So, after lengthy discussion and lots of deliberation, my fiance and I decided originally to have 4 people on each side of the wedding. On his side would be his best friend ( a man), his father, his best man's wife, and a female friend of his. On my side would be my maid and matron of honor, my brother, and my (female) cousin. Last night, he called me to tell me he wants his father in a more traditional role and for his sister to stand up with him instead. Let me be clear, on an individual basis, I have no problem with any of these women being in our wedding. As a group, though, I think it's a little odd that we will have three times as many girls as guys. All of the women have already been asked and said yes, so it's not like we can drop them, and I don't want a wedding party of 12 (us filling in 4 more guys to close the gap). Even though I'm not thrilled with the arrangement, it's one I can love with. My mother (who is paying for the wedding), insists that this is highly unusual and doesn't bode well for the marriage. Her opinion is that the people who stand up with you in the wedding are the people that you are going to for help and it doesn't bode well for me if he is going to a group of largely girls, one of whom is unattached. So, now I'm freaking out and don't know what to do. My fiance is frustrated with me because I told him it was okay and then changed my mind on further reflection and talking with my mother (a bad habit I need to break myself of). So, the question is, what to do?
Re: Mixed sex wedding party-mom getting in my head
You do not have a say in who stands up for him. He picks his wedding party, you pick your wedding party. Your marriage will not be torn asunder because you have "too many" women in your wedding party.
Your mom needs to get out of 1950.
It is completely fine to have mixed gender wedding parties.
What do you do? Stop taking wedding advice from your mom and leave your wedding party as is.
Also, to comment on your mom's opinion that the people who stand up with you in the wedding are the people that you go to for help and it doesn't bode well for your marriage that they are mostly female. That's such outdated thinking. I don't know about you, but I have a different relationship with every single person in the bridal party, male and female. Some of his single friends have become very close friends I can turn to for anything, and there's nothing wrong with that. My fi's groomslady is one of his closest friends from college, and he stays in very regular contact with her. She's given him wonderful advice over the years, and I'm grateful that she's in our lives. The gender of your friends and family do not matter when you are really in need, and it doesn't matter in your bridal party.
Please don't let your mom's comments get to you if you genuinely want all of those people standing up with you when you say your vows.
Stop listening to your mom. If she brings it up again, tell her the decisons made on the WP are done and final, so there is no need to try and get you to change your mind.
Can chibiyui get extra points for her use of behoove and asunder?
It's also not up to your FI who stands up with you.
I'd stop talking to your mother about your wedding party, and if she brings it up again, tell her, "Mom, this is a closed subject," and bean-dip her from now on.
If this is an issue for you than you have much larger issues than who's in your wedding party.
I spent 17 years as a divorce lawyer. Know what, in my experience, was the #1 cause of divorce? People giving their parents too much power in their marriages & siding with their parents over their spouses. If you end up divorced, it'll be because you don't learn to tell your mother to back the fuck off.
You mother gets NO SAY when it comes to the wedding party. This is up to you and your FI to decide. You each choose your sides and just tell mom that its done and then bean dip her whenever she brings it up.