First Post- My wedding and SD wedding one month apart!
So this may be long but feel like I need to give some backstory. I have a pretty great relationship with SE who is 20. I have been with my fiancé for 3 years now, engaged 2 years and getting married next week! My son is 4 and he gets on amazing with my fiancé he is more of his real Dad because my ex is not very involved at all! He is in all respects a loser to be honest. So! At times my fiancé gets carried away with SD she is Daddy's girl and can get him to say yes to almost anything. She recently (like 4-5months ago) got engaged to: (this gets tricky hang on!) my fiance's second wife's nephew. So in other words.. her ex step Mom's nephew is her fiancé now. I honestly am not sure she loves him. They never even went on a date and kissed once only! I think she feels he is a safe choice he is in the marines and coming home in July. He is a sweet guy who would support her and spoil her. So I helped my fiancé pay 4 G for her wedding which I was actually okay with... but now she also wants us to pay her car off (probably over 10G!) so she can take it to where her future hubby is stationed at in Hawaii! As if paying for a wedding isn't enough of a gift. My fiancé is so scared to make her upset he won't say no and plans on making payments on. Which I will not help with because I think it is going overboard!! And it is a bit frustrating that she has to get married a month after we do. It takes the spotlight away from us both really... while also making it difficult financially. I think she is rushing into this because they can get the spousal support and housing from the marines. But to me that isn't a good idea to do that huge of a commitment for security when they don't truly know how intimate and romantic relations will go for them as a couple just yet!
honestly that shit is annoying but the part I feel most concern about is... I have to deal with 2 ex wives at my SD wedding!! The first ex is pretty civil with me. She can piss me off every now and then because she tries to use my fiancé to help her parents fix up things in their home. But at least her Dad pays my fiancé. She is a controlling person but can be a decent pleasant person on the surface. Her sisters I am pretty sure hate me just for being the new wife and I'm worried they will try to say things to bring my confidence down or make me feel unwelcome. My SD has issues with needing to grow up but I do believe what is not the norm for many step parent relationships is that she genuinely loves me and my son (her step brother)... and the second ex wife is now remarried but she is a total drunk! I recently found out she used to work with my grandfather at the DNR as well and everyone hated her. I hope she doesn't get so drunk that she starts to say regrettable things!
my main issue and need for advice is on how should I react to negative comments at my SD's wedding? If they try to seat me away from my fiancé should I just go sit with him and not say a word? He wouldn't let that happen anyways he said. If I end up sort of being the odd man out... should I try to mingle or should I have a drink and watch the show unfold in my seat?! Lol I don't know really what to do or what the proper etiquette is!
Your husband needs to treat
Your husband needs to treat you like you are the bell of the ball, and his attention should be focused on SD, new SNL and you. That will help calm most notions to bash you. Weddings and funerals are places where hatchets are buried, even if only for a short time. Alcohol may not be your friend, but if tongues get loose keep your composure. People see very quickly who is the integator and troublemaker.
I wish you the best. I get along my DH 1st ex (not friends, but we are considerate at events to the point of occasionally sititng together). I have already made it clear that when the youngest SS gets married I will not attend if BM will be there. It's not worth my stress and headache.
Thank you for the supportive
Thank you for the supportive answer! I'm going to keep my head calm and not be instigated. I just hope I don't have a panic attack in the process! Now her aunt who is a stripper and alcoholic who LOVES to make a scene will also be there. I may need to bring some popcorn too! Lol I don't want drama for my SD on that day but he'll it seems like they do.
What's an SE?
And.... get out of your own head.
Their wedding is after yours. Focus on yours. For F's sake inform your FDH that not one penny of marital resources will go to pay his adult daughter for anything other than what has already been provided for their wedding. Period. Dot.
If they want to take her car to Hawaii, they should refinance it with a company that will allow for it to ship to Hawaii. Their problem, not your's or your FDH's.
Go to their wedding with your giant rock of a ring on high bling, dressed to the 9s, in your new favorite boutique fashion ensemble and rocking your new make over confidently beaming your happiness on your DH's arm. His Xs can suck a rock if they have any issues over it all. Not..... your.... problem.
Script your response to any toxic crap they may pull. "Bless your little heart." is a classic way for women in the South to play a clear "you are an idiot" card with catty idiots. Treat them as they behave. By choosing their behavioral crap, they are choosing the ass baring consequences.
Rock your happiness, bare their asses if necessary.
Enjoy your wedding.
This wedding is going to be a
This wedding is going to be a mindfield. I would talk to your DH and to SD about the various guests that are invited. Make yourself a mental roadmap of the people that you should try to hang out with and talk to. Are there any cool ants or family friends or something like that that you could hang out with. Sure there will probably be comments but if you surround yourself with other people that you are comfortable talking to then who cares what the other people say.
OP
You have a host of problems that are far bigger than what to do at the SD's wedding.
The entire family sounds enmeshed. The SD marrying ex SM's nephew or whatever. You will now always have two BMs bubbling at the surface. Even WORSE and the biggest problem is your DH. He cannot say no to SD. He will go broke out of guilt giving her everything she wants, and to hell with what you think. BTDT
Yes SD will take away your thunder from your wedding, that is if she wants to try and ruin things for you. If she happens to be decent then ignore this comment. Please pay attention to my above two comments and what everyone else is saying.
You are not even married and all these issues are erupting. This is an appetizer to what married life will be like.
Does the SD know this guy?
Does the SD know this guy? It seems bizarre and ill advised to marry someone you've never gone on a date with. So is he basically a stranger, or is he someone she knows very well as a friend and they've decided to take it straight to the altar without having a technical "date"? I'm not sure why they couldn't just live together in Hawaii. I can't imagine the spousal support and housing allowance will be more than the cost of the divorce if it doesn't work out. I hope your fiance at least had a conversation with her on the merits of this marriage before forking over the $$$$ for the wedding.
As for the car, if the amount is more than what your household can afford, I would be pitching a big, ugly fit if he agreed to help her with it. Big and ugly as in postponing the wedding, because that would be a terrible way to start a new marriage. Now, if he can easily afford to help her, let him have at it, but if not, it's a huge red flag that you need to pay a lot of attention to.
I'd have a conversation with him before SD's wedding letting him know how you expect to be treated at the wedding (i.e., as his spouse and as one who paid for a nice chunk of it, meaning you'll be seated with your husband, you'll be included in pictures, you'll be treated with respect, you will be protected from his BMs if they do not act appropriately, etc.)
First ... If SD is old enough to get married
She is old enough to pay her own bills. From her wanting to have her daddy pay off her car to the details of her relationship and getting married, she sounds way to immature for marriage.
It sounds like there are a lot of issues here in your post. You seem to be focused on how to feel at SD's wedding when I think you need to be focusing on your own and what exactly you are marrying in to. This group seems to be too close and too chummy for my taste. Your DH can't stand up to his adult daughter, you are paying for weddings and cars and you aren't even married yet. I would think long and hard about putting a tent over that circus if I was you.
No to paying off car
A HUGE no. Just No. Complete sentence.
Id worry more about Disney Dad-Daughter wife if he cannot say no to SD, than the wedding with 2 Bm's,
Well our wedding ended up
Well our wedding ended up being amazing and SD was really so supportive and loving towards us she helped a ton! We discussed and worked out something that financially makes sense in regards to paying off her car. Trust me this family dynamic is odd but it is not something DH is comfortable with either. Honestly I came on here for support which some of you have and some of you just made me feel worse for no reason. There seems to be some very unhappy cynical people on here, maybe they want others to be in the same situation?
OP
Many members are on here BECAUSE of their shitty situation. There are many voices of experience on here, that may come across as cynical to you, at least for now it does. Super happy and content SM's would not be on here to begin with if things were all rosy BTW. Its a venting site. You vented brought up concerns and experienced SM's chimed in. Please take no offense.
I truly am glad your SD did a magical 360 and was amazing on your wedding day. Congrats
You are one of the few success stories on here, so congrats to that as well.
You painted a picture of a
You painted a picture of a man who wouldn't potentially stand up for his new wife to his daughter. You were concerned about where you'd sit and didn't seem to be confident that he'd come over and sit with you, or shut down rude comments. He was bringing you into a shark tank and, seemingly based on what you said, was leaving you to fend for yourself.
That happens a lot on here, and it's not the proper treatment for anyone, especially towards someone your DH claims to love. If he doesn't like the dynamic, he has the ability to stay out of it, or at least prevent you from being dragged into it.
It's not cynicism when you reach out for help and paint a red flag-filled picture and get retorts that this is something you need to address before walking down the aisle. You have the benefit now of coming back post-wedding when things worked out (and you're still on a post-wedding high). Good, we're glad it worked out. But don't scold us when you painted a bad picture and we reacted to that bad picture.
1) Asks for advice. 2) Doesn
1) Asks for advice.
2) Doesn't like advice.
3) Insults advice-givers.
Well our wedding ended up
Well our wedding ended up being amazing and SD was really so supportive and loving towards us she helped a ton! We discussed and worked out something that financially makes sense in regards to paying off her car.
So, looks like YOU overreacted.
It wasn't the advice that
It wasn't the advice that bothered me it was the way it was said in a few of the comments. I did overreact. I have been in relationships in the past that have left me with trauma and anxiety. I just thought there might be a little more kindness in a place that is supposed to be safe to vent and open up. I ended up opening up to my husband and it obviously worked out better than I had thought it would. Thank you to everyone who at least had something kind, supportive and positive to say when it was appropriate.
You vented, and you were supported.
Rather than the wording, look at the messages, advice, and intent. This community will cyclically get it's panties in a wad over wording, etc.... It fades. At the core is care, concern, and advice intended to guide in the resolution of blended family issues. Not every blended family adventure is a relaxing walk through diaphanously lighted fields of beautiful wildflowers.
Congratulations on your wedding and I hope the car payments for your SD's car are not too burdensome on your marital finances.