Wedding Etiquette Forum

How to deal with overbearing Mom?

I figured there would be a point in our planning stage where it could come to this. When I got engaged (My fiance and I are 20 years old) my mom freaked out and told us we were crazy, we'd end up quitting school, etc. But she came around really quickly and started to help plan our August wedding. One of the first things we did was pick out the save the date and get it in the mail. Every one that I picked out my Mother didn't like, so we ended up using one that she not only picked out but she also designed. My original only color was purple and I wanted to stick to that, but she insisted that we add green into the mix because "You can't have a wedding with only ONE color" and because she's paying for it "she deserves a say". Which was fine, I let that slide because I didn't feel it was something important enough to argue about. Although I know I'd hear "I'm paying so I deserve a say" more than once throughout this process. Since then she has picked many more things that I don't really care for, but everytime I back down and let her have her way because I'd rather not argue over it. Things such as the church (we could have used my fiance's family's church for free, but she insisted we use our church), she's picked the reception site (a hotel, and then she's proceeded to badger everyone into getting a hotel room there so we can have the honeymoon suite for free), she has even picked the food for the reception, she has given us ONE option for a bakery for the cake, she gave me two options to pick from for her wedding attire, etc. I just feel like everytime I have an idea it gets knocked down and replaced with something she likes. She just has a bad habit of saying "You don't want that, do you?" instead of letting me do my own thing. For instance, I said I wanted to cut my hair before the wedding and those were her exact words. I said I wanted to play songs using the church system before and after the wedding, and she said it again. Finally, she insisted that her boss sing at the wedding, which I wasn't too totally into. She mentioned it a couple months ago and I just brushed it off for us to discuss later. So, she brought it up this weekend and I said I just wasn't sold on it and she said "It would mean a lot to ME if she sang at MY daughter's wedding." Personally I think she's said "ME" and "MY" a lot during the course of our wedding planning, but I again just ignored it and figured it would blow over. Now she is threatening to quit helping me plan the wedding all together because I voiced that I didn't want her boss to sing. I've already sacrificed a lot I feel like because the wedding being planned IS NOT my "dream" wedding at all, but I am grateful for what I am give. Am I wrong in voicing my opinion? Or should I just let her plan her dream wedding and I'll just show up?
BabyFetus Ticker

Re: How to deal with overbearing Mom?

  • Are we sharing a mom? 

    I've picked my battles and to be honest most of them weren't worth it.  I'm all for backing down and letting her do what she wants.  I'm sure a lot of people will disagree but I'm much more a fan of keeping the peace because it is HELL when my mom (yours too?) gets mad or whatever. 

    I would weigh what is extremely important to you and fight for those things.  Good luck and may the force be with you. 
    image
    My Bio Updated 4/6/10
  • danieliza1127danieliza1127 member
    10000 Comments 5 Love Its Combo Breaker
    edited June 2010
    Well, if she's paying, she's saying.  It sucks that she's letting her own vision for your wedding ruin what you want for your own wedding, I think she's wrong in doing that BUT if you don't like it, then you and your FI need to find a way to pay for your wedding on your own without her financial help.
    image
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • I would have loved to have read this, and normally do read walls of text.  But, I just couldn't this time. 

    "It's shart week." -georgiabride
    "This post is seriously retarded." -Stackeye210
    image
    image
    Miss
    Mrs & ZOMG we built a howse!
    being healthy. blog.
  • Your not wrong for wanting things your way.  Though because she is paying she does get to decide things.  It sounds to me like she isn't being reasonable, why does she care so much about her boss singing?  Did you ask her?  If its that important she might have a reason, and it might be a good one.  If not you just have to decide if its worth fighting over.  For me the actual wedding is the part I didn't let my parents have a say in, the party they can have more of a say.  I hope that helped.
    image
  • Your mom is being totally annoying. But unfortunately, PPs are right - if she's paying, she does get a say. It sucks that she's taking it so far.

    Did she not get the wedding of her dreams, or something? Maybe she's trying to make up for a lost dream?
  • Can you try to talk to her to let her know how you feel and not just back down all the time?  Sure, she gets a say since she's paying, but you and your FI need to have some input into this wedding.  If she really laws down the law and says it's her money so she makes the decisions, then you know where you stand.  Either let her make all the choices or have a wedding that you and FI can afford.  Hopefully she will realize that having her daughter be happy on her wedding day is more important than winning all of her points.
  • Thanks guys... I'm really at a loss with what to do because now she has decided that she's done helping with everything all together.

    To AndyandHillary, sounds like we are sharing a mother for sure! Me and my fiance just keep telling eachother "it's almost over, just a few more weeks of putting up with it." Is it sad that this is how we're talking about our own wedding? hhaha
    BabyFetus Ticker
  • And to answer your question akhensley81, yes she is planning the wedding she never had. She got married at seventeen w/ no big wedding, and then again at the JOP, and now she's engaged again and just going to Vegas with it. Therefor she is living vicariously through me!
    BabyFetus Ticker
  • edited June 2010
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_deal-overbearing-mom?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:a28857bb-e1d8-492e-8d04-486ca0be631bPost:00c930a9-6fc2-4485-9142-15b4c1bf36d9">Re: How to deal with overbearing Mom?</a>:
    [QUOTE]Thanks guys... I'm really at a loss with what to do because now she has decided that she's done helping with everything all together. To AndyandHillary, sounds like we are sharing a mother for sure! Me and my fiance just keep telling eachother "it's almost over, just a few more weeks of putting up with it." Is it sad that this is how we're talking about our own wedding? hhaha
    Posted by heathyygirl[/QUOTE]

    Andy and I literally say that everyday lol.  I was telling him last night my plans to avoid her while I'm home Th and Fri  and he pointed out that it's probably not a good thing that I avoid my own mother.  I love her very much and she is a fantastic person but this sort of thing just brings out the worst in her.  You can PM me ANYTIME you need to vent.  Seriously.
    image
    My Bio Updated 4/6/10
  • See, my mom actually had a fabulous wedding so I don't know why she needs to have everything her way now too.
    image
    My Bio Updated 4/6/10
  • Yessss, I might take you up on that PM ahahah... My mom even went so far as to find an article about parent's paying for their daughter's wedding and how they deserve a say in it. And then she challenged me to google it and find an article where it says the bride gets to pick everything but her parents pay!
    BabyFetus Ticker
  • My mom has given me quite a bit of say in things but she's just been very difficult about the things she wants.  In some ways she's been great but in others she has just been impossible.  No party is worth this.
    image
    My Bio Updated 4/6/10
  • My mom is a little overbearing, too.  But like previous posters have said - you just gotta pick your battles.

    With my mom it's funny.  I thought it would be easier to plan my wedding since my sister got married last year and the planning process is still fresh in the family.  But she expects me to do things exactly like my sister did - and it drives me CRAZY.  She actually suggested that we use the same bridesmaid dresses because they're just so perfect!  We could just get a different color!  ...Really?  NO!  Shopping for wedding dresses was interesting, too.  I knew exactly what kind of dress I wanted and ended up finding the dream dress within the first three dresses I tried on.  I didn't want to shop anymore - but she insisted.  And with that came trying on all the types of dresses that she wanted to see me in - nothing that had anything even remotely close to what I wanted.  In the end, of course, I got my dress - but still.  I know what it's like to deal with an overbearing mother.

    I think it's tough to be a mom of a bride because of course the bride wants everything to be a certain way - but the mom does too.  I doubt she's trying to make your life miserable, she just wants to make sure that you get the wedding of your dreams.  And if it takes putting your foot down in order to get the message through to her - then she'll eventually get the message (I hope!)

    With my mom I've learned to take what advice I want to take and just leave the rest.  Most recently, she was getting into it with me about the colors I want (grey and wine).  I want grey bridesmaid dresses and when she said, in her tone, "Can I tell you what I think?"  I just said, "Nope."  And that was that.
    panther
  • How is your relationship with your mom outside of wedding details?  My mom is footing most of the bill and I have included her in everything.  However, we have a great relationship and I can simply tell her something is not my style and she will keep looking.  I do agree that she does have a say since she is paying, but I don't have a problem with you voicing what you want and trying to find a compromise.

    Maybe have her friend sing SOMETHING at your wedding, and have the rest piped in.
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • Dude.  Send your mom my way.  If she pays for my wedding, I'll let her boss sing.  No problem.
    image
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards