Bride stands her ground before sister-in-law's bizarre request to babysit children on wedding day

Family ties are always a bit tricky, and this bride-to-be found out just how complicated they can get. While she was busy preparing for her dream destination wedding on a picturesque island, her soon-to-be sister-in-law made a truly bizarre request. u/This-Candy5592, a 31-year-old Reddit user, shared how her plans for a perfect weekend were suddenly thrown into chaos when the groom’s sister asked her to babysit her kids just days before the wedding.

Seeking advice on Reddit, the bride shared how both her future sister-in-law and mother-in-law were throwing fits just days before the wedding. Walking on a tightrope, the soon-to-be bride explained the situation by revealing her wedding plans. “The marriage celebration is going to happen in a small island town. We (the couple) gave everyone twelve months' notice so that they could book accommodation in advance,” she wrote.

Despite the bride’s notice to the family and loved ones, the sister-in-law (SIL from here on) made poor arrangements. The groom’s sibling, who is also a mother of seven, lives a nine-hour drive away from the engaged couple. Additionally, the woman about to get married wasn't too happy about her SIL’s children's behavior. “We do not see them often, as it is difficult to be around them. The SIL does not discipline or hold her children accountable,” the post read.

Moreover, the bride went on to say that her SIL’s children in the past broke several of the closet bars at the couple’s house, ate with their hands and didn't flush toilets. Her father-in-law, who lives in the same town as them, also avoids going to the SIL’s house during holidays, the woman claimed. As for her mother-in-law, the bride remarked, “She (MIL) doesn't understand what the problem is, and she is always over there babysitting and cleaning my SIL's house.”

Days before the woman’s wedding, the SIL messaged her, asking if she would watch the two youngest boys (18 months and three years) on and the day before the celebrations. “She booked last minute and could not get a hotel room to accommodate her family of two adults and seven children,” said the bride, adding that the only reservation the SIL made was an hour's drive away from the venue.

The woman chose not to respond to her SIL’s text and explained, “I found it absurd that she would ask this. Her children are her responsibility. Why on earth would I want to take care of them on the busiest weekend of my life? We are also staying in a hotel for the wedding weekend, and I have my own children to care for. I had to make arrangements for them so I could spend my wedding night alone with my husband-to-be.”

The plot twist in the bride’s marriage story got intense when her MIL started calling her selfish after the SIL's request was ignored by the bride. Her mother-in-law, who later advised her to be flexible in her approach, also did not book accommodation for herself. The daughter-in-law-to-be further shared that she helped her by lending the couple’s tent trailer, which was worth $15,000.

“We agreed that she alone could use it but made it clear that we are still making payments on it, and no one else would be allowed to use it. She told me she didn't care and that we needed to be more flexible, as she has to care for her grandchildren,” the post added. When the entire family saga was unfolding, the woman’s fiancé was missing as he was busy at work. 

Among the hundreds of reactions, u/Laines_Ecossaises remarked, “It is your wedding. Being asked to look after anybody else's children is insane. Hopefully, your fiancé is on the same page as you and can talk some sense into his sister and mother.” Adding to it, u/fishingboatproceeds questioned, “How can a bride even conceivably watch children on her wedding day? Are they going to be in the suite while she's getting ready? Will they go off with the bridal party for pictures?”