Bride Falls Out With Sister For Isolating Her And Her Service Dog During Wedding Due To MIL’s Dog Allergies

“I didn’t mean to make her feel left out, I just wanted everyone to be happy.”

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• December 13, 2023

Our narrator’s (Original Poster’s) special day was fast approaching. As the wedding bells tingled, she found herself caught in a tug-of-war between two women and a dog allergy.

OP’s sister had a service dog who helped with her heart problems, but her mother-in-law was severely allergic to dogs. She wanted both special ladies at the wedding; hence, the planning journey became a labyrinth of unexpected compromises.

She began by crafting a meticulous plan of spatial rearrangements. The front row was usually reserved for parents and siblings, but OP’s sister and her service dog would have to take a step back.

She confined them to a more distant pew at the church, and at the party, their table stood further away. This should give the mother-in-law ample space such that the dog wouldn’t trigger allergies.

OP explained to her sister that since her mother-in-law wouldn’t stay long at the party, she only wanted her to be at ease during her one-hour stay. After that, she could move around freely with her dog however and whenever she pleased.

The sister seemed understanding and compliant on the surface, but on D-day, things didn’t progress as planned. Her sister decided to hang back after the church wedding and never even stepped foot into the party.

When OP dug into the matter, her sister confessed she felt left out. She further accused OP of making her uncomfortable just to please her mother-in-law.

But OP only tried her best to accommodate everyone’s needs. Was she the villain here?

The story in detail

A bit of background

OP made a commitment to ensure that MIL didn’t come in contact with the dog

OP’s sister decided not to attend the wedding party, as she felt she was being segregated

For clarity

Here’s how the Reddit community reacted to the story:

“NTA. You did everything you could to accommodate both your sister and your MIL.“

“NTA…You did your best. And it sounds like you had a good plan in place and everyone was included.”

“NTA. You did what you could to accommodate two important guests with health issues.”

“When push comes to shove, parents take precedence over siblings. You made the right choice.”

“You did what was best for your MIL, who also had a right to be there. However, I understand your sister being upset.”

“NTA…If she had issues with the arrangement, it was her responsibility to say something, and she didn't.”

Redditors concur that OP did her best. Balancing the needs of your sister and MIL was a Herculean task. Her sister's service dog was non-negotiable, but your MIL's health was also to be considered.

They agreed OP’s mother-in-law’s seating had to take precedence—her son was getting married after all. Since she stayed only an hour at the party, OP's sister should have been more understanding.

We wouldn’t want to believe she didn't mind the mother-in-law collapsing from allergy problems mid-ceremony!

What do you think about this story? Let us know in the comments.

Jesse