Inspired by the meet the girlfriend post today, and other entertaining topics.
Anyone have interesting stories?
When I met my now husband’s father, the father decided it would be a good idea to invite 40 or so other relatives to a local restaurant to meet me too.
The first time one significant other came to our house, not one but 2 of our animals threw up during a time we were trying to eat.
I met my in-laws for the first time the summer before my junior year at college. I was taking classes and was the only one in my townhouse. They came and spent the night because the next day they had to go to court. The previous semester, H lived in an apartment with 2 guys. Their rent payment was structured so they would give the rent $$$ to one person and they would turn it in. Turns out, the final semester, the guy (who was subleasing) did not turn any of it in. They did win and the guy actually spent some time in jail. Anyhow, it was an odd way to meet the parents for sure.
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The first time I met my future MIL, she continually spoke about DH’s former girlfriend and the visit to her home country. Weird - really thought she disliked me.
She was looped (we were in Las Vegas and she had never experienced that kind of dry heat and was completely dehydrated, but drinking wine…). She later told me she would have disowned her son if he didn’t marry me.
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First time I met all of DH’s family was at dinner at their house. I was a freshman in college. DH’s father is an artist and was chairman of the art department of a midwestern college at the time. To break the ice, my dear BF said, “Dad, GF is taking an art history course.” I could have melted right there because I was taking the course because I knew absolutely zero about art. DH’s father perked up and said, “Have you come across the so-and-so madonna yet?” (No clue what he was referring to). Frantic for a reply, I blurted out, “Well, I guess if you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all.” He laughed so hard he choked on his wine. He confused my ignorance for wry wit and liked me from that moment on.
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When my mom met my now husband, he had pulled an all nighter, hadn’t shaved in days, and probably hadn’t showered in a while either. He looked a hot mess, and he knew he was meeting her. My previous bf (who I dumped for H) had been a suave, well dressed, young Frenchman and my mom thought I had lost my mind, based superficially on appearance. Took my mom a while to get over her initial impression, which was that he didn’t care enough about meeting her to put in some effort.
When I met my now inlaws for the first time, they showed up decked out to the nines and made negative comments about my appearance - everything from not liking my double ear piercing to me being too fat. Not great.
My parents ended up fully embracing my H, especially my dad. I never felt like my mil accepted me and I never felt “enough.” I hope to never make a potential SIL feel that way.
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I couldn’t find a summer job, and my FiL owned a company that was looking for a summer receptionist. I met my future inlaws that summer, when I lived in their house for 5 weeks and worked as their receptionist! Can you imagine being my MiL? DH never dated, and comes home junior year of college with me?
DH met my entire family at my oldest sister’s wedding. Got high marks from my mom for spending lots of time entertaining my grandmother.
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My husband and I met in January, got engaged that April, and then drove from Texas to Wisconsin in May so I could meet his parents. My first sighting of his mom will be forever etched in my memory. As we walked up the sidewalk, she opened the door, gave me a huge smile, and threw her arms wide open to hug me. She and my FIL were so warm to the 22-year-old kid who was going to marry their 31-year-old son! 
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I met H’s family for the first time on his birthday. I went to their house for dinner. They served leg of lamb, which I find disgusting. I ate it - two helpings, actually. Years later, my now-MIL was shocked to learn that I detest lamb. I was young (19), and I just didn’t feel comfortable saying that I didn’t like the entree!
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My favorite meet the in laws story is one from my friend. He was invited to his girlfriend’s house, not sure if it was the first time he met her family, pretty sure they were not engaged yet. He used the bathroom and got the toilet clogged. We have been laughing over that story for over 35 years.
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This is one thing I never had to do. I had known my husbands parents since I was born. Our mothers were college roommates and lifelong friends. My mom was even listed in my MIL’s obituary.
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My wife’s family are from the former USSR, and her parents could not speak either English nor Hebrew at the time. When I visited them for the first time, they were all speaking Russian most of the time, so I had no idea what they were saying about me.
I had a goatee at the time, and my then girlfriend comments that it made me look like a goat (kinda the point, of course), and me, being the sort of person I am, say “well a goat is a phallic symbol”. My wife, being the person she is, looks to her father and asks him what “phallic” means. Yes, in Russian is sounds similar - “fallicheskiy”. I survived, she survived, and we got married, and will be celebrating 30 years this winter.
When my family met her for the first time, a week before the wedding (they had moved back to the USA), now THAT was awkward, and a story for another time.
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I met my future wife the second day of college. I managed to fall asleep in her dorm room the following Friday night. She neglected to tell me that her parents were coming to visit Saturday morning, so I only found out when she woke me up telling me they had arrived.
She had told me, however, that her father had been a State Constable for decades and she often accompanied him when the criminals he transported, armed, were female. She also had talked about how they lived out in the boonies, so had a shooting range in their back yard.
So that was fun.
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Oh man, I have a doozy!
The first time I met my now-husband’s parents was at a family party to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary.
I’d had a mild cold, which I thought was gone, but between setting off in the car from north London, and the two hours’ drive to his sister’s house in Leicester, I developed laryngitis. And I could not say a single word!
I met his parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, four of his siblings and numerous nieces and nephews. I nodded politely all day long and didn’t mind the novelty of not being able to speak, but it was still very awkward. I couldn’t even whisper hello! My husband had to tell everyone that I had laryngitis.
It’s probably fair to say that back then, with my (formerly, and fake) blonde hair, I wasn’t half bad to look at. I don’t know why my speechlessness was misconstrued as me also being unable to hear, but at one point I heard an aunty say to my sister in law, in a very loud, Yorkshire accent, “Oooh, she looks like a game show hostess!”
I have never had laryngitis before or since, and I don’t consider myself a shy or nervous person, but I guess there must have been some element of nerves at play. The next day I could speak again. I do think his family was given a very false impression of me. I’m very much the type of person who is happy to make a spectacle of myself.
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I have to admit, the fact that I walked in holding a goldfish in a tupperware container broke the ice during that first awkward meeting.
(I was travelling and didn’t want to leave Spot in the hot car.)
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Honestly, I can’t remember the 1st meeting of my ILs or H’s. I do recall we were at a round table eating dinner at a Chinese restaurant with 8 others. After we left, H confided to me that my sister was the only woman on our table that he hadn’t dated.
All I can remember about our ILs is they were very welcoming and delighted to know me. They were especially overjoyed to have grandchildren visit.
My SisIL did give H a divorce in Hawaii book but I eventually forgave her and we had a good relationship with her. She was a fascinating person who was very independent.
Ummmm – do tell.
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