Nephew 1, In-Laws 0
My young nephew wanted to join in the excitement of everyone getting fancy dresses and suits for my wedding; he was only nine. So I delightfully agreed…until I heard from my mother-in-law that my brother-in-law completely vetoed this idea. He didn’t want my my nephew to get a suit for my wedding.
My brother-in-law didn’t want to spend a bunch of money on a suit rental for a child. I thought that was fair enough, so said I would willingly foot the bill. I knew it would make him so happy. So fast forward to the day when we’re getting sized and choosing our outfits.
My nephew eyed a top hat, and wanted to include it in his suit order. His mother said she needed to confirm with his dad. Unfortunately, his dad rejected this request too. He did it so cruelly. He said, on speakerphone, that his kid would look like a fool wearing a top hat at the wedding when no one else was.
Seeing my nephew on the verge of tears broke me. He loved that hat, and his dad made fun of him for it. So I took him to one side, asked if he really wanted the hat, and told him it would be his responsibility to wear and care for it. He agreed, and I told him to keep the hat a secret and follow his parents’ instructions about everything else.
The day before the wedding, when the rented suits arrived at their respective houses, I made sure the hat box came with my nephew’s suit. Not an hour later, I received another horrible call from my brother-in-law, accusing me of undermining him in front of his kids, making him pay more, and trying to make his child look like a fool.
I calmly responded by asking him whose wedding it was, and asked if he had paid a dime. My nephew was the star of the evening, dressed to the nines with the added flourish of his beloved top hat. Many of my friends made it a point to either dance with him or at the very least, compliment him on how dapper he looked.