedding party or the decor. They should choose a style, length, color (except white or ivory) that suits their own individual styles and matches the formality of the wedding, i their own opinion. If for some reason her dress is over the top, she, not you will look out of place. 4. If your Fi is ALWAYS taking his mom's side over yours, then you need to seek couple's counseling. He needs to learn how to cut the apron strings. You need to learn how to pick your battles.
Posted by MairePoppy


This!  Especially #4.  It might not seem like that big of a deal now, but this can become a MAJOR problem in your marriage.  What's going to happen when you have children and your MIL doesn't agree with how you want to raise them?  Is your FI going to take her side too and completely undermine your authority as a parent?  We're not saying your FI needs to abandon his mother (because she'll blame you for it), but he needs to learn to be independent of her and put on his big boy pants.
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Re: MOG Troubles.....

posted at 2/7/2012 1:25 PM EST on theknot.com
Joined on
10-18-2011
DC AREA
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Posts: 479
First: 11/9/2011

Last: 5/24/2012


Agree with PPs that the dress thing is not your problem.  MOGs don't have to wear wedding colors, and even though sequins are tacky, it'll just make her look bad, not you.

The rest of this needs to be dealt with with your FI.  Your FI needs to be behind you 100%; anything less is grounds for couples counseling, and fast. 

I don't want to be doomy and gloomy- but that is one of the fastest tickets to a failed marriage there is.  Honestly, if what you're describing is true and not an exaggeration (that he takes his mother's side on everything) my honest advice would be to call off the wedding until you get enough counseling to feel confident that he's going to put the new family you're creating together first.

Re: MOG Troubles.....

posted at 2/7/2012 2:19 PM EST on theknot.com
Joined on
08-20-2003
BOSTON
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Posts: 3218
First: 7/22/2009

Last: 5/23/2012


In Response to MOG Troubles.....:
I am in desperate need of some MOG help.. I really dont know how to handle my FMI.. She seems to either have a problem with everything I'm doing in planning this wedding or can't seem to handle getting her own dress to look right.. I all started with the guest list..(Keep in mind that my dad is paying for EVERYTHING except the Rehearsal dinner.) First  she had issues with how many people their side could invite. Which I feel if she wanted the extra people that she could cough up some of her own money rather than expecting my parents to pay for her random work friends to come.. That just her first spree of complaining. Next it's time to order invitations.. My mom and I sat down and decided the wording of the invitations and ordered them. In my opinion, if my parents are paying for the entire wedding and it is taking place in the state they live in then they are the host parents.... right? Well not according to my FMI... She has seriously thrown a huge temper tantrum because her name wasnt on the invitation. She even went so far as to tell my fiance that "i'm not coming to the wedding then!" .... The worse part is that my fiance is a huge mama's boy and will take his mothers side on ANYTHING! She even called my mom to tell her how upset she was that her name wasnt on the invitation.. and told my mom that she thought they were supposed to pay for everything even the RD. Problem #3.. Her dress.. so my mom and I are at the florist and I call my FMI and ask her to text me a picture of her dress.. Oh my gosh! I got a picture of a dress that did not remotely work with the wedding colors and it was DARK NAVY/ LOOKS BLACK dress with FULL SEQUINS! I bout killed her.. she knows the colors of the wedding and that navy is not remotely one of them.. and come on.. who wears as the MOG a FULL sequined dress.. and this was yet another situation that my FH took his mothers side and got mad at me for saying something to him..  Idk what to do anymore.. am I wrong for these things?? what do I do? and how do I handle a fiance who ALWAYS takes his mom's side? 
Posted by Kylieskakery


If you don't want to be married to a spineless momma's boy who will never put you first, there are three things you need to do.

1. Don't date a  spineless momma's boy who will never put you first.
2. Don't become engaged to a spineless momma's boy who will never put you first.
3. Don't marry a spineless momma's boy who will never put you first.

That's it. That's the only way to guarantee your H isn't a spineless momma's boy who will never put you first. Otherwise you have nobody but yourself to blame because you know exactly what you're signing up for and once you and he say "I do," you lose the right to ever complain about your H being a spineless momma's boy who will never put you first.

Easy peasy.
fiancee = vag ** fiance = peen ** Babies shouldn't be born with jobs ** **They're called first loves for a reason -- more are supposed to come after. You don't get a medal for marrying your prom date. Unless you're imoan. Then you get an all-expenses paid cruise to the Mediterranean and you get to meet Jared Padalecki on the flight over while wearing your jammies. But still no medal. **

Re: MOG Troubles.....

posted at 2/7/2012 3:51 PM EST on theknot.com
Joined on
06-17-2010
MISSISSIPPI
9740123716501666
Posts: 925
First: 9/29/2010

Last: 4/26/2012


In Response to MOG Troubles.....:
  Oh my gosh! I got a picture of a dress that did not remotely work with the wedding colors and it was DARK NAVY/ LOOKS BLACK dress with FULL SEQUINS! I bout killed her.. she knows the colors of the wedding and that navy is not remotely one of them.. and come on.. who wears as the MOG a FULL sequined dress..[/quote]

It's hilarious that you're getting the vapors over this.  She doesn't have to coordinate with your wedding colors, and there's nothing inappropriate about a sequin dress.  How on earth are you going to handle any of the real problems that will come your way in life if you freak out over an article of clothing?  Before I started reading these boards, it never would have occurred to me to get upset about something like this.

Regarding the invitations, yeah, the polite thing to do would have been to include his parents' names.  I understand you didn't leave them off deliberately to insult them, and there's not much you can do about it now except apologize.

As for the other stuff, it sounds like your FMIL is out of line.  However, everything you've written here is irrelevant in light of this:

 [quote]and how do I handle a fiance who ALWAYS takes his mom's side? 
Posted by Kylieskakery


As ziti said, it really is very simple: if you don't want a spineless weenie for a husband, you can't marry a spineless weenie.  Putting a ring on it isn't going to change a thing.

Re: MOG Troubles.....

posted at 2/7/2012 7:43 PM EST on theknot.com
Joined on
08-25-2004
LANSING
120571125008576
Posts: 3354
First: 7/20/2009

Last: 5/24/2012


You don't have a FMIL problem, you have a FI problem.  You are crazy if you go down the aisle without getting some counseling or something to convince him his wife comes first.  He kicks you to the curb on anything you and him mom disagree with.  That IS what your life will be like married to him.  Imagine what will happen when you have children?

You need to evaluate this relationship and you need to see that you will never win if something doesn't change.  Your FMIL is the very LEAST of your problems right now.

Please don't ignore the true problem here - if you do you will be miserable.

Re: MOG Troubles.....

posted at 2/7/2012 10:28 PM EST on theknot.com
Joined on
12-19-2005
NORTH CAROLINA
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Posts: 12573
First: 7/20/2009

Last: 5/24/2012


You have more of a fiance problem than a MOG problem.

You're correct on everything except her attire. The moms wear whatever THEY want to wear, unless they are in the wedding party.
"I'm not crazy. I've just been in a very bad mood for 40 years."

Re: MOG Troubles.....

posted at 2/9/2012 11:25 AM EST on theknot.com
Joined on
03-27-2004
VIRGINIA
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Posts: 1678
First: 7/12/2009

Last: 5/17/2012


In Response to Re: MOG Troubles.....:
You don't have a FMIL problem, you and an FI problem.  You are crazy if you go down the aisle without getting some counseling or something to convince him his wife comes first.  He kicks you to the curb on anything you and him mom disagree with.  That IS what your life will be like married to him.  Imagine what will happen when you have children? You need to evaluate this relationship and you need to see that you will never win if something doesn't change.  Your FMIL is the very LEAST of your problems right now. Please don't ignore the true problem here - if you do you will be miserable.
Posted by kmmssg


This.  You get what you pay for...and you are going to spend a lifetime with a guy who runs to soothe mama and take her side EVERY time?  I wouldn't do it.  Not on a bet.
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Re: MOG Troubles.....

posted at 3/1/2012 10:47 PM EST on theknot.com
Joined on
02-07-2010
NEW JERSEY
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Last: 3/9/2012


As a current MOG trying to be respectful of boundaries and allowing my son and his FI the pleasure of planning their day, I'd like to throw some light on the perspective of the parents of the couple, too.

First of all, your dads and moms (bride and groom's both) know "it's your day" and the wedding is "about you." Please remember though, that it is a tiny bit about us, too, whether we are paying for all or part or none of the wedding. We raised you, and just like at other milestones in your life, are excited and happy, proud, and incredulous that you are adults and forming your own family. Because of this, we want to be part of the celebration and ritual. Often, for moms that can be wanting to be part of the planning, too.

We are not necessarily wanting to plan the wedding we want, or forgetting that we already "had our day." We're excited, and sometimes that spills over. Please keep that in mind and don't assume we are trying to take over, don't trust you, or being critical.

Gently reminding us that our excitement and delight about decor or shoes or flowers is spilling over ("thanks for the idea; I'll think about it...") will keep us in line. Really. It's when you decide not to share anything and not to include us in the process that problems start, or worsen. Sometimes we even cry, not for "effect" but because we are sad and or hurt by being left out.

Trust me, there is not a greater hurt than finding out the date of the wedding from the mother of your best friend because you decided to not share what's going on because you perceived us as annoying, negative, controlling, or trying to redo our own weddings. Sometimes the advice to brides on these boards to "not talk about the wedding" causes more problems than necessary. It's actually more mature and responsible to be kind and expect the best from the MOG than to expect she's jealous of you or she can't let go of her baby boy.

Understand that we are both excited and adjusting to the changes in the family, just as you and our sons are. Everybody's stressed, and everybody needs to be cut a break. Or a hug. Or a "thanks, mom."

As for our sons being "momma's boys".... please give them a break. That aforementioned stress is often worse for the guys since they are trying to please you and not hurt us. And not wanting to hurt his mom is actually good thing, and that's probably a part of why you love him in the first place. And trust me, you'll expect that from your own sons someday if you've raised them right.

As for us wanting to invite some friends, and the relatives that you don't know  well, please understand that we want to share our excitement and joy with people we’ve  shared our lives with. I said earlier that your wedding is a tiny bit about us: this is where that comes in. Some of these folks have shared your childhood and upbringing with us. Often, those folks were at the baby shower when we were pregnant with you, attended your choir concerts and soccer games with us, supported us through the emergency appendectomies and college acceptance/rejection process. They may have been your teachers or coaches, or maybe not intimately important to you, but they have been to us. They were thrilled to know you've found your love and life's partner. And we'd like to share the profoundness of the day with them as our family experiences this incredible day.

I imagine that there are exceptions to what I describe: that there are some moms who want lots of say and can’t let go. But we’re not all momzillas. Please don’t assume we are, or turn a difference of opinion into a cause for leaving us out of the loop. Expect the best, not the worst, and we’ll do our best to give that to you. …

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