AITA for not wanting his pet dog at our civil ceremony and for wanting to feel like a bride

We were trying to decide a date for the civil ceremony and his parents were excited. Suddenly I realized his parents were going to make a road trip and bring their dog along. He's a young labrador puppy, very active and with sharp nails. I've been to their place before, and that dog traumatizes me ( climbs on me, steps on me, scrapes me with its nails, barks a lot.). I understand my fiance wanting to have his childhood pet at the ceremony, but this puppy was adopted after he moved out. I'm not a dog hater or anything, but as I explained to my fiancé, my brain would have to be on fight or flight mode with the pup around (it's about almost a year old). I would be in survival mode for the entirety of the ceremony and their stay later, always bracing for impact and afraid that it would scratch my dress and legs.

I preponed the ceremony so that his parents couldn't make it. ( they said they could have used a dog sitter, but it was already too late.) Then on the day of, I was making eggs while my fiance picked up the cake from costco. He came home and spotted me making eggs and offended that I didn't make him any he started an argument about cleaning the house for the guests (2 witnesses) that were going to visit later. He argued so much over it stating the same points again and again stressing me out. So on the day of my court wedding, I started doing dishes, and then he realized what he was making me do and stopped me.

I told him well in advance that we would need cash to pay the court and that I needed help ironing my hair because I don't have a hair straightener. (I ended up doing it myself when he went to Costco) He was overconfident that there was some cash in the house when I told him to withdraw some at the ATM the previous day. And then ofc we were scrambling on the day of since he couldn't find it. He finally found it, but I had already broken down by then, the zipper of my dress tugged my skin with a hurtful pinch (It was a bit too tight for me, I wore something I already had even though Mom and bff wanted me to wear something new because he didn't offer to buy me a new dress when he bought a shirt and tie) My lip pencil broke. I started heaving and crying because I felt so alone. We didn't think we would go through with the ceremony. Nevertheless we did, he was silent the whole ride.

We reached there late and the machine said the time was up but a lady helped us get a place at the counter anyway. He didn't try to talk to my friends who were the witnesses and disappeared for a while in the car looking at a tutorial to wear his tie when I had already told my cousin-friend to help him out. We went through with it but both of us forgot to video call our parents on such an important milestone in our lives.

Blame it on Mercury retrograde, or him or me? In hindsight , my best friend was excited and I should've booked a later date so she could fly in and get me ready on the day of , so it wouldn't turn out to be the worst day ever

Posted Jun 26, 2026, 8:54 PM UTC

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