When it comes to living out your wedding day, there are a million and one things that can go wrong. You can trip when strutting your stuff down the aisle. Maybe you spill a smidge of sauce on your pristine champagne gown minutes before go time. Or perhaps you lose that little white slip of paper that just so conveniently happens to be your vows (and now you’re stuck winging it from the heart in front of dozens upon dozens of close family and friends).
Just when we thought we’d heard it all, Amy Pennza, former lawyer and soldier turned romance author, took to Twitter to share her own wedding horror story. In a tweet accompanied by a photo of Pennza looking utterly puzzled before her husband’s mother, she writes, “My mother-in-law wore a wedding dress to my wedding. So, yeah, top that one, Twitter.”
My mother-in-law wore a wedding dress to my wedding. So, yeah, top that one, Twitter. #weddingfail @jimmyfallon pic.twitter.com/IjqvnXT6Ps
— Amy Pennza (@AmyPennza) June 19, 2019
The tweet came in response to talk show host Jimmy Fallon’s request for his followers to share their biggest wedding fails using the online hashtag #WeddingFail.
It’s Hashtags time! Tag a tweet with #WeddingFail and then tell us a funny or weird story from a wedding you were at. Could be on the show!
— jimmy fallon (@jimmyfallon) June 18, 2019
My friend got married on the beach and wanted to zip line to the altar. He didn’t test before and it turned out he was too heavy for the line. He was dragged through rocks and sand for the last 10 seconds. Ripped the pants off of his tux. #WeddingFail
— jimmy fallon (@jimmyfallon) June 18, 2019
In a matter of minutes, Twitter was SHOCKED and quick to jump to her defense.
— Jamie Kenney
(@LaComtesseJamie) June 19, 2019
is she for real??? pic.twitter.com/MngMrcJm7o
— rebecca mix revision void (@rebeccarmix) June 19, 2019
Is she still alive? pic.twitter.com/cyiNJk4OxN
— amy mccarthy (@amymac0215) June 19, 2019
— Better Self Care in 2019 (@AbbieHollowDays) June 19, 2019
Meanwhile, the tweet left countless others scratching their heads and yearning for more details.
— John D. Burns (@johnburnsnc) June 19, 2019
SIS needs to spill it all. pic.twitter.com/FVlrHNWIuR
— Willetta (@willettasnotes) June 19, 2019
— Lisa Buckley, PhD
(@Lisavipes) June 19, 2019
As it turns out, there’s more to the story than meets the eye. And it’s not what you think. But first, Pennza chimed in to clear the air and rule out the numerous brawl predictions.
I’m happy to report the wedding unfolded without bloodshed, or anyone being shoved into the champagne fountain.
— Amy Pennza (@AmyPennza) June 20, 2019
She then transported us back in time to that fateful morning.
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.
— Amy Pennza (@AmyPennza) June 20, 2019
She walks in. I see it. pic.twitter.com/avuU12yjuq
— Amy Pennza (@AmyPennza) June 20, 2019
I don’t remember much about the day. Most people say their wedding is a blur, and that’s true for me, too. But I know I said this: “You… You could be the bride…”
— Amy Pennza (@AmyPennza) June 20, 2019
While she was stunned as well, and understandably so, she went on to explain more about her mother-in-law’s “frugal” nature.
Here’s the thing: My mother-in-law is extremely frugal. And I don’t mean she just enjoys a good bargain. To understand her, you have to know where she comes from.
— Amy Pennza (@AmyPennza) June 20, 2019
She grew up in extreme poverty. As a child, she used to sneak into the kitchen and eat match heads. That’s a pica craving, and kids do it when they’re malnourished.
— Amy Pennza (@AmyPennza) June 20, 2019
When you grow up with nothing, it stays with you. 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.
— Amy Pennza (@AmyPennza) June 20, 2019
But her upbringing didn’t make her hard. Or cruel. Or selfish.
— Amy Pennza (@AmyPennza) June 20, 2019
However, she’s a bargain hunter to the bone. Her money saving strategies are legend—and often hilarious. At family gatherings, we amuse ourselves telling stories of crazy shit she’s done to save money.
— Amy Pennza (@AmyPennza) June 20, 2019
If you’re wondering what this has to do with the double wedding gown situation, strap yourself in and keep reading. It’s a touching one.
For example, she takes the olives and celery out of a Bloody Mary and saves them for salads.
— Amy Pennza (@AmyPennza) June 20, 2019
She once walked casually to the table where I was eating a subway sandwich and put my discarded cold cuts in a baggie because “someone will eat them.”
— Amy Pennza (@AmyPennza) June 20, 2019
When Sally Jesse Raphael was popular, she didn’t have the money to buy red glasses, so she painted hers with red nail polish.
— Amy Pennza (@AmyPennza) June 20, 2019
She was so excited to turn 60, so she could claim her discounts. As long as there’s a bargain involved, she doesn’t care about getting older.
— Amy Pennza (@AmyPennza) June 20, 2019
When my daughter drinks ice water, my mother-in-law makes her put the empty glass on the counter. “Leave the ice in there…it’ll melt and make more water.”
— Amy Pennza (@AmyPennza) June 20, 2019
She brings her own mint and lime to restaurants because “the bartenders don’t know how to make a good Mojito.”
— Amy Pennza (@AmyPennza) June 20, 2019
In addition to being “frugal”, Pennza also explains what a huge sweetheart she is.
She’s frugal. But she’s also incredibly generous. 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 Pennza (@AmyPennza) June 20, 2019
She never misses a band concert, sports event, talent show, science fair…you name it. She’d walk over hot coals for her grandchildren. She gives them everything. Because, you know, she grew up with nothing.
— Amy Pennza (@AmyPennza) June 20, 2019
She regularly shows up at my house with bags of new clothes for the kids. (Because she’s a kick ass bargain hunter.)
— Amy Pennza (@AmyPennza) June 20, 2019
When I got my first job, she hemmed all my work pants because I can’t sew for shit. And because she was proud of me.
— Amy Pennza (@AmyPennza) June 20, 2019
So, what’s this got to do with that old wedding dress anyway?
So when she spotted The Dress at an incredible bargain, she couldn’t turn it down. If you ask her now, she says she feels terrible about it.
— Amy Pennza (@AmyPennza) June 20, 2019
Ahhhh.
After the photo received a lot of attention, she expressed concerns about hurting her mother-in-law’s feelings by posting the photo. To her surprise, this is how she responded:
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.”
— Amy Pennza (@AmyPennza) June 20, 2019
In the aftermath of it all, Pennza had this to say:
So, yeah, the wedding dress was a shock. But it gave me a pretty funny memory. No one who attended has ever forgotten it. And, you have to admit, weddings can be forgettable.
— Amy Pennza (@AmyPennza) June 20, 2019
And, because I’m a romance author, I’d be remiss if I didn’t add: And they lived happily ever after. pic.twitter.com/E8oCQnzb6a
— Amy Pennza (@AmyPennza) June 20, 2019
We’re glad the two women made light of this sticky situation. And, needless to say, this photo will go down in wedding history.
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