Claire just wants to be the glamorous mother-of-the-groom—but when she realizes that her daughter-in-law has her own plans for the wedding, she steps back to focus on her own outfit, only for there to be a fight between her and Alice on the big day.

Alice claims that Claire has destroyed the wedding by stealing her dream dress, while Claire sees nothing wrong in her actions. Who is wrong?All I wanted was to be the mother-of-the-groom. That’s it. I just wanted to be the doting mother who loved her son more than anything—but this is the story of how my attempt to make my son’s wedding perfect turned into a day we’d all rather forget. When Mark introduced Alice to us, she was unlike anyone I expected him to fall for.

I know Mark’s been talking about a house with a garden because he really wants a dog.” When we told Mark and Alice, I thought that the gesture would bring us closer. I didn’t have any daughters, so I thought that this would be my chance. I could get to know Alice better—and that would be good for Mark, to know that his wife and his mother got along well. Instead, the wedding planning only highlighted our differences.

After a few months into the wedding planning, I met Alice at a coffee shop so that we could go over the details. But we clashed on everything. “I think roses are timeless,” I said, helping myself to a slice of cake. “They are, but they’re also overdone in a sense,” Alice said, sipping her tea. “Mark and I want peonies.” Our meeting went back and forth a few times—and we were stuck in a space where we just couldn’t agree on anything.

“Okay, how about this?” I asked her. “You go ahead with everything else, and just tell me what color your bridesmaids are wearing, so that there won’t be any clashes.” “They won’t be wearing green,” she said. “I’m leaning toward pink.” I paid the bill and we parted ways with the wedding planning. But then, one afternoon Alice texted me. Hi Claire, just picking out my wedding dress with the girls! I’m so excited! I wish you were here! Attached were photos of her five top wedding dress picks.

I knew that Alice and I were on different ends of what we thought that the wedding should look like, but I wanted to be included in the big things. I wished that she had included me in the wedding dress shopping. “At least she’s sending you the top picks,” James said as he read the newspaper next to me.

“I know, but it’s not the same,” I said. “Do they look good?” he asked. “Can I see them?” Together, we scrolled through the photos of the potential dresses. They were adequate choices, but nothing stood out. Nothing that would fit the standard of my future daughter-in-law.

The dress that was Alice’s favorite and the first contender for the actual wedding dress wasn’t what I expected. I typed back, telling Alice that it wasn’t quite the best choice. And I hoped that my financial stake in the wedding would weigh in. James and I hadn’t given the kids a budget. They had everything at their disposal. Why not consider the second one? It might be more flattering for you. James chuckled beside me. “You’re at the point of over-stepping,” he said.

Before I could say anything, my phone pinged with a message from Alice. Sorry, but I disagree. This is the dress I’m choosing. That night over dinner, as James was plating our salmon, I shared my frustration with him. “Alice is not even considering my opinion, and I’m paying for the dress!” I exclaimed.

James tried to mediate; he also texted Mark to make sure that he knew how I felt, too. “I think you should just leave the wedding planning to them now,” James said. “Put all your attention into yourself and what you’re going to wear.”

But it also turned out that Mark was able to persuade Alice to wear the dress I preferred. I had to admit, it was the less stressful option, and I hadn’t been able to shop for my dress before that. So, that’s what I did. I went to a few different boutiques and eventually found my perfect dress.