Entire movies and TV shows have been made around mother in law and daughter in law themes with a son caught in between. The latter often has no idea as to how to deal with both the women in is life. Whilst you may be lucky to have an accommodating mother in law who doesn’t want anything more than a partner for her son who will take care of him, it’s also quite possible that you may find yourself dealing with a lady who secretly thinks you’re not doing a good enough job of wedding planning, and thus tries to interfere in almost every decision.
So, what do you need to do in such circumstances? We give you solutions that are guaranteed to work:
Problem 1- She thinks your wedding theme is awful and wants you to try out her idea instead.
Assuming that you have already discussed with your partner about the kind of wedding you both want, there’s no reason to change your wedding theme at all. However, do hear your mother in law out without disrespecting her and thank her for any suggestions she makes. If, the suggestions are in direct contrast to what you both have planned, let her know but make sure that the discussion ends there. Or her complaints could stay on your mind for a really long time.
Problem 2- She doesn’t like what you plan to wear and wants you to wear something that she has chosen.
It’s only fair to ask her what she has in mind for you to wear at the wedding but asking her to come along with you to pick out a wedding saree or a gown, is a good idea to try. Making her feel involved lets her feel wanted and also shows that you care about what she thinks. You don’t have to go with her choice just to make her happy- go with it only if you feel it looks good on you.
Image: Onkar Photography
Problem 3- You both want a quiet and small wedding but your mother in law wants to invite everybody she knows- even people who your partner hasn’t heard of
To be fair, your mother in law’s child is getting married and it’s only natural that she would want to share that happiness with everyone. Your ability to negotiate a way out of this situation depends on two factors- is she partly funding the wedding and how many guests does she want to invite. If she contributes to the wedding expenses, yes, she does have a say in deciding how many guests can be invited but there’s no reason why you, your partner and she can’t sit down together and decide on the final guest list numbers together.
Problem 4- Your mother in law keeps complaining to everyone that you aren’t letting her get involved in the wedding and that you’re ‘oh, so dominating’!
The most logical step you can take here is to assign a task or several tasks to your mother in law. It could range from deciding on the bridal bouquet to picking out the stage décor to purchasing the return favours. The best way to keep everyone happy and get some much needed help is by graciously allowing your mother in law to get involved in the wedding planning.
Main Image: Studio focus vision
