Ever since Nicole began planning her wedding, her mother had gotten very involved. When Nicole asks her to take a step back, she does so. But on the big day, her mother shows up in a wedding dress after mysteriously receiving a call instructing her to. Nicole is left fuming when she discovers who has preyed on her mother’s feelings, ensuring she will destroy them.
When Peter and I got engaged, I promised myself that the wedding planning would be smooth and easy.
Growing up, I wasn’t like the other girls who spent their time daydreaming about their weddings. I just knew that it would eventually happen one day, and I would need cupcakes at my wedding reception.
That was it.
So, I always knew that when it came to the actual event, I would need my mother to guide me. My wedding was also going to be her chance at planning a wedding because my parents were not married.
They were dating when they discovered that my mother was pregnant.
Of course, my father promptly packed his bags and left before I was born.
“But that’s just a thing of the past, Nicole,” my mother told me when we went shopping for wedding dresses.
“And you’re happy now, with Anthony?” I asked her, watching her eye two dresses in particular. They were not to my taste, so I knew my mother was looking at herself in those dresses.
She was in a happy long-term relationship with Anthony, and I knew that sometimes she dreamed about a wedding of her own.
But still, as we planned my wedding, she was a little too eager to help choose the flowers, the cake, and even the table setting for my reception.
“Mom,” I said to her as she sat hunched over my wedding notebook. “You need to back off just a little bit.”
She smiled at me and nodded, not saying anything. Which immediately made me feel horrible.
But it seemed to be the gentle nudge that she needed. Because she did take a step back, only checking on the final preparations with Anna, my wedding planner.
On my wedding day, I sat on the balcony of my hotel room, eating a banana, something that I had seen brides do on TV, and I felt a growing excitement that only hit now.
I was finally getting married.
But nothing could have prepared me for what the day was about to bring.
I arrived at the church early with my hair and makeup artists ready to do the final glam before I walked down the aisle.
As I stepped into the bride’s dressing room, my excitement transformed into shock before my eyes.
There, next to the floor-length mirror, sat my mother, in a full-on white wedding dress, holding a pair of shoes.
“Mom? What’s happening? What are you doing?”
My mother beamed at me, it was a smile so big and so bright that for a few seconds, I actually forgot what was going on.
“Isn’t it amazing?” she asked, twirling slowly. “I was called and told that you wanted me to share the wedding with you. I couldn’t believe it because you hadn’t told me about it before.”
“Who called you?” I asked, suddenly feeling lightheaded.
Her smile faltered, dimming as realization slowly dawned on her.
“Your wedding planner, honey,” she said.
“Anna?” I asked, confused. “I spoke to her last night and she didn’t mention it.”
“I think so,” my mother said, looking unsure.
I whipped out my phone and called Anna, demanding an explanation. This was a cruel joke to play. And if Anna had anything to do with it, I was going to lose my mind.
“No, Nicole,” she insisted. “It wasn’t me, but my boss did ask for your mother’s number. I gave it because I didn’t see anything wrong with the request.”
“Your boss?” I asked. “But I’ve only worked with you. Who is your boss?”
“Miranda James,” she said.
My heart almost dropped out of my body. I knew that name. That was Peter’s ex’s name.
I left my mother in the dressing room and went to find Peter. I knew that something just didn’t add up here. If this was his ex, then it made sense that she would try and ruin our day.
Over the years that Peter and I were together, Miranda had shown up to countless events trying to get him to win her back.
When I found Peter, he was getting dressed. He smiled when he saw me in my wedding dress but quickly frowned when he saw my face.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
I explained everything that happened.
“Come,” he said. “Let’s go to her office.”
We left our wedding party in charge, instructing them to explain what was happening. I asked Anna, who had sped to the church after my call, to help explain everything to my mother while getting her changed into her original outfit.
When we arrived, Miranda was seated, looking smug and confident behind her computer.
“Why?” Peter asked simply.
“I thought it would be a fun surprise,” she told him, smirking.
“This is low, even for you,” Peter continued. “You had no right to interfere in our wedding.”
They went back and forth bickering for a few minutes before I decided that I wanted to cause Miranda the same pain and humiliation that I was so sure my mother was enduring back at the church.
I took out my phone and recorded a brief video explaining the situation, making sure to stress Miranda’s role.
I posted it to my social media accounts and tagged every wedding vendor we had hired for our wedding.
The response was immediate.
As Peter and I made our way back to the church, determined to get married, my phone kept blowing up with people reacting to Miranda’s petty behavior.
Five minutes before I was set to walk down the aisle, I saw that Miranda’s reputation was in tatters, internet warriors having ripped her behavior apart.
“Mom,” I said, turning to her as she stood in the doorway. “I’m so sorry about this. All of this. I know how excited you were earlier.”
My mother smiled sadly, her eyes showed happiness, but her smile didn’t quite reach it.
“It’s fine, love,” she said, brushing my hair aside. “I should have known that it would be a prank because you would have told me otherwise. Come on, let’s get you married, Nicole.”
She handed me my bouquet.
My mother proudly walked me down the aisle, her eyes brimming as she handed me over to Peter, who hugged her tightly.
Thankfully, our wedding went off without any issues because all Miranda managed to do was get a hold of my mother. Anna had taken care of everything else.
While Peter and I were on our honeymoon, things got even better. I began to receive numerous offers from other wedding planners who wanted to help us celebrate our special day the right way, free of charge.
“You did say that Miranda was a disgrace to the wedding planning industry,” Peter joked as we sipped cocktails at the beach.
“Well, everyone is trying to prove that they’re better than her,” I said.
“I’m sorry, but I am not going through the drama of another wedding,” my husband said, yawning.
“Neither am I,” I admitted. “But I do think that I’m going to take up the offer. My mother deserves the wedding of her dreams. And she was ready for it. We just need to tell Anthony.”
Peter chuckled but quickly grew serious when he saw my face. I was determined to do this, as a surprise for my mother.
So, I secretly worked with a new wedding planner. We planned everything exactly the way she wanted. From her favorite flowers to the dream cake she wanted, right to the wedding dress she had her eye on.
On the day of the surprise, we gathered at the venue, under the pretense that it was my in-law’s anniversary party. My mother arrived in tears, stunned and overwhelmed when she realized what was happening.
“This is for you,” I said, as I helped her change into her wedding dress. “It’s all for you.”
My mother sniffed and nodded.
She was finally able to have her moment. And in doing so, our bond was only made stronger.
What would you have done?