Maybe Holly Ramsay had the right idea! Jaw

uaetodaynewsنوفمبر 14, 2025

Maybe Holly Ramsay had the right idea! Jaw

Anyone who has ever planned a wedding will know the guestlist can be the most contentious part of the process, and that includes who makes the list for the hen party.

No one knows that more than Adam Peaty and Holly Ramsay, who have found themselves embroiled in a family feud after Holly, the influencer daughter of celeb chef Gordon, failed to invite her future mother-in-law to her pre-wedding celebration at Soho Farmhouse last week.

While Adam’s mother Caroline, 60, stayed at home in Staffordshire, Adam’s glamourous sister Bethany attended alongside Holly’s mother Tana and a slew of well-heeled guests, including Victoria Beckham and Holly’s sisters Megan and Tilly.

So, should you ever invite parents, and better still, in-laws to wild pre-wedding celebrations? These stories may make you think Holly had the right idea…

Holly is pictured at her hen do at Soho Farmhouse with her mother and Victoria Beckham among the guests

THE MOTHER OF THE GROOM STARTED THREATENING GUESTS

A former bridesmaid told the Daily Mail: ‘At 21, you don’t anticipate that you’ll end a hen do in the city being threatened by the bride’s mother-in-law.

‘But that’s exactly where I found myself.

‘An innocent disagreement with her daughter, who behaved a touch more appropriately given the celebratory nature of the event, led the incensed mother-in-law, in her 50s, to whisper in my ear, ‘I know where you all live’.

‘I think, in her drunken state, she must’ve thought she’d wandered onto a film set for Guy Ritchie’s next gangster movie.

‘The sister-in-law and the friends managed to smooth over the situation between themselves, without the bride even knowing, but the mother-in-law’s theatrics soon had the whole party involved.

‘Eventually, it was concluded she’d had a little too much to drink and should probably return home, leaving the rest of us to enjoy the night without any more drama.

‘The next morning, however, the demanding mother-in-law insisted she was still in the right and had the bride force her friends to apologise.

‘A little differing of opinion – which admittedly, shouldn’t have happened at such an event in the first place, but the friends were young – was made into an almighty scene by the attention-seeking mother-in-law, when really all eyes should’ve been on the bride.’

Holly is pictured on her hen night at Soho Farmhouse

WHAT IS THE ETIQUETTE WHEN IT COMES TO INVITING YOUR MOTHER-IN-LAW TO YOUR HEN’S DO?

Wedding expert Gemma Logan from hen do planning company The Foxy Hen said it all depends on the type of event and the relationship.

‘It’s best not to invite a mother-in-law if the hen do is going to be full-on, cheeky or particularly raucous,’ she told the Daily Mail.

‘If there will be games, costumes, naughtiness or a lot of drinking, it can make everyone a little self-conscious.

‘It’s also unwise if there’s tension between her and the bride or bridesmaids, as that can create stress when the day should feel carefree.

‘I’ve seen a mother-in-law burst into tears after hearing some cheeky toasts that weren’t meant for her ears. The lesson is clear, you have to know your audience,’ she said.

‘When handled right, mother-in-laws can surprise everyone and become the life of the party. When not, it can be the story everyone politely avoids retelling.’

At another bachelorette party, Gemma said one mother-in-law had to awkwardly endure some risqué activities.

‘One memorable story involved a lovely but very prim and proper mother-in-law who turned up to what she thought was a classy dinner,’ she said.

‘The group had secretly planned a burlesque workshop first. She stayed, gave it a go and ended up leading the dance by the end of the night, much to everyone’s delight.’

So, what happens when it all goes wrong and the mother-in-laws come along and have to deal with bridezillas? Here we share some anonymous stories that will make even Holly’s guest breath a sigh of relief…

While it caused controversy for Holly, Gemma said it is ‘completely fine’ to invite a future sister-in-law to a bachelorette when the groom’s mother isn’t attending.

‘The two relationships are very different. Sisters often feel like part of the friend group and can join in easily without it feeling formal,’ she said.

The wedding guru advised that the key to avoiding any hurt feelings is transparency.

‘It helps to mention to the sister that it’s more of a friends’ event, so there’s no awkwardness if her mum finds out,’ she said.

‘As long as the bride’s choice comes from a genuine connection rather than trying to exclude anyone, it’s perfectly acceptable. Weddings involve enough diplomacy as it is, so the hen do should be about genuine company and good vibes only.’

If a bride is feeling pressured into inviting her mother-in-law to her hen do against her better judgement, Gemma said it’ important to remember the event is about them and what they want.

‘If a bride feels cornered into inviting her MIL, she should first remember the hen do is her celebration. A polite but firm explanation works wonders,’ she recommended.

‘She could suggest a separate lunch or pamper day together before the wedding to include her mother-in-law in a more comfortable way. This keeps goodwill without compromising the atmosphere of the hen.

‘Brides often worry about upsetting people, but setting boundaries early prevents much bigger issues later. It’s all about honesty wrapped in kindness.

‘No one should spend their hen do feeling tense or watched. The best guest list is one that allows the bride to fully relax and enjoy herself.’

Gemma added that many women are opting for a two-part event to keep all parties happy.

‘Many brides now choose to have two parts, including a family-friendly daytime gathering and a livelier evening with friends. It keeps everyone included without blurring the boundaries,’ she explained.

‘If the family are easy-going and fun, their presence can actually make the occasion more meaningful. But if the bride feels she’ll need to censor herself or behave differently, it’s better to keep family involvement limited.’

MY MOTHER-IN-LAW GOT MY GRANDMOTHER SO DRUNK SHE BROKE HER ARM

Another bride took to Reddit to explain that said her mother-in-law ‘ruined’ her hen weekend with her outrageous behaviour.

The groom’s mother got her grandmother so drunk that she fell and broke her arm, and took unflattering photos and videos of her in various states of intoxication, then ‘threatened’ to post them online.

‘I had a theme and she had a go at me about making me ‘pay’ for her costume and got aggressive.

‘She actually had a good costume and thought it would embarrass me, but I just appreciated that she even participated in it,’ the bride said.

After an organised boat trip, there were taxis and buses back to the hotel, but only enough room for half of the guests to travel at a time.

‘My nana was in so much pain and needed to get back to the room as soon a possible,’ the bride explained.

‘My mum is her main help.

‘She (the groom’s mother) literally pushed my mum out of the way to get in a taxi when there was one spot left and didn’t help my nana get back to the room.

‘She got locked out of her room and had to wait in the lobby for my mum and me to come 20 minutes later on the bus. How awful?!’

‘To clarify, my nanna got drunk and was feeling sick. Mother in law and her friend were going back to their room to get something, so my nanna went with them.

‘They didn’t look after her, and she fell in the shower and broke her arm.

‘She was calling out to them, and they were literally in the next room, and my nanna heard them leave about a minute after she’d been calling out. They didn’t even make sure she was OK!’

Adam’s mother (centre, pictured with Adam getting his OBE) didn’t attend Holly’s hen

MY MOTHER-IN-LAW MADE ME TRY ON LINGERIE IN FRONT OF HER CONSERVATIVE FAMILY

While one bride complained of her mother-in-law’s negligence, another has explained how her mother-in-law made her try on lingerie.

Taking to Reddit, the bride explained: ‘I thought it was weird, as we don’t do that where I am from (another continent), but I assumed I’d sit and open the gifts and just look at them.

‘The day before, she told me I had to put it all on and model it for them.

‘I was horrified, but she had a fit and said I absolutely had to. I had never met any of these women before, and I had only met her the week before. Oddly, these are also quite prudish women.

‘All of it was horrible, cheap, tarty stuff from a sale rack. I was young at the time and didn’t know how to say no to her, so I tried to just go along with it and smile.

‘They took pictures of me, put them in an album and gave it to my husband as a wedding gift.

‘It still makes me feel sick and violated that I had to pose nearly naked in front of them all.

‘My mother-in-law told me with glee afterwards that one of her relatives who hadn’t been to one before thought I was a tramp for doing it. It turned out that only one had happened before, so it was no tradition at all.

‘They did the same thing to my sister-in-law a few years later. I didn’t go and told her to say no.

‘She was also very upset by the whole thing, having been put through the same pressure from my mother-in-law.

MY MOTHER-IN-LAW IS GHOSTING ME BECAUSE OF MY ‘OFF-COLOUR’ HEN’S NIGHT TOAST

‘I was at a hen event (not really a party, more of a dinner/drinks thing) three weeks ago,’ another guest wrote on Reddit.

‘The bride is my husband’s cousin, with whom I have become close. There were about 15 people there, including my husband’s sister and mum.

‘There were the usual gifts and toasts and whatnot, and some of the toasts were racy, with sexy jokes/advice, etc., for the bride.

‘In my toast, I passed along the “three rules” that any new wife should communicate to her husband relating to sex (someone had said these to me at my bachelorette party before I got married, too).

‘They are admittedly racy and tongue-in-cheek, but with some truth to them. People laughed, all in good fun.

‘Well, evidently, my mother-in-law was not impressed, and she texted me on Monday, saying she wanted me to know she thought that I was ‘off colour’ at the dinner.

‘She mentioned that one of the girls there was 17, and that my ‘rules’ were inappropriate.

‘I let her know that I was sorry she was put off, but I felt it was consistent with the vibe of the dinner. She has been ghosting me since.’

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Published on: 2025-11-14 11:27:00
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk