Father Of The Bride Defied

(My wife and I get married in a very small, very informal ceremony and reception; we have maybe 75 guests total and we pay probably the equivalent of a ten-year-old Honda entirely by ourselves. For at least a year afterward, my parents harangue me about friends of theirs whom I tangentially knew and didn’t invite. After I’ve had enough, this conversation happens.)

Me: “You know [Wife]’s dad wasn’t at the wedding, right?”

Parents: “That doesn’t count because he was in the hospital.”

Me: *ignoring that* “So, are your friends as important as [Wife]’s dad?”

Parents: “What does that have to do with anything?”

Me:*again, ignoring their response* “Because if they’re as important as the father of the bride, they can go ahead and be upset. If not, I don’t care.”