A man felt his narcissistic mother made everything about her, even during the most memorable moments in his life. When planning his wedding, his mom asked him whether she could wear white, and he said no.

Somewhere along the way, the mom asked her future daughter-in-law again if she could wear white to the wedding. Not thinking much of it, she said yes. “My mother-in-law-to-be asked me if she could wear white to our wedding. I said sure, and now my fiance is really mad at me,” she wrote.

The bride-to-be shared the story on Reddit after her fiancé’s unexpected response. He was furious that she said yes because he claimed his mom wanted nothing more than to “steal the spotlight.”

The woman never thought much of the white dress because they would have a traditional Indian wedding. Not only would she not be wearing white, but the type of silk and embroidery she planned to wear was so unique that even if they wore the same color, it wouldn’t look identical.

Being such a carefree bride, she also didn’t understand the big deal if she and her mother-in-law wore white. “As long as the groom doesn’t get confused and marry the wrong person, how does it matter?” she asked.

The woman needed Reddit’s help to understand why her husband-to-be was upset. Ultimately, she narrowed down the comments that seemed appropriate to their situation.

Based on OP’s fiance’s reaction, MIL has a history of inappropriate and/or attention-seeking behavior, and he’s trying to break that cycle. OP should talk to her fiance to get on the same page and maybe, going forward, tell MIL she has to “run things by him,” one wrote.

“IMO, the only attention someone other than the bride wearing white to a wedding would get is ridicule. Or maybe concern for their mental health,” another added.

After some insistence from internet users, the bride-to-be decided to speak to her fiancé about why he was so concerned. He then realized that he initially thought his mom was joking that she’d wear white, which he rejected.

The pair agreed to communicate with one another better, and they slowly worked their way through understanding why the husband-to-be felt so strongly about his mother. The man asked his bride to speak to his mom to tell her she couldn’t wear white.

When it became an argument again, she showed him the user comments on Reddit, which brought him into perspective. The man ended up writing something on the site as well.

The man revealed that he and his mother didn’t have a good relationship growing up. She had narcissistic tendencies, demanding gifts during the man’s birthday because she claimed he wouldn’t be in the world without her. “I always felt like my life and achievements were just an extension of her accomplishments,” he explained.

When the man was about to go to college, he went as far as possible. It was there that he met his wife-to-be, Piya. It was in college that he began liking who he was. He never had to downplay his accomplishments because of his mom and accepted failure as part of life.

Piya’s family welcomed the man so warmly. He felt as if his childhood trauma was just a bad dream. Despite feeling so much resentment towards his mom, Piya’s family suggested that he still invite his parents to show them that he would never be alone again and now had a supportive family.

Unlike Piya, who didn’t mind the nitty-gritty details of the ceremony, the man had a clear vision of what he wanted. He wanted the ceremony to be about him and Piya, not his mother. Fortunately, the husband-to-be had the support of his mother-in-law, who went through every step of the wedding planning with him.

His mother-in-law even gave him ideas that he did not think he would love, like making a grand entrance on a horse at the wedding ceremony. He loved how much Piya’s mother valued and listened to his input and how much they had in common. “We have a running joke that I seem more like her son than Piya because our taste is so similar,” he gushed.

After reading the comments on Reddit, the man broke down in front of Piya. Admittedly, he felt it was the ugliest moment in his life. After the meltdown, the man expected to wake up alone. However, Piya stayed. She asked him to go to therapy, and things started getting better for them.

The man took over the wedding preparations with the help of his in-laws. His mother-in-law was relieved because her daughter couldn’t be bothered with colors or flowers.

The wedding turned out beautifully. The man’s mom looked out of place in a long white tulle gown, so security almost didn’t let her in because they thought she was in the wrong place. When she realized her outfit wasn’t enough to cause a distraction, she tried causing a scene through conversation.

However, each time she tried to interrupt the ceremony, Piya’s family members knew just what to do. At one point, when she spoke to Piya’s niece, the lovely five-year-old said loudly: “Don’t you know it’s rude to talk during weddings? I’m five and I know that!” By the end of the day, the man’s mother hadn’t ruined anything. When the party ended, he was relieved to say goodbye.

Ultimately, the man feels lucky that he’s now living his best life with the woman of his dreams. He thanked everyone on Reddit who helped him see clearly, as they’ve helped him improve himself and focus on what’s to come rather than his past.

In a similar story with a different outcome, a bride demanded to kick her mother-in-law out of the wedding due to her hairstyle. The groom supported the bride’s decision.