This mother-in-law's wedding fail turned out to be a surprisingly wholesome story

Aah, wedding season. It’s a time for buying expensive gifts, coping with awkward seating arrangements, and strapping your flesh vessel into the worst bridesmaid or groomsman outfits known to humankind. 

There are a whole bunch of rules when it comes to being a wedding guest. Some are just common sense (don’t be playing Candy Crush on your phone during the wedding ceremony), others may be relics of olden times, but will still get you side eye if you don’t abide. Like: Don’t upstage the bride. Related: Definitely don’t wear white to a wedding. 

As part of another round of hashtag games kicked off by Jimmy Fallon, Twitter was asked to share tales of their wedding woes. Amy Pennza shared a photo of her mother-in-law not just wearing white, but wearing an actual wedding dress to her wedding. 

But before r/JUSTNOMIL could jump in with their own opinions, or anyone could call up the (wedding) fashion police, Pennza decided to explain the situation in a Twitter thread — what led up to the dress, what her MIL is like, and why this was not a family relationship ruiner. 

According to Pennza, she had no idea what her MIL was planning to wear that day, and hadn’t thought to ask (why would she?) But then, it happened.

She reportedly doesn’t remember much about the wedding day, as, like most people say, it was a blur. However she does remember telling her MIL, “You… You could be the bride…” Yikes. 

Thankfully, the wedding unfolded “without bloodshed, or anyone being shoved into the Champagne fountain.” Now that’s what I call keeping it classy. 

Whatever you might think, this was not a malicious move on the part of the MIL. Pennza provided some much-needed context that set the story in a different light. 

According to Pennza, her MIL grew up in extreme poverty, which has affected her money-saving habits to this day. She’s a “bargain hunter to the bone,” but that doesn’t necessarily make her “hard. Or cruel. Or selfish.” 

In fact, Pennza describes her as being incredibly generous, regularly showing up to the house with bags of clothes for her kids (all thanks to those kickass bargaining skills). It just so happened that when she saw That Dress™ at an incredible bargain, she couldn’t help but buy it. “If you ask her now, she says she feels terrible about it,” Pennza tweeted. 

But it seems like there is no ill will between the two,  just a funny wedding anecdote they can laugh about.  

Famous, indeed. At least she won’t forever be known for saying the bride’s sister’s name during the ceremony or bringing the rings in a Ziploc baggie.