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Going on hen do but not invited to main wedding

508 replies

SantasComingToTown · 19/02/2024 14:00

Opinions please as I feel a bit put out….

As the title suggests I’m going on a hen do but my husband and I aren’t invited to the wedding, just the evening reception.

The hen is 3 days and has cost me £200. The Wedding was planned well before the hen do started to be arranged, but the bride (family) is very secretive so wouldn’t share the date or venue etc with anyone until the invites came out. We talk really regularly and the conversation for well over the last year has mainly been wedding based. I know she is having 80 people all day (more in the evening) so I wouldn’t say it’s a small wedding. She has also asked me to make loads of wedding signs and bits for her which I was happy to do (presuming I would be bringing them down with me to the wedding).

Now the invites have come through, we are only invited to the evening reception. We live 200 miles away and have a baby (wedding is baby free), it’s also on a weekday and both my husband and work the day of and the day after the wedding, so it’s going to be no mean feat to get there for what will be a few hours in reality.

AIBU to feel a bit put out about this? Why would you invite someone to your expensive hen do and then not even give the courtesy of a day time invite, especially when you know how far away they live. I would understand if they wedding was really small (30/40 people) but it’s not.

For context, we had the same size wedding and they were invited all day because we appreciated how long it was going to take them to get there and she also came on my hen do.

OP posts:
daffodilesque · 19/02/2024 14:10

I wouldn't go to a £200 hen do whether I was invited to the wedding or not. Perhaps not the point here. But anyway you could decline the evening do invite if it's a hassle to get there.

Dartmoorcheffy · 19/02/2024 14:09

Definitely not being unreasonable. I had a good friend once who was getting married. I was invited on the hen do. Luckily nothing too extravagant and then told myself and husband at the time (now ex) were only invited to the evening. A short time before the wedding she asked me to take photos during the day part, for free, as I would then be so lucky as I would be able to be at the whole thing... I declined.

chiwwy · 19/02/2024 14:08

You’d be mad to go to the hen do or the evening do.

She is using you to look popular at her hen do and make you do the signs.

Decline the hen do, get a refund where you can or cut your losses. And don’t make the signs!

spanishviola · 19/02/2024 14:06

I wouldn’t go to either unless they were literally on my doorstep.

nomchonge1 · 19/02/2024 14:05

I would also be put out by this and would subsequently decline the invite.

Ariona · 19/02/2024 14:04

Yanbu, I would decline and pull out of the hen do too. She's happy to use you for doing wedding work and not even invite you to the whole day! Cheek of her.

betterangels · 19/02/2024 14:04

I wouldn't be going on a hen do if not invited to the wedding.

Justmuddlingalong · 19/02/2024 14:02

Just decline. Job done.

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