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Dear Annie: My fiance and I are getting married next spring, and my parents generously offered to help pay for the cost of the wedding. We were thrilled. Weddings are expensive, and money is tight.
But I quickly realized that this might actually be a mistake. Their contributions come with strings attached, and my mother seems to think this is her wedding, too. She already vetoed my venue and hired a florist I never approved. Every time I talk to her, she has a new idea. I’ve gently reminded her that this is not her wedding, but she always hits me with the credit card guilt.
I love my parents, and I’m so grateful for their help. But it’s starting to feel like their day instead of mine. Is it fair of me to ask them to back off a little? -- Priced Out
Dear Priced Out: You may have been dreaming about this wedding since you were a little girl, but it sounds like your mother has been dreaming about it since before you were born. She’s playing the oldest trick in the book when it comes to wedding planning: Whoever holds the checkbook also holds the seating chart.
Sit down with her and settle which decisions are truly yours versus which ones are hers to at least weigh in on. If she won’t bend, consider paying for the pieces that matter to you most. Nothing buys back your power like using your own bank account.
Dear Annie: My neighbor has taken it upon himself to maintain part of my yard without asking. He recently retired and is absolutely obsessed with taking care of his lawn -- which has morphed into taking care of my lawn.
He used to just trim the hedge on our shared property line, which I didn’t have much of a problem with. But then he started pruning the bushes and pulling weeds. I’ve looked out my kitchen window multiple times only to find him in the middle of my front yard.
I’ve thanked him through gritted teeth a few times, but he’s not taking the hint. My husband thinks it’s harmless and even convenient, but I feel like my yard isn’t fully mine anymore. How do I politely ask him to keep his efforts on his own property? -- Weeded Out of My Own Yard
Dear Weeded Out: A thank you is not the deterrent you think it is. Next time he’s landscaping on your property, tell him you appreciate the thought, but you’d like to handle your own yardwork. It sounds like he’s overstepping because you never told him where the line was — not because he’s planning a hostile takeover of your hedges.
“Out of Bounds: Estrangement, Boundaries and the Search for Forgiveness” is out now! Annie Lane’s third anthology is for anyone who has lived with anger, estrangement or the deep ache of being wronged -- because forgiveness isn’t for them. It’s for you. Visit http://www.creatorspublishing.com for more information. Follow Annie Lane on Instagram at @dearannieofficial. Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2026 CREATORS.COM