I think it was a little douchey to walk out, but OTOH I would have a couple more meals and the restaurant’s best bottle of wine, and made sure it all got added to their tab.
Really? If someone I know has something stolen, I will probably commiserate a bit and tell them “wow, that sucks” but I don’t see it as a big emotional event like, for example, getting married usually is for most people.
Chefguy, your explanation makes sense. I guess I had been envisioning a situation where your daughter came over of her own accord, rather than being pressured into it by the in-laws.
I just don’t consider getting married to be something that makes me incapable of having a normal conversation with someone about something in their lives, or in some sort of fragile state where I need to be shielded from what others are experiencing. If someone said, “Oh, I didn’t tell you about this thing that was affecting me because I didn’t want to ruin your day” I’d think they thought I was pretty delicate and self-absorbed. I just feel no need to be treated differently because I’m getting married. I’m still just me, other people are still just as important as ever.
You don’t sound like a Bridezilla at all. MIL was clearly in the wrong, especially if she had two days to tell you this before the wedding day, just before the ceremony. That reeks of narcissism on her part.
OK. I was just surprised by your characterization of your theoretical wedding as “a blip” compared to someone else’s stolen laptop or whatever.
Thankfully my wedding day was in no way “ruined”, unlike your poor daughter. It was just a strange little blip in an otherwise perfect day. The part that annoys me now is that it’s the only thing my Dad seems to talk about regarding that trip - “Yeah it was a good time, except that our laptop got stolen. And the hotel didn’t care…” and on and on. I don’t think either of them have expressed how much of an AWESOMELY FUN DAY it was. Because it was an awesomely fun day - we took the limo to The Gun Store after and had a great time, then went to (mine and my husband’s favourite place) the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner. Good times were had by all.
Chefguy, WTF was wrong with her new in-laws that they felt the need to put her in the middle like that on her own wedding day?! Why on earth wouldn’t they talk to you & your wife about that beforehand, especially when the guest list was so lopsided in their favour? I don’t understand some people.
The amount of drama I would expect them to engender (or will tolerate) makes my wedding a blip compared with a significant theft.
Sorry, it may have been inappropriate for your stepmom to blurt this out, but what the hell? They were planning a trip to Vegas. You decided to get married in the same place (I assume you don’t live there) so they moved their trip up. Your wedding day was not “just an excuse for them to have their own vacation,” it WAS their own vacation, only instead of doing what they wanted to do on vacation, they came to YOUR wedding. So along the way you busted up their plans for their vacation in the spring for whatever reason–they couldn’t afford two trips, they didn’t want to go to the same place twice, whatever–and then on top of it their laptop was stolen from their hotel room.
And you’re coming down on her for blurting this out on Your Wedding Day.
Please. Why would this ruin your wedding day? Can you not take a minute out of your own joyfulness to sympathize? If it were your laptop I’ll bet you’d care.
I know, right?!
Oh.
I think having something like a laptop stolen from my hotel room would have a much bigger impact on me than a fun day. I don’t find that unusual at all. Vacations are usually filled with fun days. Less often are they filled with major thefts. One hopes! 
It sounds like choosing to share that tidbit of info on the way to the ceremony, rather than some time during the two days prior since the theft, was the especially weird bit.
Or even, you know, a day or two after the happy couple returns from their honeymoon.
Ya got me. I’ve always wondered if there was more to the story than my daughter let on, but she often lives in her own fantasy world, so I’m sure I’ll never find out. They may have been asking her before that day, but finally pressured her into taking care of it since the bill was due that evening. But why they didn’t just pick up the phone and call me if that was the case makes me think they were just assholes, or were afraid that if they said “oh by the way we’ve invited a hundred people” I would have said ‘forget it’ (which I would have done). It still makes me shake my head to this day. Everybody ended up pissed off and unhappy, which was the furthest thing from my mind on my daughter’s wedding day. Ah, well: life will always be interesting, if not always pleasant.
My mom emailed me at work, in the middle of the day to tell me my cousin had died.
The email subject was: Cousin Robert
Usually when I would get emails with that exact subject, it would mean he was coming to town and time to gather the family and have a great dinner somewhere. I was so excited when I saw the subject and so stunned when I saw the actually content. And she didn’t bother to call me or waiting until I was off work. Just sent me an email.
My ex-stepdad emailed my mom at work to tell her he was leaving her.
Just send a short IM, Jim…
Or
Send a quick tweet, Pete…
What, really? This is some crime against nature and humanity? Your family and friends have to pretend that the entire world has stopped existing when they’re in the presence of a BRIDE (peace be upon her)? Jeebus. Dang, if my mom’s hotel room had been broken into and their computer stolen, and she was standing right in front of me, I would think she had lost her mind if she didn’t mention it. But then again, I have never been and I’m unlikely to ever be a BRIDE (peace be upon her). I have been a groom, though. Maye it’s completely different worlds the two sides of the aisle live in.
Not really the same as the OP, but kinda similar:
My mother once had a friend who was in her 70s. She lived with, and cared for, her mother who was in her 90s. Apparently the mother was very much of a burden, and the woman was pretty much waiting for her to die, so she could get on with her life. She never counted on the mother sticking around so long.
So one day my mother had her friend over for lunch. They were talking about all sorts of things for a while, and finally my mother asked how her friend’s mother was. She replied, very matter-of-factly, “Oh, she died yesterday.” She then went on to talk about some other minor subject.
My mother was appalled.
Friend’s wedding. Ceremony was at a park, reception at some Oddfellows hall or something. I scooted out quick from the park to get to the hall to help set up tables, chairs and stuff. Just as I get there, some old dude already inside putting up tables HAS A MASSIVE HEART ATTACK! Calls are made, EMTs arrive.
The rest of the people arrive just as the ambulance is taking off with Geezer to the hospital. Everybody knows something has happened, but not many details are readily available. Party starts off with a wimper.
After an hour or so, people are starting to loosen up and have a little fun. Punch is served, music is played, dancing begins. Alright! This isn’t a total loss afterall…
…until Mrs. Buzzkill gets on stage, shuts off the music, takes the mic and announces “Mr. Geezer just snuffed it in the hospital”.
SCREEEEEEEECHING HALT!
Was this the actual phrasing used? “Mr. X just snuffed it?”