White Dress Showdown: My Sneaky Sister-in-Law vs. My Wedding Day Strategy

SIL Secretly Wanted to Come to My Wedding in a White Lace Dress, So I Made up a Plan to Outplay Her

2014 was a year filled with lofty goals and aspirations. Leo, my spouse, and I made the decision to get married, but not in the conventional sense. No, instead we organised a Firefly-themed cosplay wedding. However, not everyone was excited to have our special day.

We were passionate about it and thought it would be the ideal way to combine our love for the show with our love for one another. Our loved ones were ecstatic, with some of them planning their costumes even before we sent out the invitations. Not just Leo and I, but everyone was excited. We were always getting each other hyped up.

Leo had one particular request that we all consider: he wanted his sister Angie to be a bridesmaid. I wasn’t sure about this at first. I had never really clicked with Angie. But I agreed, given how special she was to Leo. Ultimately, it was his big day as well. We made the early decision that each member of the bridal party would wear a different, original character from the show. I felt that was a rather straightforward rule.

Everything went according to plan, with the exception of Angie. Right away, it seemed like she didn’t care. Every time the conversation turned to costumes, she would brush it off or move on. I made an effort to diffuse the situation by assuming that she was simply not interested in cosplay. It wasn’t just apathy, though; it seemed like she was deliberately being challenging.

Leo and I were over at her apartment one evening when I said, “How about we watch Firefly? You can choose a character for the wedding, and it’s entertaining.”

Angie simply snorted and navigated through the Netflix options. “No, let’s view something else instead. Perhaps a romantic comedy?

Leo gave me a hopeless shrug as I looked at him. This continued for several weeks. I kept trying to prod Angie into taking a stand on the matter, but she would not listen. I finally took matters into my own hands after receiving yet another call over what she ought to wear.

I tried to hide my annoyance from her by telling her, “I’ll email you some options.” “A range of characters are present. There’s sure to be one that fits.”

That evening, I poured across episodes, stopping occasionally to snap images and make notes. I even gave Angie’s demand for quick access to nurse some thought—she had a baby, after all. The roster featured a variety of characters, such as a realistic school teacher, a cute robot who enjoys comedy, and a few of the show’s companions, each with their own distinct style.

I felt a mixture of relief and resignation when I wrote the email. I had at least tried my best to assist.

Angie called a few days later. “I appreciate the email, but shouldn’t I just show up as anything basic? Perhaps just an ordinary villager?”

I inhaled deeply as I pushed my phone closer to my ear. “Angie, the idea is for each of us to embody a distinct character from Firefly. We value it, and choosing from the list I supplied is actually not that difficult.”

After a little silence, she let out a sigh that was filled with hesitation. Okay, I’ll give it another glance. But I can’t guarantee I’ll enjoy any of them.”

I wanted to respond sharply, but I bit my tongue in response to her tone. “Please just let me know. Rather sooner than later. Everyone else is essentially taken care of.”

Angie mumbled, “Sure, whatever,” and hung up.

The weeks before the wedding were busy, with last-minute outfit changes, décor, and what seemed like a never-ending list of things to do. Angie’s outfit remained a surprise throughout. Leo attempted to mediate, saying that perhaps I could be more accommodating.

As we sat among stacks of fabric and ribbon one night, he said to me, “It’s just one costume, babe.”

I countered, “But it’s the principle.” “She gave her consent to this. It’s important to participate and be a part of this alongside us, not just look the part.

He nodded, obviously unsure between his sister and me, but he seemed to get my point. And even though I tried not to get too worked up, there was tension between us.

Angie’s lack of interest in her costume quickly turned into a full-blown narrative as the wedding approached. We had been having conversations, but they had always come back to the same annoying point: she hadn’t even looked at the character list I had painstakingly assembled for her. My patience had reached its limit due to the stress of organising a wedding and making costumes.

“Angie, have you already perused the list? Reminding her over the phone, “There are plenty of characters you could easily dress as,” I sounded hopeful that this time would be different.

I swear, I’ll have a look at it tonight. This week at work has been really hectic, and I had a tonne of other stuff to take care of.”

“You’ve had it for longer than just a week, though. Ang, I don’t want to come across as overbearing, but this is a significant deal to me. I want you to consider it carefully.” I begged, but I knew there was nothing I could do to reach her.

Angie contacted me on a very exhausting day while I was sewing the final flower girl gowns, which were sweet little outfits modelled around the River character. “Would you please choose for me? She begged, “I really don’t know what to wear.”

I snapped to my senses and decided quickly. I shouted out, “Fine, you’ll go as Petaline, the pregnant sex worker,” referring to a bit part character who is more remembered for her role in the plot than her actual screen time.

Angie said absently, “Okay, whatever works,” without bothering to enquire further about the persona. I hung up with a mixture of relief and aggravation in my stomach. I felt a twinge of regret for my rash choice, as Angie might not have been too fond of it. One portion was too exhausted to worry, though. I’d given her every opportunity to decide.

Unfortunately, my respite was short-lived. One of the other bridesmaids called me in a bit of a panic not even a week later.

“Why would you even have her at your wedding, Zel?”

“What? Regarding whom are you speaking?”

“Aww! Have you looked at her attire?”

“All right, that’s correct. Let her be Petaline, I told her. I realise it’s a strange decision, but she didn’t seem interested, and I was tired. I simply stated that’s what she would dress like.”

“Petaline would be a great choice compared to what she’s planning on wearing.”

The idea of her showing up in whatever she wanted, without even asking my permission, made me chilly. “What did she tell you?”

She plans to wear a white lace dress. similar to a bridal gown. It even reportedly came with a veil.”

It goes without saying that I was furious as hell. However, I maintained my composure. I mean, I had a strategy.

When the wedding day finally came, the outfits were a frenzy. Friends and family dressed in vibrant tribute to our favourite programme, Firefly, as they really embraced the theme.

Meanwhile, Angie entered the room with a confident gait, wearing a white dress. However, the other bridesmaids caught her as soon as she entered the venue and escorted her to the changing area. Despite her protests, they crammed her into the most adorable Petaline outfit I had ever seen. Still, when I yelled at her, she agreed to wear her costume, and she went on to mingle and laugh blissfully oblivious to the history of her role.

The truth wasn’t revealed until after the wedding, at a laid-back post-wedding brunch. A chuckling buddy of Leo’s brought up the figure in discussion.

“Angie, you truly nailed the pregnant prostitute look! “It’s really such an odd decision,” he remarked, raising his glass to a toast.

Angie’s eyes flickered to me, hurt and confused, and her grin faded. “What? I was that person, right?

My own expression strong, I met hers. Indeed. I was the one to inform you of your disguise.”

The tension in the air was palpable as the table became silent. Angie flushed, and I could see the resentment and embarrassment building up behind her eyes. “I could have learned more about her from you. You made me appear foolish!”

Leo stepped in, his tone steady but stern. Erin gave you months to choose someone, Ang. She was getting a lot done. You had a duty to inquire further.

With a scrape, Angie pushed her chair back and shook her head. “I never imagined she would truly create someone… that kind for me.” It’s merely cruel. I even had an outfit of my own here!”

“It’s reasonable to claim that you could have performed your part more skillfully. And I didn’t believe your wedding dress was acceptable,” I answered, my words dripping with the tension and anguish of the last few months. “You were aware of the importance of this to us. You would have tried if you truly cared as much as you claim.”

Not long after, Angie left, and the whole thing tainted what had otherwise been a lovely celebration. After talking about it, Leo and I agreed to gently invite her to hang out with us once more. Despite my joke on the invite about the dress code being jeans and t-shirts only, she eventually accepted the invitation to dinner.

Despite this minor blemish, the wedding ultimately turned out to be a happy chapter in our lives. And in spite of the bump, it was still a happy recollection full of affection, humour, and a dash of space cowboy charm.

In what way would you have handled this?