A woman revealed how she arrived at her wedding to find her mother-in-law wearing a bridal gown – and that she had bought it because it was an ‘incredible bargain’.
Amy Pennza, from Kirtland, Ohio, said she was shocked when her mother-in-law turned up at the church dressed in the floor-length satin white gown, admitting they hadn’t previously discussed what she was going to wear.
Amy tweeted the story, alongside of her and her mother-in-law in the similar white dresses, in response to a Jimmy Fallon request for ‘worst wedding fails’.
The thread left fellow users stunned – with dozens of other users saying they would never be able to forgive the faux pas.
However Amy, now a mother of four, changed many critics’ minds when she revealed how her mother’s difficult childhood had led her to become so frugal that she couldn’t walk away from any bargain – even if it was a wedding dress for someone else’s big day.
Amy Pennza, right, from Kirtland, Ohio, said she was shocked when her mother-in-law, left, turned up at the church dressed in the floor-length satin white gown, admitting they hadn’t previously discussed what she was going to wear. Author Amy shared this photo on Twitter along with a lengthy thread explaining why her mother-in-law decided to buy the dress
Amy tweeted the story, alongside of her and her mother-in-law in the similar white dresses, in response to a Jimmy Fallon request for ‘worst wedding fails’. The thread left fellow users stunned – with dozens of other users saying they would never be able to forgive the faux pas
‘When she spotted The Dress at an incredible bargain, she couldn’t turn it down,’ Amy tweeted. ‘If you ask her now, she says she feels terrible about it.’
But Amy explained her mother-in-law had ‘more than made up’ for the faux pas in the years since and was endlessly generous and kind towards her family.
In the lengthy Twitter thread, Amy told how she arrived at the church to find her mother-in-law in the gown.
She wrote: ‘The morning of the wedding, all the women in the bridal party cram into a tiny room in the church. You know, body glitter and hairspray everywhere. Fifteen coats of mascara. Putting napkins under your pits so you don’t sweat on your dress.
‘She walks in. I see it.’
Amy explained she briefly spoke to her mother-in-law about her choice of ensemble, saying it looked so much like a wedding gown that she could probably ‘be the bride’.
Amy explained how she arrived at the church to discover her mother-in-law wearing the wedding dress – and admitted she was shocked as they hadn’t discussed her outfit
But she added: ‘I’m happy to report the wedding unfolded without bloodshed, or anyone being shoved into the champagne fountain.’
Amy, an author, went on to share details about her mother’s extremely difficult upbringing, saying she used to sneak into the family kitchen at night because she was so hungry.
Amy, pictured, received thousands of comments from other users about the story
‘When you grow up with nothing, it stays with you,’ Amy continued. ‘Forever, I think. No matter how much money you earn, there’s always that little fear in the back of your mind that someone might take it all away.’
However her mother-in-law is also ‘incredibly generous’ and has all she done to make Amy and her children comfortable and feel loved.
Amy continued: ‘When my twins were newborns, she drove across town every night, slept on the sofa, and did three feedings. For two babies. Every night for months.’
Amy added that her mother-in-law regularly delivers bags of new clothing that she had bargain-hunted for her four children.
‘She never misses a band concert, sports event, talent show, science fair… you name it,’Amy wrote. ‘She’d walk over hot coals for her grandchildren. She gives them everything. Because, you know, she grew up with nothing.’
‘Sure, she wore a wedding dress to my wedding. But she has more than made up for it since. When I told her about this getting a lot of attention, and said I worried it might hurt her feelings, she waved it off. “Whatever makes me famous.
The mother-of-four told how her mother-in-law had grown up extremely poor and remains frugal until this day. She bought the wedding dress because she couldn’t resist the bargain
Amy concluded the now viral thread, writing: ‘And, because I’m a romance author, I’d be remiss if I didn’t add: And they lived happily ever after.’
Since Amy shared the story behind the dress, the initial tweet has garnered over 10,000 likes and hundreds of responses from people who were curious about the tale.
Several users said they enjoyed reading the story, while many noted that Amy’s mother-in-law sounds like a ‘great’ person.
‘This made me cry and I love it,’ one woman said. ‘You have a great wedding story but more importantly it sounds like a great MIL and a great family.’
Amy shared examples of the sort of bargains her mother-in-law tracked down to save money
‘I’m guessing she saw the bargain dress deal and didn’t think it would be bad to wear,’ another said.
Others praised Amy for her positive outlook on the situation, with some users noting that she could have been angry at her mother-in-law’s choice of clothing.
One user said: ‘Not only is this a truly astounding story, but I’m so touched at how generously you see her and her motivations. Just lovely.’
Happy: Amy said that although she was shocked to see her mother-in-law wearing a wedding dress, she didn’t mind, as it made for a ‘funny memory’