Rich Mother Of The Bride Demands Groom’s Parents Pay For $37,000 Rehearsal Dinner That She Planned For 150 Guests
The groom's parents have been labeled "cheap" for being unable to afford the dinner.
aastock / Shutterstock Tensions are rising within a family due to disagreements over wedding plans. The bride's mother has insisted on hosting the rehearsal dinner at an expensive venue, causing distress to the groom's parents, who cannot afford it.
When the groom's mother proposed an alternative, more budget-friendly location, she was criticized as being "cheap" and accused of letting down her future daughter-in-law.
Now, the groom's mother is grappling with whether to concede and cover the cost of the pricey venue, even though it exceeds their budget.
The mother of the bride is insisting that the groom’s parents host the $37,000 rehearsal dinner for 150 guests.
The dilemma was shared on Reddit by the groom’s brother.
“My brother is getting married this fall to a woman who comes from a VERY wealthy, southern family (our family is solidly middle class),” the man wrote.
Photo: Jupiterimages / Canva Pro
“The bride recently picked their wedding venue, a large resort. It looks beautiful, and we’re very excited for them.”
Shortly after the couple booked the venue, the bride’s mother phoned the mother of the groom with a favor. According to the bride’s mother, she had already scouted out a location for the rehearsal dinner on the same property as the wedding venue, which she expected the groom’s parents to host and pay for.
“My mother was a little overwhelmed by the MOB’s pushiness but agreed to wait and see the info from the caterer before deciding on the rehearsal dinner,” the man shared.
“Well, the info arrives, and the cheapest possible catering option for the rehearsal dinner costs $165/person! Not even including the rental fee, or the 24% service fee + 9% tax.”
“In total, the rehearsal dinner would cost my parents almost $37,000 to host.”
Photo: Martin Maun / Shutterstock
The mother of the bride was not willing to compromise.
Upon receiving the quote for the rehearsal dinner, the mother of the groom called the mother of the bride to inform her that they could not afford to host the event. She offered to cover the expenses for the dinner if it could be held at a more affordable venue.
However, the offer did not sit well with the mother of the bride.
“The MOB immediately grows angry and says that that can’t be done since all the wedding guests will already be staying at the resort hotel, and they can’t drive to an offsite restaurant since they’ll be drinking,” the man wrote.
When the mother of the groom also told the mother of the bride that she and the rest of her family would not be staying on the same property as the wedding venue to save money, she was accused of being “cheap” since the cost of a room at the resort was “only $550 a night.”
The mother of the bride said her daughter would be disappointed to learn that the groom’s parents could not afford the rehearsal dinner she wanted.
“They ended the phone call with my mother crying and feeling overwhelmed, worried that she might be in the wrong,” the man wrote.
Photo: Prostock-Studio / Canva Pro
Later that evening, the bride’s father called the groom's father to “reiterate why it was so important that my [the groom’s] parents host the rehearsal dinner at the venue.’”
Eventually, they were able to reach a compromise where the groom’s parents agreed to pay for the rehearsal dinner at the original venue on the resort property if they cut the guest list down from 150 to 45 people.
Unfortunately, according to the groom's brother, the bride’s parents were still being catty about his family being “cheap.”
Many people believed that if the bride’s family wanted a more extravagant rehearsal dinner, then they should pay for it.
“If this is the in-laws' expectations then they need to pay for it. Their rudeness and openly demonstrated lack of breeding and manners would have me reevaluating everything,” one Redditor commented.
“If the parents of the bride are deciding where the event (the rehearsal dinner) is being held and doing the guest list for the event, then they are officially the hosts, and they get to pay for it,” another user noted.
Others urged the groom to stand up for his parents and condemn his in-laws’ treatment of them. They also insisted that since it was his wedding, he and his future bride should also be chipping in to cover some of the expenses.
It is no secret that weddings can do a number on your bank account.
Photo: Ground Picture / Shutterstock
The question of who should pay for a wedding often depends on cultural traditions, personal preferences, and financial circumstances.
While the bride and groom’s parents may be more than willing to pitch in and contribute toward some of the expenses, they should establish clear boundaries of what falls in and out of their budget.
It's essential for couples and their families to have open and honest discussions about finances and expectations when planning a wedding.
After all, they’ll be dealing with each other long after the wedding is over! They should attempt to make each other comfortable and get along.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.