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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Another Bridezilla one....

163 replies

Reallyareyoukiddingme · 19/01/2024 18:42

I'm pretty sure IANBU but I needed advice on how to handle this situation!

I've been friends with a woman for around 10 years - let's call her Michaela. She and I worked together but bonded fairly quickly and we have stayed close despite me moving jobs. She was my bridesmaid when I got married a few years ago and we see each other probably every six months or so (I have to organise these).

Her relationship started around the same time as mine but for various reasons she was never expecting her OH to propose to her. He subsequently has and she is obviously very excited about this, and has asked me to be her bridesmaid. But her wedding plans are utterly out of control.

Her OH is from a religious background so she's having a big religious wedding up north, plus the religious ceremony (non legally binding). She's also having a legal wedding party in her home town - AND is planning a (non legal, non religious, just fun) destination wedding in a fairly expensive country in Europe. All of this is....fine.... though I am slightly stressed as to how I'll afford this both money wise and holiday allowance wise, but I'm very happy to attend all parts of it.

The problem came when she started discussing a hen do - again abroad, in a different European capital city. I was caught slightly on the hop when she first mentioned it and went along with the very vague initial planning stages, but I realised fairly quickly it was going to be a) my idea of hell (very late nights clubbing etc) and b) totally unaffordable in the context of all the other money I'm spending. So I messaged her to say how I was really sorry, but realised money was more of an issue than expected, and while I was delighted to be attending all parts of the wedding itself I just couldn't make the hen do work. I would have called her to chat through this but she hates phone calls and refuses to answer them, so a message was my only option.

She has since totally ignored me. I left it a week or so then messaged again, asking how wedding plans were going etc, and if I could help with anything. She has ignored that too.
BUT weirdly has added me to the bridesmaid WhatsApp group. There's lots of chat on there about plans to meet up and chat about the hen do, talk about the various wedding logistics etc - but no one is addressing me directly and she's still ignoring me.

WIBU to message her and say I was voluntarily stepping down from my BM duties? I really don't want to even go to the wedding at this point, and I'm so disappointed by her behaviour - I just can't imagine how she's justifying it to herself. But I am loathe to throw away so many years of friendship over something pretty petty in the grand scheme of things.

OP posts:
Reallyareyoukiddingme · 02/02/2024 06:30

We’ve arranged to meet end of next week - I will update then.

OP posts:
CatamaranViper · 01/02/2024 23:08

How did it go OP?

browneyes77 · 31/01/2024 20:42

I fell out with my ex best friend for similar reasons.

I was her MOH. I went and drove her mother and sister, to her main hen do weekend (in Cornwall, we’re in the West Mids), ran around helping her with wedding stuff. Drove other bridesmaids to the church and reception as she didn’t have the funds to organise a car for them etc etc Supported her throughout.

She organised an second local hen do for those that weren’t invited to the main hen do. I couldn’t make it to that one. Didn’t really see it as a massive issue, given I’d already been at her main hen weekend. She responded by throwing a strop and sent me arsey text messages all that night and then told me she was stripping me of MOH duties and giving the MOH role to our other friend.

This was a girl I’d put up when she had no home - twice. Supported her for the 10 years of our friendship, getting very little back I may add. And because I couldn’t get to her second mini home turf hen do (which was just a night out drinking) she got a cob on.

My response was “Well it’s your wedding. Do as you wish”.

She tried to back track after that. Said me and the other friend could both be her MOH. Our friendship changed after that. She showed her true colours and selfishness.

You have been patient, honest and you have tried to reach out several times. She chose to be childish and ignore you. Stand your ground. If she really values your friendship she’ll listen and apologise for her behaviour.

user1984778379202 · 31/01/2024 20:11

Reallyareyoukiddingme · 31/01/2024 20:03

Amazingly, I've had a reply.
'OK. I don't agree with your summary but I do agree this isn't the best forum for this discussion, so when's best for you to meet?'
I've suggested tomorrow.
I'm intrigued as to which part she disagrees with!

I imagine she'll try to maintain the line that she was burying her head in the sand rather than wilfully ignoring you. Which of course is rubbish – if she was burying her head, your 40th birthday should've jogged her conscience to get in touch. The fact it didn't smacks of her wanting to punish you.

BitchImLoco · 31/01/2024 20:10

And she better bring a bday present to the meeting!

BitchImLoco · 31/01/2024 20:09

I think there's a conciliatory tone which - if you want to - at least means she values your friendship and realises she has been a dick.

It's good she's agreed to meet. Hopefully to apologise.

Up to you if you do decide to go to any part of the weddings/be a BM, but if she's a good friend I'd certainly forgive her if the explanation is reasonable and apology is genuine. She has behaved SO poorly.

SecondHandFurniture · 31/01/2024 20:08

I reckon she'll say she didn't ignore your 2 suggestions to meet as she didn't read the messages in the first place. How that makes it better I don't know.

Ignored for 6 weeks - fact
Got in touch when you left the group - fact
Did not acknowledge your 40th - fact

Toddlerteaplease · 31/01/2024 20:07

Well I wouldn't be attending all three weddings for starters! And definitely not the hen do.

PossumintheHouse · 31/01/2024 20:05

Reallyareyoukiddingme · 31/01/2024 20:03

Amazingly, I've had a reply.
'OK. I don't agree with your summary but I do agree this isn't the best forum for this discussion, so when's best for you to meet?'
I've suggested tomorrow.
I'm intrigued as to which part she disagrees with!

Give her no slack when/if you decide to meet to discuss. And do not agree to be her bridesmaid again. Wonder how many have already backed out.

Reallyareyoukiddingme · 31/01/2024 20:03

Amazingly, I've had a reply.
'OK. I don't agree with your summary but I do agree this isn't the best forum for this discussion, so when's best for you to meet?'
I've suggested tomorrow.
I'm intrigued as to which part she disagrees with!

OP posts:
senua · 30/01/2024 21:01

Reallyareyoukiddingme · 30/01/2024 20:56

No response yet. She has read it though. I'm not holding my breath!

You took her to task for ignoring you and her response is ... to ignore you some more. She really doesn't get it, does she.
At least you realised this before shelling out loads of money.

BlueGrey1 · 30/01/2024 21:00

If she does reply it probably won’t be for a while.

I imagine she must be quite busy planning 3-4 weddings……what a nightmare.

Reallyareyoukiddingme · 30/01/2024 20:56

No response yet. She has read it though. I'm not holding my breath!

OP posts:
PatchworkElmer · 30/01/2024 12:39

Well done OP.

BlueGrey1 · 29/01/2024 22:34

Good message …..I bet she won’t reply though
I personally wouldn’t be sad to see the end of this friendship if I were you
If she does contact you say you can go to only one wedding, 3 weddings is ridiculous, would you have to give 3 presents aswell?

IAmAnIdiot123 · 29/01/2024 22:03

Has she responded OP?

Hobbesmanc · 29/01/2024 21:56

Did she not contact you for either your birthday or Christmas and New Year? And yet considers you a friend close enough to be a bridesmaid? How weird. I suspect the friendship has run its course. Think of the Money you've saved.

HalloumiGeller · 29/01/2024 21:55

Reallyareyoukiddingme · 29/01/2024 21:20

UPDATE: I have messaged her.

But you didn’t just bury your head in the sand - you ignored me for over six weeks because I can’t afford your hen do and that included not even getting in touch on my 40th birthday. You’ve only got in touch now because I left the bridesmaid group. I suggested meeting up twice but again, you just ignored me. Given all that’s happened, I can’t be a bridesmaid. We’ve been friends for a long time and this is not a great way to have this conversation, so if you would like to meet up then I'd be happy to do that.

BTW, I'd bet that her ADD is not the reason she doesn't do phone calls, more likely that's she's a coward instead!

HalloumiGeller · 29/01/2024 21:53

She is a horrible person OP, certainly not a friend! She ignored you for 2 months all because you said u couldn't afford her hen do and because it's not your cup of tea, that's SO shit.

I'm not attending my sister in laws hen so, the UK one or the abroad one because I'm pregnant, but it's absolutely fine and my SIL completely understands! I'd honestly bin this woman off tbh.

HalloumiGeller · 29/01/2024 21:46

Your friend is ridiculous, nobody needs 3 weddings AND a hen do! It all sounds super stressful to me, so I'd be telling her that I no longer want to be her bridesmaid as its too much, plus the fact she's ignoring you is plain rude!

I love a good wedding, but for one day! I don't have the patience for this kind of excessive crap 😅

Jewelanemone · 29/01/2024 21:37

A perfect response 🙂 What are you going to spend the money on that you've saved? Something lovely, I hope!

mathanxiety · 29/01/2024 21:36

Doh, too late...

mathanxiety · 29/01/2024 21:33

Nine bridesmaids?

Yes, step down.

Send her a rext followed by a letter, give it a week from the day you post it, and announce it on the WhatsApp chat.

Cowhen · 29/01/2024 21:33

Thanks for the update, OP. I think you got the tone just right on your message.

BringOnFebBankHoliday · 29/01/2024 21:33

Excellent! Well done on sticking up for yourself and sending such a clear message calling out her BS.