Woman 'Caught Off Guard' When Brother's Fiancée Asks to Wear Her Late Mother's Wedding Dress: 'She Dropped a Bombshell'

Mar. 15, 2025

Upset woman (stock image); bride and groom (stock image).Photo:Getty

Getty

A woman says she was completely taken aback when her brother’s fiancée asked to wear her late mother’s wedding dress — and she promptly refused the request.

“I lost my mom five years ago. Before she passed, she gave me her wedding dress. She told me she wanted me to have it, whether I chose to wear it at my own wedding, repurpose it or just keep it as a memory of her,” the OP (original poster) wrote, adding, “It’s one of the most sentimental things I own.”

She went on to detail that her older brother Jake, 33, is getting married in a few months to his fiancée Laura, 29. The two future sister-in-laws have “a good relationship” but are “not super close,” she said.

Last week, Laura asked to meet up for coffee — “and that’s when she dropped a bombshell,” the OP wrote.

“She told me she had always dreamed of wearing a ‘meaningful’ dress when she got married and thought it would be so special if she could wear my mom’s wedding dress,” she continued. “She said it would be a beautiful way to honor my mom at the wedding.”

Wedding dress stored in a box (stock image).Tom Merton/Getty

Tom Merton/Getty

The OP, who recalled feeling “completely off guard” in the moment, politely denied Laura’s request and explained her reasons why.

“I told her that while I appreciated her sentiment, my mom gave the dress to me, and it was very personal. I wasn’t comfortable letting someone else wear it, especially because I still might want to use it in some way for my own wedding one day,” she wrote.

It seems Laura did not take the OP’s refusal well. “She immediately got upset and said I was being selfish,” the OP recounted. “She told me it wasn’t fair because she never got to meet my mom, and this would be a way for her to feel connected to her. She also said my mom would have wanted her to wear it since she’s joining the family.”

When the OP’s brother found out about the pair’s conversation, he pleaded with his sister to change her mind. “He told me I should reconsider because it would mean a lot to Laura. He said I was being unnecessarily difficult over ‘just a dress,’ " she wrote. “Even some of my relatives are saying I should ‘think about the bigger picture’ and how this would be a touching tribute.”

Man and woman arguing (stock image).Liubomyr Vorona/Getty

Liubomyr Vorona/Getty

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“Your mother left it to YOU. Your decision is final. No one gets to tell you otherwise,” one person wrote.

Another commented, “This is your inheritance. No one else is entitled to it. If anyone is being selfish or difficult, it’s your future SIL and brother. The audacity is shocking.”

Quite a few Redditors shared the opinion that the brother and his fiancée are being dismissive of the dress' emotional significance to the OP.

“It is not just a dress. It was a moment when your mother was glowing with happiness imprinted in that fabric. It is a way for her to share in that same moment and feeling with you,” one person wrote. “Don’t let anyone intrude on that moment you will share, especially since she is gone.

Another agreed, writing: “It’s not ‘just a dress,’ it’s a piece of your mom. Stick to your guns, you have every right to say no. Your brother and relatives are out of line for pressuring you.”

source: people.com