Wedding/dealing with mother

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I'm putting this here instead of the wedding board as it's more a "mum" problem than a wedding problem.

I got engaged 17 months ago and we are getting married in a couple of weeks. Invitations went out in January and we sent save the dates out December 2015 when we booked the venue.

We are on a budget, while all of my sisters had £20K + their dress handed to them I've had £5K handed over and that includes the price of my dress (more about that later). Our wedding budget is £15K and it's been spent, we've only just afforded it without getting into debt and we've spent £14,890. There's not much left and that's fine, our numbers have been confirmed with the venue and the bill has been made up and will be paid this week.

Now I told OH I didn't want to involve my mum, just collect the RSVP cards and I'll construct a table plan, I know most of the in fighting and family politics and I'm capable of sorting it out. We made a table plan, tweaked it and OH INSISTED that I run it by mum.

We arranged to visit home last night to show mum the table plan, she went out so I texted her and asked when she'd be home and the answer was basically I'm out with my friends just leave it and I'll do it. We are so close to the wedding that isn't a possibility so I told her no, she looks at it tonight, she visits us on Thursday to do it or she's not involved at all.

So she starts asking where I've sat people and who I've put where and complained that I've put uncle X (not my biological uncle and not actually invited by me, that's a story in itself). I told her "oh with my favourite uncle, your best friends, his son and one of my nieces who his son gets on with" and she complained "you've sat him with boring c*nts". Well mum it's only for a meal.

So then she starts listing who she wants where and I'm trying to explain that tables are only so big and she wanted them mixed so it's 2 couples from our side per table, she doesn't like that. So she asked about her cousins from one side of the family and I said none of them RSVP'd. She said they have a habit of not RSVPing and then turning up so I said "well they won't get fed". I explained numbers are finalised, tables are full and to add them on would cost £80 a head for the meals alone, they'll need a table, chairs, linen, a centrepiece and stationery and I'm not willing to add them at this stage, she literally ignored me and kept talking.

So she got in touch with the cousins (we only have one address for all 4 and partners but I send 4 day invites, 3 evening invites for their kids and partners, 4 save the dates and they have me on Facebook). They said they had no idea I was getting married and not one scrap of wedding stationery made it to them - colour me sceptical. Anyway mum has invited them to the full wedding, she texted me to tell me at quarter past 11 last night!

In the car on the way home from mums last night my fianc! was all mouth "oh if she tries to add people on I'll tell her no and I'll tell her it's evening only blah blah blah", at 11:15 he was suspiciously quiet and this morning he just asked what I texted back (mum the numbers have been finalised and the tables are full - she hasn't read it).

And now for the back story, I'm the middle child born during a very messy divorce and mum has no interest in me, never really has. I had a heart transplant and she was interested then but only because of the attention it got her. She has a weird relationship with all of us girls (the boy doesn't talk to her at all). Every time my wedding comes up she talks about my sisters wedding, even showing off photos of my sister in her dress at my dress fitting last week.

I've always been the burden child, mysterious illness growing up and the transplant (she loved that). She looked after me a lot and claimed carers allowance up until last year but got bored so now I pay more for private care. My (step) dad thinks she still looks after me during the week and lets her off with paying almost nothing into the house (they're both self employed). It's recently emerged that mum is probably having an affair with the uncle im not related to that's sitting with the boring c*nts. My dad is basically putting on a facade until the wedding is over.

I genuinely think she has mental health issues or some sort of bonding issue with me. She's never really been "mum" like to me like she was with my sisters (not my brother, he was ignored then sent to live with our grand parents). Even when she was caring it felt more like a nurse-patient relationship. I don't hate her or anything I just hate what she's doing to my wedding. She's literally not spoken to dad for a month, has decided that she's divorcing dad but he's to stay at home and pay the bills because she's not selling the house and wouldn't be able to afford to buy him out, she hasn't told dad this yet and doesn't know he wants to divorce her and knows about the affair.

So what do I do? She's went ahead and invited these cousins, I have no space for them now and no money to pay to feed them. She might offer to pay but she's fly with money and I will probably never see it (she owes me £500 for something I paid for her 2 years ago, she asked me to buy it on my bank card as she doesn't use her cards online). I don't want to get into debt :money: I'm happy for the cousins to come at night but I'm not willing to add a table in at this stage and don't think my linens guy will be too happy with having already been paid in full adding on extra places.

Despite OH mouthing off he probably won't say anything and he is a bit of a push over.
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  • Pollycat
    Pollycat Posts: 34,685 Forumite
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    WOW! Oh WOW!

    What an almighty mess, Glaswejen.

    How strong are you?

    Personally, if it was going to mess up the whole table arrangements to have your cousins at the full do, I'd get in touch with them and say that as they didn't RSVP (don't get into the 'but...but....we didn't receive the invitation' argument) your Mum was out of order inviting them at such short notice and you are - with regret - rescinding the invitations but they are welcome at the evening do if they wish to come.

    If it's possible to fit them in, I'd tell your Mother that they can come but only if she tips up the full cost of their meals right now.
    Otherwise, you're ringing them to tell them she had no right to invite them and they are de-invited.

    Tell your Mother that she's created a mess that you don't need so close to the wedding and she is having zero input into the table planning.
    It will be as you originally planned.

    I'd then tell your OH that you know your Mother best and not to interfere in future.

    This is what I'd do but I'm a very strong person.

    I wish you well and hope your special day is perfect.

    Re this:
    GlasweJen wrote: »
    And now for the back story, I'm the middle child born during a very messy divorce and mum has no interest in me, never really has. I had a heart transplant and she was interested then but only because of the attention it got her. She has a weird relationship with all of us girls (the boy doesn't talk to her at all). Every time my wedding comes up she talks about my sisters wedding, even showing off photos of my sister in her dress at my dress fitting last week.

    I've always been the burden child, mysterious illness growing up and the transplant (she loved that). She looked after me a lot and claimed carers allowance up until last year but got bored so now I pay more for private care. My (step) dad thinks she still looks after me during the week and lets her off with paying almost nothing into the house (they're both self employed). It's recently emerged that mum is probably having an affair with the uncle im not related to that's sitting with the boring c*nts. My dad is basically putting on a facade until the wedding is over.

    I genuinely think she has mental health issues or some sort of bonding issue with me. She's never really been "mum" like to me like she was with my sisters (not my brother, he was ignored then sent to live with our grand parents). Even when she was caring it felt more like a nurse-patient relationship. I don't hate her or anything I just hate what she's doing to my wedding. She's literally not spoken to dad for a month, has decided that she's divorcing dad but he's to stay at home and pay the bills because she's not selling the house and wouldn't be able to afford to buy him out, she hasn't told dad this yet and doesn't know he wants to divorce her and knows about the affair.
    I don't know if you've posted on or read any of this thread:
    http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5590020

    Lots of people with similar Mothers.
    She may have a narcissistic personality - lots of discussion about that on the thread.

    Google it.
  • GlasweJen
    GlasweJen Posts: 7,451 Forumite
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    edited 1 March 2017 at 10:49AM
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    Pollycat wrote: »
    WOW! Oh WOW!

    What an almighty mess, Glaswejen.

    How strong are you?
    not that strong when it comes to mum. She's painted me as the problem child for so long that I just can't stand up to her any more. This is the last of a long line of things she's done that she'll blame on me, guaranteed she's made out to the flake cousins that I probably forgot to post the invite rather than that they're a bunch of flakes who never turn up when they say they do so I was relieved when they didn't RSVP

    Personally, if it was going to mess up the whole table arrangements to have your cousins at the full do, I'd get in touch with them and say that as they didn't RSVP (don't get into the 'but...but....we didn't receive the invitation' argument) your Mum was out of order inviting them at such short notice and you are - with regret - rescinding the invitations but they are welcome at the evening do if they wish to come.

    They're my mums cousins not mine, the only contact info I have for them is the address that mysteriously doesn't receive post, we use the oldest sisters address for everyone so apparently a whole families worth of invites all went missing from one sorting office

    If it's possible to fit them in, I'd tell your Mother that they can come but only if she tips up the full cost of their meals right now.
    Otherwise, you're ringing them to tell them she had no right to invite them and they are de-invited.

    Tell your Mother that she's created a mess that you don't need so close to the wedding and she is having zero input into the table planning.
    It will be as you originally planned.

    I'd then tell your OH that you know your Mother best and not to interfere in future.
    i'm sick of telling him to not get involved with my mum and I but he thought it was "her place"

    This is what I'd do but I'm a very strong person.
    i'd love to do this, can I hire you to phone my mum?
    I wish you well and hope your special day is perfect.
    thank you

    Re this:

    I don't know if you've posted on or read any of this thread:
    http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5590020

    Lots of people with similar Mothers.
    She may have a narcissistic personality - lots of discussion about that on the thread.

    Google it.

    Thanks, I didn't want to say I thought mum was a narc because that would get pounced on but basically I think that's exactly the situation
  • Pollycat
    Pollycat Posts: 34,685 Forumite
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    GlasweJen wrote: »
    Thanks, I didn't want to say I thought mum was a narc because that would get pounced on but basically I think that's exactly the situation
    I don't think you'd get pounced on at all - or at least I'd hope you wouldn't.

    So many stories of selfish Mothers, it's so sad.

    A friend of mine cares for her Mother and she's (the Mother) so evil.
    But these people are so charismatic in front of other people.
    She only shows her true face to the people who are closest to her, ironically the people she should be showing love to.

    I hope you manage to get this sorted. :)
  • PeacefulWaters
    PeacefulWaters Posts: 8,495 Forumite
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    Ah, so my narcissistic ex-wife's influence over my step daughter is why I was seated in the darkest corner of the room that day on the "who the hell are these misfits?" table!
  • GlasweJen
    GlasweJen Posts: 7,451 Forumite
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    Pollycat wrote: »
    I don't think you'd get pounced on at all - or at least I'd hope you wouldn't.

    So many stories of selfish Mothers, it's so sad.

    A friend of mine cares for her Mother and she's (the Mother) so evil.
    But these people are so charismatic in front of other people.
    She only shows her true face to the people who are closest to her, ironically the people she should be showing love to.

    I hope you manage to get this sorted. :)

    I've seen threads where someone's mentioned a narcissistic mum being derailed by the "don't label without a doctor" brigade and really can't be bothered with those responses. I think my younger sister is golden child, brother was the black sheep until she sent him away and then it was me (he went away before I started primary).

    She's doing everything she can to sabotage my day from wearing a high street dress (her outfits for my sisters weddings were all north of £1K), wearing my bridesmaid colours for her accessories and complaining that the hotel charges for breakfast with the room rate she booked. Between her and my mother in law (who is just a bit mother of the groom-zilla and a control freak and has chilled a bit since we started paying final bills) I'm surprised I've not had a nervous breakdown.
  • fairy_lights
    fairy_lights Posts: 9,220 Forumite
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    If you've got these cousins on Facebook, I would message them directly and tell them you're really sorry, but you've spoken to the venue and they can't fit any more people in for the day at this late stage, but that they're more than welcome to come to the evening do.
    If it's too difficult to confront your mum or she won't accept that you can't afford to add them in to your wedding, you can tell her that the venue has said no too.
  • Artytarty
    Artytarty Posts: 2,642 Forumite
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    Yep she does sound difficult!
    BUt...I think you are maybe just suffering from pre wedding stress the way many of us do and it seems like everything she's doing is designed to thwart you in some manner. Perhaps it isn't though?
    Maybe she chose your bridesmaids colours for her accessories so she would look cocordinated with the wedding party? Where's the problem with that? Or grumbling about the breakfast.
    I think the way she has treated you with less esteem than your siblings is really eating away at you and you're looking for more evidence.
    Re the cousins mind you- out of order. I agree with the poster who said either she pays or you uninvite them.
    Norn Iron Club member 473
  • Out,_Vile_Jelly
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    To be honest, with all this ongoing family drama, I'm surprised you didn't have a quiet registry office wedding with just two witnesses and then arrange a knees-up in a pub or suchlike later to keep costs and hassle down.

    There is an awful lot going on here, and I think you have to separate out the important stuff:

    Important
    Logistics ie do you have the budget/space for last minute guests that you aren't even close to? Do you care if you offend your mum's cousins? Are you and your husband going to agree a strategy with dealing with your difficult mother going forward as a partnership? How much contact do you actually want with your family?

    Unimportant Stuff
    Pettiness ie the cost of your mother's dress (seriously, who will know or care?!).

    Table plans seem to be important to the bride and maybe the odd annoying relative. I would be pushed to name who I sat with at various weddings over the years. If people are still bearing grudges about who they sat near at Cousin Bev's wedding in 1998, do you seriously want these people in your lives?!

    Family finances are tricky; I know otherwise very happy families where there is underlying resentment about house deposits/wedding cash given to one sibling but not another. It's very common, and frankly there's not much you can do about it.

    I really hope you can relax and enjoy the day; it's not a competition with anyone else's wedding, or about past family dramas; it's just supposed to be you and your partner pledging your future together.
    They are an EYESORES!!!!
  • suejb2
    suejb2 Posts: 1,918 Forumite
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    You say she has always painted you as the problem child, my advice is to become that problem child. You haven't got the space for the second cousins don't accommodate them, they didn't reply so literally their names aren't on the list they're not coming in!
    Life is like a bath, the longer you are in it the more wrinkly you become.
  • tea_lover
    tea_lover Posts: 8,261 Forumite
    edited 1 March 2017 at 11:19AM
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    Honestly, I'd be more annoyed at my OH than my mum in this scenario! She sounds like a nightmare, but one you know about and knew how to manage (ie. leave her out of it). But thanks to your OH not backing you up you now have the potential of multiple people you weren't expecting turning up on the day and expecting to be fed.

    I'd be fuming - with him.

    ETA: how does the price of her dress sabotage your wedding??
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