when you married your SO did you ask your wife's dad?

Page 4 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
19
81
My first wife, yes; but they were against it. Married her anyway.

Second no, but we were 30-40 and he only spoke Japanese and was in Japan.

Probably not going to ask my fiancee's dad.
 

Remobz

Platinum Member
Jun 9, 2005
2,564
37
91
My sister's husband asked my Dad for permission although he tasted the cookie many times before..lol!
 

ponyo

Lifer
Feb 14, 2002
19,688
2,810
126
Nope. I didn't ask. He actually asked me if I would marry his daughter. So it was the other way around in my case.
 

MotionMan

Lifer
Jan 11, 2006
17,123
12
81
Hell no. It is a stupid tradition and disrespectful of the potential wife.

That is a big assumption on your part. Though she never said anything about it before I did it, my wife was very appreciative that I did it with her parents.

I know you guys are a bunch of macho men with super-independent wives, but, really, it is not a bad thing to show a little respect to your future in-laws.

And, as far as traditions go, this can really be a big win-win for everyone.

MotionMan
 

MotionMan

Lifer
Jan 11, 2006
17,123
12
81
That's the point. This tradition is not a sign of respect for your true love's father; it is a sign of disrespect toward your true love.

I disagree, as does my true love.

If you were a gay man would you ask your future spouse's father for his son's hand in marriage? Would you expect your future spouse to ask your father?

Yes. What's your point?

MotionMan
 

MotionMan

Lifer
Jan 11, 2006
17,123
12
81
I did not. I find it to be an empty gesture. The best way to show my father-in-law respect in regard to his daughter is to treat her with respect and be a decent husband/father.

Being a respectful and decent son-in-law goes a long way as well.

MotionMan
 

MotionMan

Lifer
Jan 11, 2006
17,123
12
81
I didn't but then again we eloped without telling anyone so really if her dad viewed not asking as disrespectful then eloping would have killed him.

I think it is incredibly outdated idea that is fairly disrespectful of your future wife however if her dad is that kind of old fashioned person I doubt she would take offense.

Why does everyone seem to assume that the future wife is not in favor of this tradition?

MotionMan
 
Feb 6, 2007
16,432
1
81
That is a big assumption on your part. Though she never said anything about it before I did it, my wife was very appreciative that I did it with her parents.

I know you guys are a bunch of macho men with super-independent wives, but, really, it is not a bad thing to show a little respect to your future in-laws.

And, as far as traditions go, this can really be a big win-win for everyone.

MotionMan

There's a difference between respect for the in-laws and a meaningless gesture. Are you really going to skip out on asking your girlfriend if her father says no? Probably not. So it is, by definition, a meaningless gesture. And I contend that you can build a rapport with your future in-laws without pandering in the form of "seeking permission" to marry their daughter. I didn't ask my in-laws, but I'd gotten to know them well enough that they had pretty much already accepted me into the family. Why do I need verbal confirmation beyond that from people who aren't even involved in the union? Their opinion has no bearing on anything, even if they are in favor of it.

Granted, I'm a little weird... I got an angry phone call from my mother several days after the engagement asking why she had to learn about it from my fiancee's Facebook page, so clearly I'm not big on strange family traditions like "communicating."
 

MotionMan

Lifer
Jan 11, 2006
17,123
12
81
There's a difference between respect for the in-laws and a meaningless gesture. Are you really going to skip out on asking your girlfriend if her father says no? Probably not. So it is, by definition, a meaningless gesture. And I contend that you can build a rapport with your future in-laws without pandering in the form of "seeking permission" to marry their daughter. I didn't ask my in-laws, but I'd gotten to know them well enough that they had pretty much already accepted me into the family. Why do I need verbal confirmation beyond that from people who aren't even involved in the union? Their opinion has no bearing on anything, even if they are in favor of it.

It is not meaningless if it is a sign of respect. Could I have skipped it? Sure. But I am not that kind of person. I had known my in-laws for 7 years and had lived with my now-wife for 2 years when I "asked". I knew they would say 'yes', but that was not the point of the act.

Did those of you who did not ask for permission, have their in-laws (or even, just father-in-law) walk their bride down the aisle? Give them away? Hmmmmm....

MotionMan
 

nageov3t

Lifer
Feb 18, 2004
42,808
83
91
if you intend to do what you want regardless of what he actually says, how is it showing respect to him?
 

02ranger

Golden Member
Mar 22, 2006
1,046
0
76
I do have to admit, in that regard it is stupid.

I'm one of the one's that says out of respect it's nice to ask their dad....


But now that I think about it... if they said no..... Uhhh... I'm not going to stop :D lol

Or maybe I would say "Sorry hun, I have to move out, your dad said we could no longer be together." Then move out for a few weeks until her dad gives me a call back after getting kicked in the nuts 300 times by her daughter.

The way I look at it, if he says no then he is the one being disrespectful and you're not bound to follow his wishes. It's like he's saying "I'm putting my wishes above my daughter's happiness, even though I know marrying you is what she wants". You're not really asking for permission so much as a blessing nowadays, even if the custom was originally about permission.
 

UglyCasanova

Lifer
Mar 25, 2001
19,275
1,361
126
I didn't and to be honest I never realized you were expected to. He was fine with it, but I asked my wife not him. Ex-wife actually. :p
 

02ranger

Golden Member
Mar 22, 2006
1,046
0
76
Exactly which is why it makes zero sense, if the father says no, they are still going to marry.

This also depends on HOW you approach him. If you ask "May I have your daughter's hand in marriage?" then if he says no you're gonna look kinda foolish. But if you say "I plan to propose to your daughter and I would like to have your blessing" then you're not really asking for permission so much as you're forewarning him and telling him his blessing and opinion matters to you, although it won't stop you from asking if he says he won't give his blessing.
 

zerocool84

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
36,041
472
126
This also depends on HOW you approach him. If you ask "May I have your daughter's hand in marriage?" then if he says no you're gonna look kinda foolish. But if you say "I plan to propose to your daughter and I would like to have your blessing" then you're not really asking for permission so much as you're forewarning him and telling him his blessing and opinion matters to you, although it won't stop you from asking if he says he won't give his blessing.

But then if he doesn't give his blessing you're still going to marry his daughter, you're going to do whatever you want, so what is the point of asking?
 

cyclistca

Platinum Member
Dec 5, 2000
2,885
11
81
You should jump on your horse and ride right over to dads place and ask his permission.
 

Mayne

Diamond Member
Apr 13, 2014
8,838
1,374
126
Did i politely ask the man that birthed the chick i was banging in every orifice? nope.
 

Belegost

Golden Member
Feb 20, 2001
1,807
19
81
I didn't ask, but I did inform her parents prior to asking her. Besides tradition and respect to her parents, it was also a way of seeing how the announcement would be reacted to.

I had a good relationship with her parents, and as I expected they were happy to be adding me to the family - but if they had brought up concerns I would have thought about them, no sense in wasting their advice based on years of experience.

Also the whole thing with bride (or groom) parents footing the bill is bullshite. I paid for our wedding, because it was our wedding, we wanted to get married so it's only reasonable for us to pay for it.

Might as well ask them to pay for condoms.