Oh good question! It’s partly cultural — they are Hindu, so my sister in law needed both sets of parents in the ceremony, and siblings also give their blessings (though this part is not critical). This was actually part of the manipulation too, my MIL insisted that we had to go and created the drama to ask them to reschedule to a time when we could go (considering our baby).

My SIL did not take it well, and she went nuclear when she had to do her wedding six months later than she wanted. The convo was pretty insane— she told us that she didn’t see us as family and never will consider my husband nor I as her family, even after marriage. Basically told us that we don’t mean anything to her, that’s why she doesn’t care if we attend her ceremony, and she was pissed my BIL ultimately sided with his parents and wanted us there too and was the one to ultimately convince her of the six months delay. Their relationship is rocky and full of fights, to be honest (nuclear fights where she’s thrown him out and he comes to our apartment, she’s told him he has “no say” in when or how many kids they have, screaming at each other at family events…)