Hey guys, welcome to this
episode of Here Comes The Drama.
I'm your host, Krista Ennis, and
it's actually my birthday today.
and so I wanted to do something
special for this birthday episode,
and that is share one of my all
time favorite Patreon episodes.
Called the mother of the groom files.
You guys are always asking me to
share more stories and more content,
and this was a wild episode with
a wild story, so I thought I would
give back to you guys this week.
But first, just a couple
of fun announcements.
We're gonna start with a podcast review.
This is from Monica.
Daniel, it says, I don't ever
listen to podcasts, but when I
saw your Facebook post that you
started, one, I had to start.
Your skits are like crack.
You want more and more and more.
LOL.
Thank you so much for the kind review.
If you guys are loving the podcast,
please help me out by leaving a review
on iTunes, Spotify, wherever you listen.
It just really helps the
show get out to more people.
Now one more extra bonus for this week
is in case you missed it, my new book
Here Comes The Drama is now officially
an audio book, and I'm so, so excited.
I've talked about the process before,
but I, worked directly with Tan Tour
Media and I was able to listen to
actual auditions from voice artists and
Shiloh James just had the amazing voice.
That I thought would fit so
well with these characters.
and so it's now officially out.
There's also an exclusive author's
note that I was able to record
myself and the little behind the
scenes, note at the very end.
So as a little bonus to you guys,
stick around at the very end of
the episode, and I'm going to
include a. First look at the book.
You're gonna get chapter one,
directly to you so you can enjoy that.
as a little bonus there.
I don't know how many times
I just said bonus you guys.
Side note.
August has just been a wild month already.
I can hardly keep up.
I can't believe it's already, by the time
you guys listen to this, it'll be almost
over and I'm just like trying to catch up.
I feel like if anyone else is feeling
that way, I'm right there with you.
anyways, I wanna remind you guys that
I'm doing a big YouTube giveaway.
This is actually the last week to enter.
you got a few more days left actually.
so for my birthday month
I did a YouTube giveaway.
All you have to do is subscribe
to my channel and then comment
entered on my video, and we will
link that in the show notes so you
can easily find it at the bottom.
we are doing a $75 Amazon gift
card and a signed copy of my
book for the grand prize winner.
And then every single week
we've been picking winners for
some smaller prizes as well.
just a way to say thank you for all you
guys that listen and follow on YouTube.
Alright, so like I said, we are
going to, Give you a special
look at a Patreon episode.
This was my all time favorite one,
the mother of the groom files.
This was a wild episode where I read,
oh gosh, we do some hot takes and I
gave you my takes on these mother of
groom situations that were sent to me.
a mother of the groom, 9 1 1 advice call.
So someone sent me in something
that happened to them and
they're trying to deal with the.
Situation.
And then I read a couple of stories and
one is probably top 10 wildest mother
of the groom stories I've ever read.
So we're gonna go ahead and
play that whole episode for you
and I hope you guys enjoy it.
And don't forget to stick around to
the very end of the episode for the
first chapter of, here Comes the Drama.
today I've got two crazy ones
and of course I've not read them,
we got some good ones for you.
But I'll react, along with you.
So let's get started.
let's go right into the hot takes.
All right, The mother of the groom should
have a special role, but it doesn't
need to mirror the mother of the brides.
This is gonna depend in a
relationship with each of them.
I mean, I do think.
In all the weddings I've been
a part of, I should say most of
them, they had a unique role.
but a lot of times both moms were there
doing everything together, or just being
a part of, the bride getting ready.
Right.
I. so of course you're gonna have
your special moment with your own mom
versus your partner's mom, but I really
feel like they have similar roles
because it's both their kids' weddings.
I'm very anti, it's the
bride and groom's day, or.
The bride and bride's day.
The groom and groom's day.
it's the couple's day.
Right.
So I feel like it's really important that
depending on your relationship, whoever
wants to be involved is involved the
same way we're not leaving anybody out.
Of course, that's, again, depending
on how your relationship is.
okay.
Two.
It's okay if the mother of the groom
doesn't help with the planning.
Support.
Doesn't always mean involvement 100%.
I think sometimes I see stories where
the bride gets so mad at the mother of
the groom for not being involved, but.
They don't have to be, and that's
not necessarily their wheelhouse.
there was one I read not that long ago
where the bride was mad because she gave
a task to the mother of the groom and
it was basically to book the Airbnb for
their wedding event and it was gonna
be hosted in the backyard or something.
she kept saying like, oh, she
was taking so long to do it.
And by the time, know, it was getting
closer and closer, all the ones
that I had really liked were booked.
And I was like.
If I were the bride, I would never just
put that in the hands of someone else.
And I don't blame the mother of groom
for that because she might have never
had this kind of responsibility before.
She might not be into planning and then
this was just kind of put on her lap.
Maybe she's never booked an Airbnb.
so when it comes to things like that,
I don't think it's up to the mother
of the groom to want to be involved.
She can support you guys in other ways
and I think that's perfectly okay.
number three, mother-in-laws
giving input on the guest list
should only happen early, not the
month before invitations go out.
So they could give input or
tips anytime, I'm sure, again,
depending on your relationship.
But yeah, we are not asking for.
And like guest list a month
before, that's just too much.
there was another mother-in-law story
where they asked her way in advance
to send a guest list and she kept
refusing because she didn't like that
they were only gonna invite 100 people.
So she kept pushing back and saying
like, no, I'm not sending you a list.
I'm not sending you a list.
then they went the extra mile and were
looking in her address book to get.
Her friend's addresses to send an
invite and I'm just like, if it's
gonna be that difficult, why even try?
yes.
I think everybody, if you're gonna
have your parents' friends be invited,
reach out to them early enough, give
them a deadline and be very clear.
okay.
I'm gonna do a couple more we've got
a long story for you guys and I don't
want, it to be like a two hour episode.
I'm sure you guys wouldn't
complain, but Okay.
A neutral colored dress is
totally fine as long as it's
cleared with the couple first.
Uh, it's so hard because some of these
things are gonna be really individual.
Some people might be
like, no, absolutely not.
For me personally, I think
neutral is totally fine.
what's wrong with neutral colored?
Yes, maybe avoid white.
but I think you can do other
neutral colors in general.
I think if you're not sure,
ask the bride groom, but.
I would never assume that white is okay.
Right.
Number five, it's not rude to set
boundaries with your future mother-in-law.
It's healthy.
That goes with for anybody, even people
that you have a great relationship with.
Boundaries are so good, I think so many
times we think boundaries are a way of
like shutting people out or being mean,
especially if you're a people pleaser.
It's not like boundaries can be like, I
turn my phone off at 7:00 PM and I spend
time with just my family right here.
I don't answer the phone even for my
best friend, my boss, whoever it is.
And I think that's so important
because so many times, like we
think we can be at everyone's beck
and call and that we're gonna be
mean if we say no or don't answer.
But no, you gotta have boundaries.
Last one.
The best thing a mother of the groom
can ask is, how can I support you
instead of assuming what's helpful.
Yeah, I think that's great.
If you are in a wedding, if you are a
mother of the groom, if you are the mother
of the bride, if you're a father, like
whatever your relationship is to them,
how can I support you is a great way.
Instead of just jumping in and
saying, I'm taking this task from
you because nobody likes that.
Okay.
Next section.
We are gonna do some confessions.
I have a couple of confessions here
that people sent me, and then the last
one's gonna be more of like a 9 1 1.
What do I do in this situation?
Okay, first one, mother-in-law
told my son she could help him
come up with an escape plan.
What if the day of he gets cold feet?
So I'm guessing the son
then told his partner.
It was like, my mom told me this.
That's insane.
we wanna encourage the couple.
I mean, unless it's completely toxic
and, it's a bad relationship, which
even then, like you gotta make sure
like you really are protecting your son.
Otherwise, I'm not saying anything.
I said this a while back in an episode.
This girl was talking about
her whole family didn't like
the partner of her brother.
Right?
And they wanted to say something so bad.
And I was like, you can't, you can't
say something if you just don't like
somebody, because if something blows up,
it's gonna go back into your face, right?
If you say like, oh, I don't like
her, she's not right for you.
It's gonna come back to bite you.
It's better to just be supportive.
of course if there's certain things
that they say that's going to,
that are just like, down or rude,
put you down, that kind of thing.
But if it's just like, I don't
like them because of the way they
talk, I don't like them because
they don't seem right for you.
I'm just protecting you.
Like, no, we don't need to say that.
Okay.
Two.
My bridal shower, my mother-in-law
gave me a cookbook and said,
you'll need this more than anyone.
No.
Okay.
As someone that I am very
insecure with my cooking.
Like I enjoy doing it
when there's no pressure.
I like cooking for my family, but I
feel like I'm surrounded by so many
cooks that are like really good at
what they do, that I'm just like,
I just second guess everything.
that'd be a little insulting.
my husband and I buy cookbooks
all the time 'cause we like
try new recipes and stuff.
But to specifically say to someone,
'cause you need this more than anybody.
That's just a, we call that
a backhanded compliment.
Actually, I'm not, that's
not even a compliment.
That's just backhanded.
okay.
My mother-in-law kept calling it her son's
wedding and didn't mention my name once
in the entire engagement announcement.
Ooh, okay.
I catch myself when I'm like talking
about someone's story or reading someone's
story, I'll say like, bride this, and
I'm like, no, I need to stop doing that.
The couple's day, the couple's
wedding, it's so ingrained
in us to talk a certain way.
Right.
But I feel like society says
like it's the bride's day.
So when you say it's like your
son's day and your leaving out his
partner, that's intentional, right?
Yeah, that's pretty hard.
I had someone on my podcast,
Janelle Riedel, was on my podcast
a couple weeks back, and she, well,
by the time this comes out, it'll
be probably like two months back.
But, she had a very similar story sent to
her where there was a, birth announcement.
So this woman was saying her and her
partner, her and her husband decided
they did not want their babies.
Face put anywhere, like on social
media or anything like that, they
made this very clear to the parents.
They go to the parents' house to go
visit them when the baby was like
a newborn and sitting right on the
table, there was a newspaper clipping
where they had a birth announcement.
The grandparents put in a birth
announcement in the newspaper.
Not once did they mention
the daughter-in-law's name.
It was just proud grandparents
of said the baby's name and
then said their son's name.
That was it.
So that is intentional, you are
purposely leaving someone out when
it took two people to make that baby.
So I don't know.
that's making a statement for sure.
okay.
Here is the 9 1 1 confession.
she's kind of more of
like asking for help.
Right.
Okay.
My mother-in-law just told me she bought a
white dress to wear to our wedding because
it's the only color she looks good in.
I've gotten similar ones before.
I told her I wasn't comfortable
with that and she said I was being
territorial and should be honored
that she's making an effort at all.
My fiance is trying to stay neutral.
The wedding is in three weeks.
What do I do?
first things first.
I'm only talking about this general
situation right here because I don't want
people coming back and being like, oh
my gosh, I can't believe you care about
people wearing white at your wedding.
I personally, I wouldn't care again.
It depends on the relationship because
if you already have a rocky relationship
and someone's like, I'm wearing white to
your wedding, I'm getting a full gown.
Again, back to the intentional.
It's intentional and they want you
to feel a certain way, So my guess is
if she says, oh, I only look good in
white, so I'm wearing a white dress
to your wedding, it's because there's
already some kind of rift there, right?
First things first, the fiance
staying neutral is not okay.
He needs to make a choice
of who he's backing up.
if he's choosing to marry you, he
should be backing you up, right?
He needs to be the one to,
communicate to his mother that
this is not appropriate or okay.
Now again, I'm speaking for this
couple because she has made it
clear she is not okay with it.
If you're okay with white at
your wedding, this is not.
Relating to you, right?
So he needs to be the one to communicate
to his mom, Hey Sophie, whatever her
name is, has said she's not okay with it.
And I would actually rather
her be the only one in white as
well, really make it more what he
thinks and be that bridge, right?
Because if he's trying to stay neutral.
It's gonna make them
bash even more, right?
Because they're both gonna
try to get him on their side.
So he needs to make a
clear standing point.
Being the wedding is only in three
weeks, so she's gonna try to like push
back and push back and say like, oh,
well there's no time to get a new dress.
Oh, I can's, the only dress I have.
There's time.
you've made it very clear that
you're not comfortable with it, so.
All you can do is communicate and
you need to let your partner know
that he needs to communicate to her.
that being said, if she still
chooses to show up that day
in a white dress, you can.
There's different things you can do.
Talk to your vendors ahead of time,
maybe your photographer and say
like, Hey, my mother-in-law has told
me he's gonna wear a white dress.
What do we do?
They might be able to situate her.
I mean, it's hard because she's the mom,
so she's gonna be in the front pictures.
They might be able to like move her.
So someone's like
standing in front of her.
I know this happened in one
of the stories sent to me.
She said the photographer worked with her
and like, it was like an aunt though, and
they put someone directly in front of her.
So you couldn't really tell.
and then you have to decide how
important it is to you and it's hard.
This is where you are like, you know what?
We've dealt with so much with her already.
This is it for me.
I'm done.
I'm done dealing with it.
Then you have to make that decision
and tell your partner and try
to get him on the same page.
If this is one little blip in
the day and there's been no
other issues, Just let it go.
Everyone's gonna know you're the
bride and everyone's gonna look at
her and be like, that's ridiculous.
So you kinda have to decide and
make a decision on your own and with
your partner to be like, how big
of a deal do we wanna make this?
Not saying you're the one making
a big deal, but like, do you
wanna escalate it or just drop it?
Okay.
So you guys listening at home,
what would you do?
Let her wear it.
And again, she would outshine nobody.
Right?
Would you ban her from photos?
Would you ask the photographer
to gray scale her dress or like
move her somehow or politely
ask her to sit the wedding out.
These are like four different,
complete different things.
Me, if I were in her situation where you
already communicated and it was an issue.
I think I would just let her wear
it, not I wouldn't shine anybody.
And then I would probably be like,
okay, photographer, what can we do here?
And then I would just
like not worry about it.
But again, I'm not in that situation.
It's very hard when you already
have like a bad relationship.
Right.
Okay, here we go.
lemme get a drink of my energy drink here.
It's just to warm up my vocals because.
I'm telling you guys, these allergies
are just like making my throat scratchy.
Okay, here we go.
Mother of the groom confessions.
These are stories from the vault.
So someone sent me these stories, okay?
It's finally my turn to share.
My husband and I had a set wedding
date that was really meaningful to
us, it also worked well with one of
our closest friend's work schedules.
His mom had found a venue she thought
would be perfect, but it wasn't
available on the date we'd chosen.
She asked me what I thought about it,
and if we'd consider switching dates.
I told her it was a beautiful
venue, but I wanted to keep looking.
We really wanted that specific date and I
was also considering something outdoors.
Then I went to work.
When I got home, my husband was
buzzing with excitement saying
how thrilled he was that we had
a venue and locked in our date.
What?
I was totally confused.
Turns out my mother-in-law had
gone ahead and booked the venue
anyway without waiting for our
answer, just assuming she knew best.
You are kidding me.
I take back everything I said
about reading crazy stories.
This is the craziest mother of
the groom story I've ever read.
Why would you take that
into your own hands?
And then I'm also wondering, I know that's
probably gonna come up, but I'm also
wondering why the fiance heard it from his
mom and was like, okay, this is awesome.
This is cool.
Wouldn't he go to his like fiance
first and be like, Hey, this is weird.
Did you talk to my mom?
But he's like excited for it.
Come on.
Okay, because we had agreed that his
family would be covering the costs
for the venue, I felt cornered.
I ended up going along with a change
and just tried to make it work.
No.
Oh my gosh.
I feel terrible for her because here's
the thing, like, oh, I feel so bad
for her because it's like the husband
comes in or partner comes in he's like.
Oh, this is so great.
We got this venue.
So then she sees his excitement
after already talking to the mom,
the mother-in-law, and now she feels
like she has to say yes because
they're paying for the venue.
in reality she already told the mom
like, no, I'm gonna keep looking.
And she was like, you know what?
Screw you.
I'm gonna do what I want anyways.
no, it's not your wedding.
Oh my gosh.
A few weeks later, I was talking about
wedding dress in SPO during a family
dinner with his side of the family.
That's when my father-in-law
decided it was his job to take
charge of my wedding dress, even
though my family was paying for it.
Okay.
In general, it's weird that the family
thinks that they have control over her
wedding dress, but the father-in-law.
I wouldn't trust my own father
to pick out my wedding dress.
I wouldn't trust my husband to pick out
my wedding dress and he is got great
style, but so it's nothing against that.
It's just that's such a
personal, personal thing.
Oh my gosh.
He insisted I buy it on
Amazon to save money.
But I had no problem spending
$900 plus on my husband's suit.
That seems like a lot of money.
We spent, gosh, I think under
300 from my husband's suit.
this isn't sponsored or anything, but we
used Modern Groom and it was like so easy.
They sent it to us at home.
My husband and I are very
like, let's check the boxes.
Like we.
I don't need to go somewhere and see
10 suits and see which one looks best.
We pretty much were like, let's look at
them online and do it like, I don't know.
I know everybody's different.
That was just us, $900 plus
for a suit, but he wanted her
to order her dress on Amazon.
I politely told him I'd figure
the dress out with my mom.
He went ahead and ordered several dresses
anyway was furious when I told him I'd
already made a decision with my mom.
Ew, I'm sorry.
That is gross behavior.
They are to completely like pulling
her out of her own wedding situation.
I need to talk to this person and get her
on the podcast because this is like what?
That moment pretty much set the tone
for the rest of the wedding planning.
Tense.
Okay.
So again, where's the fiance in all this?
Why is he not backing her up and be
like, dad, that's fricking weird.
Why are you ordering wedding
dresses for my fiance on Amazon?
What?
he should be standing in here
saying like, no, this isn't okay.
I'm getting heated guys.
Okay.
My mother-in-law wanted to
plan every little detail.
She constantly reminded me that I
hadn't been married before, almost
as if it was her way of justifying
why she needed to take over.
Oh, I'm so mad for her.
Any bride, I mean I should say,
majority of brides haven't been
through that before, and even
if they've been married before.
Typically I see like they do a different
style, like they do something different.
Right.
But it's like even if she had been
married before, I feel like this
mother-in-law would've come in and
been like, no, we need to do it my way.
Like, why is that any
constellation to be able to go in?
She's probably been married 30
years, so things have changed
a lot since she got married.
So she's trying to like redo her wedding
through her son and daughter-in-law.
It's like, no, no, no, no.
She kept pushing for her daughter,
my sister-in-law, who I'm not close
with to be one of the bridesmaids.
Apparently she wasn't a bridesmaid
in her other sister-in-law's
wedding five years ago, and my
mother-in-law wanted to fix that.
Oh my gosh.
This family, I explained kindly that I
had a specific vision and that anyone
who wanted to wear a specific color
to the wedding was welcome to wear
dark green, but it wasn't required.
Later I got a message from my
sister-in-law, double checking
the color she'd been told by my
mother-in-law, and it was the exact
color of my bridesmaid dresses.
Why am I not surprised?
Oh my gosh.
I talked to her directly.
She was super understanding, and from
then on she came to me to confirm details.
Oh my gosh.
This mom was just like,
Nope, it's my wedding.
Now I'm gonna do what I want.
But the craziest thing, it happened
a couple months before the wedding
when we were sending out invites.
I had a few friends come over to help
address envelopes and had previously asked
my mother-in-law for all of her addresses
the day of, she told me to just drop off
the invites and send them out herself.
No, I'm calling it now.
I dunno what's gonna happen.
Do not do that.
Someone that's already
ignoring your every wish.
your, every vision for the
wedding is not gonna follow
through with that simple task.
No.
Okay.
I don't like the next sentence.
I was rushing to work, so I
dropped them off and said I'd come
pick up whatever was left later.
No, But Why do we need the mother-in-law
to send them out herself if they're
already labeled and everything?
Ugh.
Biggest mistake she says.
After she mailed the invitations,
she casually mentioned we
might need to do a reprint.
I was confused.
I had like 59 extras.
Why would we need more later that week?
While checking over the shared guest
list spreadsheet, which I finalized eight
months ago and shared with both sets of
parents and my husband, I found the issue.
She sent out over 100 extra
invitations about a month and
a half before the wedding.
My like planner self is getting
so bent outta shape right now.
This is not, oh my gosh.
We need like a mean bridesmaid
for every one of these nice
brides because this is not okay.
And again, where is the husband?
Where is the fiance?
Also you don't need to share.
Your guest list with everyone.
I had no reason to be like protective of
my stuff, but like I don't need to send my
guest list to every single person, so just
my husband and I had it like, why does
everyone need to see every single person?
We reached out to all the parents
and they sent us their list, and
I took care of everything else.
Again, if someone's already showing
you not to trust them, don't trust
them with a new and important task.
Okay.
She says, my family was providing
the food, so I was beyond frustrated.
I had always said they could invite
as many people as they wanted, but it
needed to be finalized months in advance.
I asked my husband if he recognized
the names he didn't or they were
distant cousins that he specifically
said he didn't want there.
the worst part, because the invites
were already sent, I had no way to
contact these people and uninvite them.
I'm exhausted.
I am exhausted for this bride.
I cannot believe that this happened.
I am so sorry.
couple more things that
happened behind my back too.
She tried to gather baby photos of me,
even though I specifically said I did
not want a slideshow or a wedding video.
She tried to invite her own guest
list to a bridal shower that
was being hosted by my aunt.
Why am I not surprised?
She did a hundred extra
people to the wedding?
I didn't know what happened with this.
Okay, let's see.
Then came the wedding day.
People showed up late.
Two of my husband's groomsmen arrived
an hour and a half after they were
supposed to, and 30 minutes after
the ceremony was scheduled to start.
What?
Oh my gosh.
People need to be
reminded a hundred times.
Some people need to be
reminded a hundred times.
Luckily we have no one late
for our wedding, but I hear
it happen all the time.
we asked everyone to arrive
an hour early for photos.
Even my in-laws showed up 30
minutes late, adding to the chaos.
Luckily, once the ceremony started,
everything turned out beautifully,
but the lead up absolute hell.
I need to know how this ended.
I need to reach out to
her and ask her what?
The heck happened after this.
Like, what is going on here?
Because this is literally insane.
The fact that a hundred
x people were invited.
I need to know, like, did you need
a bigger venue, a bigger room?
How much was the cost, like.
It was probably one of those where
she was like, the mother-in-law
was like, we're paying for it.
So if I wanna invite more people, I can.
It's my party now.
that's where I'm like, don't
accept money from people.
They're gonna hold strings over your
head and dangle it like a carrot.
Right.
if people want to help as a gift
and you respect them and they
respect you, then yes, let's do it.
If they wanna help, that's great.
If you already have a weird relationship,
if they're trying to control things,
no, we're not gonna ask for that.
We're not gonna accept the help.
again, where's the fiance?
Where's the fiance in all of this?
And why is he just on the Back
burner or behind the scenes
when his mom's taking the lead.
your wedding was hijacked.
They, they took it from you.
And I feel like those are the
kind of weddings where people are
most unhappy when they look back.
I'm glad she's able to say, you know what?
Everything turned out beautifully.
Maybe it's just me, but I
would not be so, I wouldn't be
so like, cheerful about that.
I'd be like, you know what, this
was my, time to do my thing and
it was taken from me, so I dunno.
Oh my gosh.
I feel like my blood pressure
is up from that story.
All right, I got one more short,
one short-ish, so let's get into it.
All right.
We almost canceled the wedding.
Everyone in our families
was horrible to us.
My mom made a huge deal about
my dad coming with his wife.
They've been married for 10 years.
My mother-in-law was against the whole
thing because in her view, you're
supposed to date for exactly five years
first and already have bought a house.
Where do people come up with these things.
Some people get married after six months.
Some people get married after six years.
Some people get married for 20 years
some people already have kids first.
why does it matter to you?
If two people decide together,
Hey, let's get married.
Just let them, I can't imagine
being so like stuck in my ways.
We were 33 and 36 and we
didn't see the need to wait.
She didn't approve of my red
inexpensive wedding shoes or my
pre-ordered dress from Ali Express.
She didn't like that.
My venue only held 100 people, that
we invited only close friends and
immediate family, and that her cousins
weren't invited, that we didn't
have a formal dinner, and that we
skipped a dance floor altogether.
What that sounds like to me is that
it's just two people that were ready to
get married and knew exactly what they
wanted, and I think that's amazing.
All weddings don't have to be the same.
All weddings don't have to have a dance
floor or an open bar or a formal dinner.
Do what makes sense for you if you just
wanna party and have some cake, invite
your favorite people more power to you.
I don't get why.
people get so like uptight about it.
We hosted a five hour gathering with
an open bar and buffet full of food.
What more could you ask for?
You got a full buffet of
food and you got an open bar.
that would make me happy.
you don't really need much else.
Right.
She even hated that.
My husband made my
wedding bouquet himself.
He crafted it as a final gift.
I think that's amazing.
Wow.
I received before walking down the aisle.
He made it as a gift.
I received walk before
walking down the aisle.
One of his close friends handed
it to me right before I entered.
love that.
I've never heard of that before.
I actually laughed the whole way
down the aisle because my mom didn't
make it to the church on time.
Where is this Poor girl's family.
My mother-in-law shushed me for laughing.
She had already screamed at
my husband the night before.
My mom wasn't at the church
because she wasn't ready.
Oh my gosh.
I had gone to her house to have
my makeup and hair done, but I was
left alone while she and my younger
sister disappeared to another part
of the house to get themselves ready.
My older sister stayed with me for a bit,
even though she was pregnant with twins.
She eventually left for the church.
Oh my gosh.
I just don't understand.
People just can't be there for someone
else let them shine on their day.
It's so disappointing to hear these
stories where they're like, yeah,
I was alone, or My mom didn't come,
or My maid of honor was late, or
The groomsman never showed up.
It's like, come on.
It's not that hard.
Be on time or be where you need to be
for people that you really care about.
It was so sad that even the photographer
left quietly without saying anything.
I was ready to go, but my mom
still wasn't, and she told me to
wait because she needed more time.
I said, not my problem, and left.
She arrived 15 minutes later.
Okay.
That's crazy that the
photographer left really though.
'cause that has a contract tied to it.
You shouldn't just
leave your photographer.
My mother-in-law invited her
cousins to the church anyway.
One of my husband's female cousins wore a
white dress another white dress debacle.
I went out to the terrace with one
of my best friends for a cigarette,
one of my husband's other cousins
followed me to see what I was
doing and didn't leave until I did.
Weird.
Later.
One of my husband's brothers told me
that now I was a part of the family.
He hated me and then punched my
sister's husband in the face.
What?
Okay, this is weird.
So there's family drama, and with
all of that, I was still so happy.
I honestly didn't care, but I
cut them all off after that.
I don't know how people move forward
after these crazy events take place.
I could not stand to be like
at a holiday with someone that
treated my family like that.
Sounds like she cut them off, but
like that's hard 'cause it's your
husband's family and if you have
kids together or if you move, or all
these other big life events like.
Where's the family now?
so that's terrible.
I'm props to you for having good
boundaries and all that, but gosh, both
these stories are wild, wild, wild.
You guys know, we have a lot of
mother-in-law stories, and again, not all
mothers, but these stories right here,
were sent by two different, couples.
We get a lot of them just because
I think a lot of brides follow
me, but I do my best to go through
different quote unquote problem.
People, right.
So, we just get a lot of mother of
the groom stories, but I promise
you there are crazy stories
about every member I've seen.
Oh my gosh.
I think I need get my
blood pressure checked.
That's that first story
was wild, you guys.
Oh my gosh.
Okay.
Well that was a wild ride.
All right guys.
I hope you enjoyed that special.
Look at a Patreon episode
at full disclosure.
We are currently pause on Patreon
right now, so if you're looking to sign
up, don't, 'cause it won't be there.
to be completely transparent, I just don't
have the bandwidth right now, so I just
didn't feel like it was right for me to.
Keep creating content over there
when I just didn't feel like I
could give all of myself to it.
So I'm putting more into the skits,
more into my book, and then more into,
of course, these podcast episodes here.
So I hope you guys enjoyed it again,
that was such a fun episode for
me to put together, and I'm glad
more of you guys can listen to it.
Now as promised, here's the
first chapter of my audiobook.
Here comes the drama.
Enjoy.
Part one, chapter one, Kate
can't believe her ears.
She picks up her glass of wine,
throws back what's left, then
stands up and storms out of the
living room with a loud huff.
Her daughter Jenny, watches her
leave in pure confusion, then glances
at everyone else before quickly
jumping off the couch to follow her.
Mom, are you okay?
She yells after her hurrying closer.
She notices a drop of red wine has
stained her mom's white blouse.
Ugh.
I just know she's doing this
to get my son away from me.
Kate charges into the next room looking
unsteady, like she's about to burst.
What are you talking about, Jenny?
Quickly, interjects Sloan isn't
taking anyone away from you.
Her eyes drift toward the window
where snow has just started falling.
At first it was light and quiet, barely
noticeable, but now it's beginning to
fall in thick clumps, sticking to the
glass, like something trying to get in.
Kate pushes up her round brown glasses
as a be of sweat drips from her forehead.
Did you not just hear them?
They come waltzing in here on
Thanksgiving to tell us they're
not going to be here on Christmas.
Her voice trembles with a mix of hurt
and disbelief For a moment, she questions
whether or not she's overreacting, but the
thought vanishes as quickly as it came.
Her stance is firm now.
There's no going back.
Jenny looks at her mother dumbfounded.
She takes a deep breath to save
herself from calling out her mother's
ridiculousness right here, right now.
Yeah, they planned a vacation together.
I think it's perfectly acceptable.
She runs a hand through her long,
dirty blonde hair, exhaling sharply.
You can't tell them not to
go on vacation together.
The snow was falling harder Now.
Piling on the windowsill in soft,
heavy heaps, like the weight of
everything left unsaid in the room.
But on Christmas, there are
364 other days of the year.
Why'd they have to pick Christmas?
Kate's voice gets louder each time
she talks and there is clear panic
in her voice like she's been robbed.
My guess is because they wanted
to spend the holidays together.
Jenny sarcastically replies,
this isn't some weird thing for a
boyfriend to do with his girlfriend.
Kate rolls her eyes before putting her
head down and her hands and mumbling.
You just watch Jenny.
This is how it all starts.
Then soon they're just not going
to show up for certain holidays.
She looks up staring off as if she just
had an epiphany hearing her own words.
Mom.
You should be happy that Ferris
found someone he loves and
wants to spend his time with.
Jenny says, resting a
hand on her mom's back.
Now can we go back out there,
put on a happy face, and enjoy
the rest of Thanksgiving?
She raises both point of
fingers to the corners of her
mouth, exaggerating a smile.
After a long pause, Kate pulls a tissue
out of her pocket and dabs her face.
Although Jenny didn't see any tears.
Fine.
Kate stands tall, touches
up her short brown hair, and
forces a painful, wide smile.
How's this great?
Jenny gives her a swift thumbs
up and gestures for her mother
to follow her back out into the
living room where the others are.
GI is the first to step back
into her parents' living room.
Where she spots her brother, Ferris at
the fridge, grabbing two beers, one for
their dad, Ted, and one for himself.
The room is warm with the scent
of Thanksgiving leftovers, and
the muffled hum of conversation
drifts in from the dining room.
You need more wine, babe.
Ferris calls out over his shoulder.
His voice casual but affectionate.
His short, faintly golden hair with
brown undertones is slightly tussled.
A few strands falling in his face
as he reaches for the fridge.
Sloan is curled up on the couch, legs
crossed, swirling the last bit of red
wine in her glass, her long, almost black
hair drapes over one shoulder, catching
the warm glow of the Christmas lights.
She's wearing a soft knit sweater, dress
in a deep burgundy, paired with thick
socks, comfortable yet casually stylish
in a way that almost seems natural to her.
She looks over at him
with a small knowing.
Smile.
No, I still have some left.
Thanks, Sloane.
Smirks and turns just a
little as she notices.
Jenny walking back in.
Oh hey, everything okay?
Her eyes flick between Jenny
and Kate searching for any
sign of what just happened.
She knew Kate was upset about the trip.
But sometimes it was easier to pretend she
didn't notice than to invite more drama.
Yeah.
Sorry about that.
Jenny says quickly, my mom
thought she ate something bad.
Her voice is light, but there's a
flicker of something else beneath it
before Sloan can press GI shifts gears.
So anyway, tell us more about your trip.
Where are you guys going?
She walks right up to Sloan and sits
down at the chair across from her.
Kate Reenters the room lingering near
the doorway, arms crossed displeasure,
practically radiating off her.
We're going to Santa Monica.
Sloan replies quietly combing
her hair behind her ear.
I've never been before.
Ferris knows I hate the snow,
so he planned for a warm
vacation to get us out of here.
It was all his idea, so he'll
have more of the details.
She looks over at Ferris now
seated next to her on the couch,
Ferris hands, beer to his dad.
Then takes a sip of
his own and leans back.
Yeah, I mean, I don't have too much
planned yet, but I thought we'd
escape the dreaded Milwaukee winter
and soak up some sun for once.
He nods toward the window where thick
clumps of snow swirl in the wind.
Before reaching over and gently taking
Sloan's hand Sloan glances down at
their intertwined fingers, a soft smile
forming as warmth blooms in her chest.
But even in the comfort of this moment,
she can feel Kate's disapproval lingering
like a heavy cloud that refuses to pass.
That sounds amazing.
Jenny jumps in quickly.
What do you think, mom?
Doesn't that sound fun?
Her voice is too chipper.
Eyes flicking toward Kate with the
hope that a simple question might
smooth over the crack in the room.
Ted shifts slightly in his chair.
His gaze fixed on his wife.
He raises his eyebrows just enough
to signal, go easy, try to be happy,
but it's clear he's bracing himself
after almost 30 years of marriage.
He knows her moods, her tells he knows
exactly where this could be headed.
When Kate answers, yeah, it sounds great.
With a snap of sarcasm.
Ted Exhales just barely
for a split second.
It seems like that might be the end of
it, but then he catches the sudden shift.
In her expression.
She gasps his shoulders, stiffen.
Here it comes.
Maybe we should all go.
Her somber mood instantly
flips to excitement making her
way to the front of the room.
Sloan tenses, every instinct
screams at her to shut the
idea down, but she hesitates.
It's not her place.
Kate has always been dismissive of her.
Why would this moment be any different?
Funny mom, Ferris cuts in
forcing a chuckle, but there's
an edge of unease in his voice.
No, I'm serious.
Wouldn't it be great?
Kate stands as if she's launching
into a full blown presentation.
She turns to her husband,
eyes bright with enthusiasm.
Ted, shouldn't we go?
Ted?
Takes a deep breath.
Kate.
We can go to Santa Monica any other time.
I don't think we need to hijack our
son's vacation with his girlfriend.
He runs a hand across his forehead as
if trying to smooth out the wrinkles.
He's certain are forming.
Oh, come on.
It'll be so much fun to spend
Christmas together in California.
Kate is starting to act like this
is the best idea she's ever had.
She turns back towards Ferris, gesturing
to the Christmas tree already up in the
living room, decorated with ornaments,
with brief reminders of their childhood.
You know how much Christmas means to me.
Ferris opens his mouth like he's about
to say something when a defeated look
appears on his face, and he stops.
He knows his mom.
She doesn't take hearing no very
well, and it would turn into a huge
ordeal if he tries to push back Now.
He tries to figure out a way to
get her to back off a bit and
decides to change the subject.
Leaning forward and peeking around
Sloan to catch his dad's eye.
Wow.
Dad, I am so full.
That Turkey you made was fantastic.
Way better than last year's.
Ted Beams about to respond.
When Kate jumps in.
It was, you really know how to make
the holidays special around here.
All of you.
Her smile is a little too bright
as she claps her hands together.
Now, who wants dessert?
She asks already pivoting
toward the kitchen.
That sounds great.
I'll help you.
Jenny says, as she shakes her head
behind her mom and disappointment,
as Kate and Jenny disappear into the
kitchen, Ted leans in lowering his
voice for only Ferris and Sloan to hear.
Hey.
He says, offering a warm smile.
I think the trip sounds perfect.
You too deserve it.
He pauses his eyes flicking toward the
kitchen, and you know how your mother is.
She just needs a minute to adjust.
Don't let it ruin your plans.
Ferris puts his arm around
Sloan gently pulling her closer.
There was no doubt in his mind.
Sloan didn't want his mom on
their couple's vacation and he
wasn't going to let it happen.
It wasn't unusual for his mom to
try to control new situations.
In the past, he might've let
it slide, but not this time.
Sloan was different.
She was his person.
She was articulate, compassionate
and beautiful, but not in a
way that banked for attention.
More like the kind of beauty
that you noticed slowly.
Then couldn't unsee.
Ferris used to tell his mom
everything back when he was a kid.
It had felt natural, easy even.
She always knew what to say.
Always had a plan.
But then he remembered the
summer after seventh grade.
He had been obsessed with skateboarding,
saving up every dollar from mowing
lawns to buy his first board.
He and his best friend Ben, would spend
hours practicing tricks, wiping out on
the pavement, laughing at their bruises
until Kate decided it was dangerous.
He's a bad influence.
She had told him one night, arms
crossed, lips pressed into a thin line.
Always pushing you to do reckless things.
You'll break an arm Ferris,
and what about school?
You need to focus.
He had argued, of course he had, but
then came the nagging, the disappointed
size, the gentle, but firm reminders
of all the things she had done for him.
I'm only trying to protect
you, and so he quit.
He told Ben he was too busy and that his
mom needed his help around the house.
It wasn't true, but it was easier than
fighting about it or living with guilt.
Now, years later, Ferris knew better.
He saw the pattern, the way she
packaged control as concern.
It wasn't just about skateboarding
or friends or even his career.
It was everything, every choice,
every step he took, which is why he
barely told her anything anymore.
They enjoyed their dessert together.
Moving past the idea of them all,
going to Santa Monica for Christmas.
Ferris did his best to get his mom
talking about her new book club with
the neighbor Ladies after dessert,
he and Sloane start inching their way
to the door, getting on their shoes
and coats so they can head home.
Oh, leaving so soon.
Kate's voice carries a hint of
surprise, though it's clear she's more
focused on keeping them there than
acknowledging how difficult she could be.
Sloan turns and smiles at Kate
trying to keep things light.
Yeah, it's getting light.
I'm hoping to call my mom on the
way home since we didn't get to
see her this year for Thanksgiving.
Kate ignores Sloan's comment
and turns towards Ferris.
Well, bye guys.
It was so great having you guys
here for Thanksgiving, as you
should be for all holidays.
Kate accentuates the all to make
sure they remember where she stands.
Ferris forces a smile before
placing his hand on Sloan's
back as they turn to leave.
I'll meet you in the car in just a sec.
I forgot to grab some pie to take home.
Oh yeah, sure.
Bye Kate.
Bye, Ted.
Thanks again for having us.
The food was delicious.
Sloan says, wrapping her scarf around
her neck as she stepped out of the house.
Okay, so there's pumpkin
and apple pie left.
Which did you want?
You know what, I'll go
grab you some of each.
Kate says as she hurs into the kitchen.
Um, I'll have some apple, but
actually I don't really need any pie.
Ferris says, checking to make sure
Sloan hasn't walked back into the house.
He looks directly at his mom.
Can I talk to you for a second?
Sure.
Of course.
Look, I'm really excited
for this vacation.
I'm going to start planning tonight.
Kate interrupts a little too quickly.
Ted easing his way back into the living
room, props his legs up in the recliner.
His eyes are tired and it's clear
he's had enough for the night.
He knows exactly how his wife
can be, so he shuts down,
retreating into his own space.
No, mom, you can't come.
Ferris says his tone firmer this time.
What do you mean?
Why?
Oh wait.
You're breaking up with Sloan, aren't you?
I knew something was off tonight.
What?
No, nothing was off with us tonight.
I'd really like this trip to just be Sloan
and me so we can have some time alone.
A long time.
Kate Scoffs.
What do you need alone time for?
You already live together.
I hardly see you anymore.
She pauses before adding.
I wouldn't want to intrude, but
maybe I could just stay nearby.
Dad and I will get our own hotel room.
We'll have our own time, but we
can meet up for dinners and stuff.
She continues rummaging
through the kitchen cabinets.
Searching for a container bag
big enough for the leftover pie.
No, I'm sorry.
I love you, but this
trip is for Sloan in me.
I need you to respect that
Ferris states for a moment.
Kate wonders if she's being too
harsh, if maybe she's giving
him a reason to pull away.
But the thought is bleeding.
She quickly reminds herself of everything
she's done for him over the years.
He still needs her.
Well, what if something happens?
I could help you plan it.
It's already planned and
paid for Ferris Exhales.
But look, I need to tell you why.
It just needs to be the two of us.
Okay?
Kate stops what she's doing and stands
there wide-eyed, staring at her son.
Actually, I kind of want to
tell Dad too really quickly.
Hey dad, can you come in here, Ted Hurries
over from the other room to join them.
So really quick, I want to talk
to you and mom to let you know why
I want to take Sloan on vacation.
Just the two of us.
Oh man, I think I know
where this is going.
Ted says, with a big smile on his face.
Ferris looks over at his mom.
Who looks like she's just seen a ghost.
I actually plan on surprising Sloan and
proposing the first night we're there, the
room goes silent and Ferris looks at both
of his parents for any kind of approval.
Ted looks at Kate waiting for
her reaction, proposing what?
She responds slowly.
Her voice tinged with uncertainty as
she tries to piece it all together.
She knew exactly what he meant,
but if he saw how confused she
was, maybe he would take it as a
sign that the timing wasn't right.
Come on, Kate.
Ted finally jumps in.
Oh my gosh, Ferris, this is so exciting.
He walks up and wraps
his arms around his son.
Giving him a strong, reassuring
pat on the back, the silent
gesture filled with unspoken.
Congratulations.
Kate just stands there staring at
the two of them, vowing her naivety.
Marriage Mom Ferris says, is he loosened
his dad's grip on him and turns.
What else am I going to propose?
What, but you hardly know her.
Are you sure she's the right one for you?
She starts shuffling around the
kitchen, cleaning up items from dinner,
forgetting about the pie completely.
Ted is caught in the middle looking
around like he's praying for an out.
I don't consider two and
a half years together.
Hardly knowing each other.
Yes, I know she's the right one for me.
Ferris's voice is tight as he peers
out the window behind him to make
sure Sloan is okay in the car.
His mom isn't backing
down, but you are so young.
Maybe just give it some more time.
Ted can't hold his tongue anymore.
I think what your mom is trying to say is
congratulations, right to Kate, he says.
Looking over at her, giving her
every opportunity to change her tune.
Congratulations.
It hasn't even happened yet.
He is just telling us
his hypothetical plan.
He still has to really think about it.
She smiles.
I don't think you realize how big
of a decision this truly is for her.
She says Condescendingly putting her hand
on the counter to reach out and touches.
Ferris pulls his hand back and
moves away from the counter.
Okay, well I can see where
this conversation is going.
He takes a moment to take a
breath and gather himself.
Thank you Dad for the congratulations.
Sloan's waiting in the car, so I
gotta get going, but um, thanks.
I guess he hurries past his
parents and out the door before he
realizes he forgot the pie Shit.