Sister-in-law ruins $1,200 wedding cake for social media 'likes' — ends up regretting it immediately

Sometimes people tend to go overboard to get traction online — without realizing that their actions may upset others in the vicinity. A similar situation unfolded during cocktail hour at a wedding when the bride’s sister-in-law desperately tried to invite online attention by taking a scoop out of a cake worth $1,200. The now-married woman, who describes herself as a “cake girly,” turned to content creator Sherry Kuehl—who goes by @snarkyinthesuburbs on TikTok—for her take on the matter. Days after the anonymous woman’s special day was ruined by her 27-year-old sister-in-law, the story was featured on the popular advice series, “Dear Snarky.”

In the video, Kuehl read out the bride’s ordeal of having to deal with her in-laws while asking her to set boundaries. Not only did Kuehl object to the destruction of the “Ode to Art” cake, but she also advocated for a refund. Describing the cake as "absolutely gorgeous" and the “centerpiece” of their reception, the now-married woman explained how, during the cocktail hour, her husband's sister "decided it would be funny" to take her hands and grab a hunk of wedding cake, decimating a side of one of the tiers.

“Then, she had a friend record her shoving the cake into her boyfriend's mouth for a social media post. Thank God my wedding planner tried to disguise the hole in the cake, which looked like an animal had attacked it,” the woman continued, adding that she was still furious at her unapologetic sister-in-law.

The newlywed’s demand for reimbursement from her sister-in-law didn’t result in anything fruitful. Instead, it “activated” the mother-in-law against her, leading to a full-blown family dispute. “My mother-in-law is mad at me for being petty. My husband has my back,” she added. However, the bride’s mother had warned her not to “antagonize” her in-laws so early in the marriage. While introducing the woman to “Team Petty,” Kuehl went on to criticize the bride's new mother-in-law for not knowing what “petty” actually meant.

“What her daughter did was disgusting. It was an act of violence towards that wedding cake,” remarked Kuehl. She further added, “The fact that she never apologized, the fact that she posted on social media, the fact that her mother is making excuses for her grown adult behavior—it was very disrespectful what she did to you and her brother.” The least the sister-in-law could do was reimburse the bride for ruining her special moment. “Who cares about an apology at this point?” Kuehl asserted, before moving to the bride’s mother not taking a stand for her daughter. “As for your mom’s take on not antagonizing the in-laws so early in the marriage, it's too late; that ship has sailed. I think this is where you need to set boundaries, early in your marriage,” Kuehl noted. 

She further emphasized that, even if the bride's in-laws considered her “petty,” it was still important to teach them a lesson. Kuehl acknowledged that the wife might not get her money back, or at the very least, an apology, before stressing the most important part of her advice. “More importantly, your sister-in-law and mother-in-law will know not to come after you, because if they do, you'll come back at them, and it will be two times worse,” Kuehl concluded, inviting reactions from the online community.

@stephfannythomason recalled, “My ex-father-in-law ate the ear off of my son's horse cake I made for his birthday before the party started. This was 20 years ago, and I'm still mad so I can only imagine.” “For Christmas and birthdays, whatever the per-person spend is, subtract that from your sister’s tab and give her a card saying, ‘$50 off your cake balance,’” @whit_charlie suggested. “As someone who didn’t establish boundaries with a sister-in-law, I encourage you to do so. I spent 15 years just ‘letting it go,'” @jenniferk2525 echoed similar sentiments.

You can follow Sherry Kuehl (@snarkyinthesuburbs) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.