Introducing parents to in-laws

madamerwin · February 2015

hellosweetie1015 said:

Our parents met a few days before Christmas this past year. I was not a bit worried about my mom. I was quite a bit worried about my dad. Mom is welcoming and kind, although she's rather shy. My dad... not so much. I mean, he's friendly, but he's opinionated and loud, and he thinks he knows everything about everything, and everything is a status symbol with him. FILs are fantastic and I adore them, but they're very ... churchy. We aren't churchy people, and I was very afraid about my dad and FFIL getting into it over something in the realm of theology and their opinion of me being affected by their opinion of my parents. All went smoothly, thankfully. It was a blast. Edited to finish. Hit the wrong button. Damn you mobile.

This is really the main thing I am worried about. But I guess I just need to trust that since our dads are grown adults, they (and by "they," I really mean FFIL) will behave themselves. Glad to hear that your meet-and-greet went smoothly, makes me feel a little better about ours!

WinstonsGirl · February 2015

We live out west and my IL's were out east, so I didn't meet them until almost a year of dating. We met right before Christmas, got engaged the next day and my parents invited them over for Christmas dinner about a week later. I had barely met them myself.

My parents were so nervous. It was pretty funny. Dad kept offering more and more liquor, but IL's don't really drink. Appetizers, more dinner, dessert, everything had to be perfect. IL's are from Chile and speak spanish within the family. They moved to Quebec and learned french. DH then went to english school and finally moved out west. My Dad asked if he should take a french class to brush up on his high school french so he could converse for IL's. This was about 3 days before dinner and at Christmas, so I'm not sure where this class was going to happen. I told him that they both speak english.

I think my parents were worried that if they did something wrong it would scare off my IL's/DH and the engagement would get called off and they would have ruined my only chance at getting married.

lovesclimbing · February 2015

They met at our wedding. My mom and his mom had talked to each other on the phone once or twice about wedding stuff before then. It just never worked out that they could meet each other before then.

mrscomposer · February 2015

Mom met my ILs when she came for the shower the church girls threw me. Dad didn't meet them until we were decorating the hall the day before the wedding.

Now the standing plan is for us to just meet in the town where my IL's live the next time my parents come out to visit. We'll stay with J's parents and my parents'll stay with his granny.

Our families are just like that, though.

kaitlynmichelle · February 2015

Our parents actually work at the same hospital. My mom is a nurse, my step dad works as patient transport and equipment delivery, and H's dad is a surgeon. His dad actually did surgery on me when I was 4 years old. THAT was my first meeting with his dad - he started with so, you know that scar on your stomach across the right side? I did that!

Hilarious but I was all wtf?!

So our folks have known each other since we were kids but we never met until highschool when we started dating. We all have hung out as families together at H's cottage before as well prior to our engagement. Our wedding was like a big family get together.

I'm so grateful at how easy I've had it with parents interacting. One of the best texts I've got from my step dad was a picture of him with my FIL at a local hockey game together. I'm glad they get along so well!

flyingfoxes · February 2015

My mother will meet his at the wedding. His dad won't travel here, and my dad is deceased.

danamw · February 2015

My mom met my hub's parents when we had just gotten engaged. My dad had been dead over 3 years by that time. It was just a Sunday dinner at MIL's house. We had our wedding there 6 months later.

They got along fine. MIL was a people person, my mom was very socially awkward but all went well.

My mom went there with us for Christmas too. The fun part was a few years later, when my FIL got drunk and walked around in long underwear all day. It was so funny. My mom was mortified but held it in. I was silently laughing my ass off, at the look on her face.

Wegl13 · February 2015

My parents met his mom the day we got engaged. He invited them all to his grandparents farm without my knowledge. They also got to meet his sister which was a huge surprise to everyone- she and her husband were taking a driving trip to purchase a car which ended up coinciding with the engagement. So I went to call my parents and tell them the good news and I was going to text my mom a picture of the ring, and she goes "why don't you wait until we can see it in person?" It was wonderful and everyone loved each other.
The families also got together for a summer party (it was kind of an engagement party I guess but it was really just family on both sides I wanted to get together and meet) and the bridal shower. Both of these felt super awkward because DH and I were the only links between the groups and we are TERRIBLE at "hosting" (I mean in the chitchat, entertainment sense: we weren't the "hosts" if you know what I mean).
Now the worrisome meeting was our grandparents meeting each other. Both sets are old, retired, set in their ways, and very political. His grandfather watches Bill Mauer, donates to the Democratic Party heavily, and has Obama stickers on all of his vehicles. My grandfather watches Fox 24/7, worked for the former (Republican) governor, and proudly sports his Republican bumper stickers. Luckily they are both adults, and can bond over other things, like how amazing their respective grandchildren are.

Introducing parents to in-laws

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