Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app
Continue in app Continue in browser

Add post form topAdd Post
Tooltip close

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here.

Bride Destroys Stepdaughter’s “Provocative” Dress So She Can’t Wear It, The Payback Makes Her Cry
1.2K

Bride Destroys Stepdaughter’s “Provocative” Dress So She Can’t Wear It, The Payback Makes Her Cry

ADVERTISEMENT

For many brides, picking out a wedding dress is a dream come true. Not only is it important to choose one that will make you feel confident and beautiful on the big day, it’s also wise to keep in mind that you’ll be looking back on photos from the wedding for years to come. In a way, that dress will stay with you for the rest of your life!

But when one woman decided that the dress her fiancé’s daughter chose to wear to their wedding was inappropriate, the teen decided that neither of them could have their dream dress. Below, you’ll find a story that a concerned parent recently shared on the “Am I the [Jerk]?” subreddit wondering if they should call off their wedding altogether due to this dress drama, as well as a conversation with Ginger Ogle, Founder and Director of the Berkeley Parents Network.

RELATED:

    This parent was excited to help their daughter find a dress to wear to their upcoming wedding

    Image credits: Timur Weber / pexels (not the actual photo)

    But their relationship quickly started crumbling after their fiancée decided that the dress wasn’t appropriate

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: ohpolly

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image source: ElegantFile5415

    1,300 new stepfamilies form every day in the United States

    Every wedding has complications. No matter how old you are or how supportive your family is, you’ll be unable to keep everyone happy. But when you’re getting a new spouse and stepchildren on the same day, it’s important to try to be on good terms with your partner’s kids. And thankfully, nowadays, anyone who enters into a blended family is far from the first person to do so.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    According to the Pew Research Center, 16% of kids in the United States live in blended families today. And the U.S. Census Bureau reports that 1,300 new stepfamilies form every single day. 50% of kids under the age of 13 also live with one of their parents and a stepparent or their parent’s current partner. Over half of American families are remarried or re-coupled, and three quarters of divorcees end up tying the knot again at some point.

    But just because it’s common to be in a blended family doesn’t mean that it’s always easy. Navigating a new relationship can be challenging enough, but adding children and the responsibilities of parenting into the mix can make it even harder. Kids may be resistant to change and uncomfortable with the idea of having a stepparent, which can certainly take a toll on their parent’s romantic relationship.

    It’s common for stepparents to have rocky relationships with their stepchildren in the beginning

    To gain more insight into this situation, we got in touch with Ginger Ogle, Founder and Director of the Berkeley Parents Network. Ginger was kind enough to have a chat with Bored Panda and share that, unfortunately, parents and their stepchildren don’t always get off on the right foot.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    “Parents have described their kids being resentful of the time their parent spends with the new partner, because it takes away from the kids’ time with their mom/dad,” she noted. “Kids may be holding out hope their parents will get back together, so the new partner is unwelcome.”

    Relationship dynamics can also depend on whether or not the stepparent has children already. “A new partner who doesn’t have kids of their own may not know how to relate to kids, might be awkward around them, or impatient,” Ginger added. “Or if the new partner does have kids of their own, the children may feel they are competing with other kids for their own parent’s attention.”

    As far as this specific situation, Ginger says that it sounds very distressing but also really odd. “I’d have a lot of questions for the mom about what’s really going on. The couple has been together for 4 years, but the parent doesn’t know why their daughter dislikes their fiancée? It sounds like there are some communication problems between the parent and their daughter. That’s what the parent should focus on.”

    Parenting teens is always a challenge, but it can be even harder for stepparents

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Teens are notoriously difficult to parent, period. With their growing sense of independence, hormones raging from puberty and desire to defy authority, their behavior can often be amplified when stepparents enter the picture. And according to Kristen at StepMomming, stepparenting teens can be compared to “surviving a minefield.”

    To navigate this delicate situation, Kristen recommends that spouses be on the same page as their partner. Enforce the same rules and consequences, and try to be there for your stepchild in the same ways that their parents would be (if they’ll let you, of course). It’s also important to be realistic and prepare yourself for some uncomfortable moments.

    Whether the teen hurls cruel words at you or ignores you completely, try not to take it personally. Another important tip that the woman in this story certainly could have benefitted from is: remain calm. At the end of the day, you’re an adult, and they’re not. Immature behavior can be excused in teens, to a certain extent. But as the stepparent, you should know better. 

    ADVERTISEMENT

    We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Would you have called off this wedding too? Then, if you’d like to check out another story from Bored Panda featuring stepparent drama, we recommend reading this article next!    

    Readers had plenty to say about the story, so the parent provided a bit more information on the situation

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Many called out the parent for ever thinking this wedding was a good idea in the first place

    ADVERTISEMENT

    However, some thought that the author hadn’t done anything wrong

    And others believed that all parties had acted immaturely

    ADVERTISEMENT
    Ic_polls

    Poll Question

    Thanks! Check out the results:

    Share on Facebook
    Adelaide Ross

    Adelaide Ross

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    Howdy, I'm Adelaide! I'm originally from Texas, but after graduating from university with an acting degree, I relocated to sunny Los Angeles for a while. I then got a serious bite from the travel bug and found myself moving to Sweden and England before settling in Lithuania about two years ago. I'm passionate about animal welfare, sustainability and eating delicious food. But as you can see, I cover a wide range of topics including drama, internet trends and hilarious memes. I can easily be won over with a Seinfeld reference, vegan pastry or glass of fresh cold brew. And during my free time, I can usually be seen strolling through a park, playing tennis or baking something tasty.

    Read less »
    Adelaide Ross

    Adelaide Ross

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Howdy, I'm Adelaide! I'm originally from Texas, but after graduating from university with an acting degree, I relocated to sunny Los Angeles for a while. I then got a serious bite from the travel bug and found myself moving to Sweden and England before settling in Lithuania about two years ago. I'm passionate about animal welfare, sustainability and eating delicious food. But as you can see, I cover a wide range of topics including drama, internet trends and hilarious memes. I can easily be won over with a Seinfeld reference, vegan pastry or glass of fresh cold brew. And during my free time, I can usually be seen strolling through a park, playing tennis or baking something tasty.

    Kotryna Br

    Kotryna Br

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    Kotryna is a Photo Editor at Bored Panda with a BA in Graphic Design. Before Bored Panda, she worked as a freelance graphic designer and illiustrator. When not editing, she enjoys working with clay, drawing, playing board games and drinking good tea.

    Read less »

    Kotryna Br

    Kotryna Br

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Kotryna is a Photo Editor at Bored Panda with a BA in Graphic Design. Before Bored Panda, she worked as a freelance graphic designer and illiustrator. When not editing, she enjoys working with clay, drawing, playing board games and drinking good tea.

    What do you think ?
    Add photo comments
    POST
    Elizabeth Tayler
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Horrible people. He's not teaching his daughter respect for others because he doesn't seem to have any himself. I wonder how he conned 4 women into accepting a marriage proposal. The fact that he is so casual about ending the relationship seems pretty indicative of his lack of genuine love & affection for her (or any of them). Seems like he's just getting married to be married, regardless of the partner. Definitely should have been some better conversations & integration before this stage. Putting your child first is appropriate. Creating a narcissist by having no boundaries or consequences for them, is not.

    Hphizzle
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In an Oprah voice: “You get therapy!! And you get therapy!! And you get therapy!! Everyone gets therapy!!”

    Little Wonder
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    For those wondering, this is the dress (Bored panda states "Not the actual photo" incorrectly here) Screenshot...56-png.jpg Screenshot-2024-09-06-200056-66dad30ada856-png.jpg

    Load More Comments
    Elizabeth Tayler
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Horrible people. He's not teaching his daughter respect for others because he doesn't seem to have any himself. I wonder how he conned 4 women into accepting a marriage proposal. The fact that he is so casual about ending the relationship seems pretty indicative of his lack of genuine love & affection for her (or any of them). Seems like he's just getting married to be married, regardless of the partner. Definitely should have been some better conversations & integration before this stage. Putting your child first is appropriate. Creating a narcissist by having no boundaries or consequences for them, is not.

    Hphizzle
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In an Oprah voice: “You get therapy!! And you get therapy!! And you get therapy!! Everyone gets therapy!!”

    Little Wonder
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    For those wondering, this is the dress (Bored panda states "Not the actual photo" incorrectly here) Screenshot...56-png.jpg Screenshot-2024-09-06-200056-66dad30ada856-png.jpg

    Load More Comments
    You May Like
    Related on Bored Panda
    Related on Bored Panda
    Trending on Bored Panda
    Also on Bored Panda