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AIBU?

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AIBU to find it strange that husband is invited to wedding without me

348 replies

Battyasacat · 07/08/2026 01:13

My husband has been invited to one of his employees wedding, she has worked at his company for 20 years. The invite just has his name on the envelope and there is no name inside just a printed card. He replied online but it seems like it is just for him.It’s all day
We have been married for 40 years and would have never done this despite being on a low budget at the time.
.

OP posts:
CreamSecond · 09/08/2026 18:55

I think its very common for work colleagues to be invited without a plus one. They usually all get seated together

Yep. This. Always been my experience. In fact my daughter is going to a work colleagues wedding next month - there are 5 invited from work. Two men, three women. They are all going. Imagine having to pay for 10 people instead of 5.
5 of whom you don't even know. And they don't know anyone except their spouse. It's bloody daft when you think about it.

Mushypeasandchipstogo · 09/08/2026 18:48

Sadly I think that is quite common nowadays to not invite spouses to weddings however, I don’t agree with it and think that it is actually quite rude !

Anarchy99 · 09/08/2026 18:47

Imalittleelf · 09/08/2026 18:42

Well if its a church wedding no one can stop you going in.... so you could go with him and not go to the reception evening do which would be a private affair

And is ‘nobody can stop you’ really a good reason for pushing in on someone’s wedding day.

I guess they can’t stop the OP
from attending the evening do unless she can be forcibly removed but I would hope nobody would do something that crass.

Anarchy99 · 09/08/2026 18:44

Imalittleelf · 09/08/2026 18:42

Well if its a church wedding no one can stop you going in.... so you could go with him and not go to the reception evening do which would be a private affair

You could - but you risk looking a little unhinged.

I know you can go to a church wedding but why would you unless you knew the people and were invited?

Imalittleelf · 09/08/2026 18:42

Well if its a church wedding no one can stop you going in.... so you could go with him and not go to the reception evening do which would be a private affair

Hollybobs1 · 09/08/2026 16:34

YABU. I'm getting married next year. I'll be inviting my work colleagues, no plus ones. Why would I? I don't know them, so I'm not paying for them.

ThatMiddleClassFood · 09/08/2026 16:11

I'm off to my colleagues wedding in a couple of weeks and my husband isn't invited,, why would he be he doesn't know them? I assume I'll be sat with other colleagues on the day. Weddings are expensive and venues have limits I'm important to the couple as they are to me but my husband isn't and I wouldn't expect them to pay for him and neither does he.

Bellyblueboy · 09/08/2026 15:56

OneSparklyGoat · 09/08/2026 13:44

This is great for young people. Established adults don’t usually get that excited about free food. Particularly of the budget variety.

You must go to some grim weddings😂

Bellyblueboy · 09/08/2026 15:54

You and your husband sound very traditional. I can’t imagine getting worked up about this.

It is very common for a table am of work colleagues to be invited without plus ones. I have been invited to frequent weddings over the years were they is a table of 8-10 of us and no plus ones - no one was deeply offended or uncomfortable, and every one coped with the church ceremony fine without their spouses. We spoke to each other and other guests.

If it makes you and your husband this uncomfortable then of course he can decline, it’s just an invitation.

Jllllllll · 09/08/2026 15:44

A colleague of mine got married last summer. She invited several people from work but not their partners. I think it’s quite normal as generally as colleagues you don’t know partners that well and every guest costs money

Smoggy1 · 09/08/2026 14:55

I didn't have any colleagues' partners at mine, neither did my husband, with the exception of my boss' wife....but I did also know her. I don't know if I would have invited her it I didn't.

Easterchicken · 09/08/2026 14:25

Depends if they know you both and well

IV gone to weddings before of friends who don't really know my husband well

It's not a big deal I was sat with our friendship group and had a fantastic time

Hell most likely be sitting with all the work crowd

JoWilkinsonsno1fan · 09/08/2026 14:07

I think this is fine! I have been to a number of weddings on my own - close work colleagues etc… I am not sure why you would invite people you don’t know nowadays. We did for ours but it was a long time ago - times have changed in this regard, especially as the couple are often paying for most of the cost themselves.

OneSparklyGoat · 09/08/2026 13:44

Anarchy99 · 09/08/2026 13:41

Or if you are inviting people to have lots of free food and drink at your expense, then don’t feel obligated to invite extras

This is great for young people. Established adults don’t usually get that excited about free food. Particularly of the budget variety.

Anarchy99 · 09/08/2026 13:41

OneSparklyGoat · 09/08/2026 13:38

If you are inviting people to fete you; know your audience.

Or if you are inviting people to have lots of free food and drink at your expense, then don’t feel obligated to invite extras

OneSparklyGoat · 09/08/2026 13:38

HoppingPavlova · 09/08/2026 08:09

That’s completely different to the issue at hand though. It’s not as though the DH will be going to ‘a big social event’ alone though if there are other people from work. I’m guessing there will be a ‘work table’. If not, or if he doesn’t like his work colleagues then he is free to decline, obviously. All of that is seperate to his wife not being invited though. As for having to be a kid to want to have a few drinks with work colleagues, that’s really not a universal truth. I’ve always cherished the rare nights off where, as work colleagues, we can have drinks and a good time together. Why would he want to sit with his wife the whole night anyway? At the odd times we’ve been at weddings together, it’s because we both know people, so we are both busy off catching up with people and often just see each other to physically eat, and even then if we are having a good natter to people, we swap seats at the table sitting apart to better enable this.

As for the time commitment, if he doesn’t have, or want to spend the time, then that’s absolutely fine, he simply declines. Again, nothing to do with his wife not being invited though, unless you are somehow tying in that the time away means he is not spending that time with his wife? If do, that would be odd as, assuming they live together, I imagine they spend plenty of time together otherwise, surely a day or weekend won’t hurt🤷‍♀️.

As to his comfort, and lack of, you have lost me there. Been to plenty of weddings on my own, as has DH, there has never been any issue with lack of comfort, so no idea what this is on about. Again, if it’s something like a 10 hour drive and he doesn’t want to do that without a driver swap, fair enough and fair enough for him to decline the invite. If it was me though, I’d be happy to share the driving with DH, stay in a nice hotel room, read a book, watch movies, have room service, bit of a self-pamper while drinking fizz while he is at the wedding and share the drive back the next day. Wouldn’t have worked when our kids were young admittedly and in that scenario, if he couldn’t car pool with people he knew going, he would have politely declined. But that’s not because I wasn’t invited, just due to logistical issues.

If you are inviting people to fete you; know your audience.

HoppingPavlova · 09/08/2026 08:09

OneSparklyGoat · 08/08/2026 14:06

It’s nothing to do with hurt feelings but instead thinking about the time commitment involved. Asking someone to do something for YOU while paying no attention to their comfort.

I get that it’s different for coworkers but OPs husband is hardly in the minority in feeling like he doesn’t want to go to a big social event alone. He’s not a kid that wants to hang out and get drunk with his workmates.

That’s completely different to the issue at hand though. It’s not as though the DH will be going to ‘a big social event’ alone though if there are other people from work. I’m guessing there will be a ‘work table’. If not, or if he doesn’t like his work colleagues then he is free to decline, obviously. All of that is seperate to his wife not being invited though. As for having to be a kid to want to have a few drinks with work colleagues, that’s really not a universal truth. I’ve always cherished the rare nights off where, as work colleagues, we can have drinks and a good time together. Why would he want to sit with his wife the whole night anyway? At the odd times we’ve been at weddings together, it’s because we both know people, so we are both busy off catching up with people and often just see each other to physically eat, and even then if we are having a good natter to people, we swap seats at the table sitting apart to better enable this.

As for the time commitment, if he doesn’t have, or want to spend the time, then that’s absolutely fine, he simply declines. Again, nothing to do with his wife not being invited though, unless you are somehow tying in that the time away means he is not spending that time with his wife? If do, that would be odd as, assuming they live together, I imagine they spend plenty of time together otherwise, surely a day or weekend won’t hurt🤷‍♀️.

As to his comfort, and lack of, you have lost me there. Been to plenty of weddings on my own, as has DH, there has never been any issue with lack of comfort, so no idea what this is on about. Again, if it’s something like a 10 hour drive and he doesn’t want to do that without a driver swap, fair enough and fair enough for him to decline the invite. If it was me though, I’d be happy to share the driving with DH, stay in a nice hotel room, read a book, watch movies, have room service, bit of a self-pamper while drinking fizz while he is at the wedding and share the drive back the next day. Wouldn’t have worked when our kids were young admittedly and in that scenario, if he couldn’t car pool with people he knew going, he would have politely declined. But that’s not because I wasn’t invited, just due to logistical issues.

Mumtobabyhavoc · 08/08/2026 20:27

Ansells · 08/08/2026 11:50

I respond to your ChatGPT answer with my ChatGPT answer:

Short answer: yes, it can be okay—but it depends on how close you are to that colleague and the norms you want to follow.

Weddings are personal and often constrained by budget, venue size, and guest count. Many couples draw a line somewhere, and coworkers are often treated differently from close friends and family. So you’re not automatically being rude by not inviting a colleague’s spouse.

That was covered off in my post under "exceptions." 🤓
But, I like your sense of fun in your reply. 🙂

Loulou4022 · 08/08/2026 18:04

deeahgwitch · 08/08/2026 18:00

The bride and OP’s husband have worked together for 20 years !!! @Loulou4022
OP’s husband owns the company afaik.
They are not just casual acquaintances that meet occasionally at work.

The bride and the OP husband have worked together for 20 years not the OP!
I’m not really sure why you’ve quoted me tbh? I said at the beginning of my post I felt there’s no right or wrong answer!!
At then end of the day the bride has made her choice over the invites now it’s up to the OP and her husband to decide if he goes or not!

deeahgwitch · 08/08/2026 18:00

The bride and OP’s husband have worked together for 20 years !!! @Loulou4022
OP’s husband owns the company afaik.
They are not just casual acquaintances that meet occasionally at work.

Loulou4022 · 08/08/2026 17:35

I don’t think there’s a right or wrong. Weddings are expensive and including partners can mean not inviting others. We gave all our day and evening guests a plus one and even asked if they wanted to bring children or not as many were travelling quite a distance especially from my side. However a work colleague got married last year and just invited the direct colleagues to the evening do. So I think each wedding is individual and up to the couple. They make their choice and then you make your choice as to whether to go or not.

OneSparklyGoat · 08/08/2026 17:31

Battyasacat · 07/08/2026 01:13

My husband has been invited to one of his employees wedding, she has worked at his company for 20 years. The invite just has his name on the envelope and there is no name inside just a printed card. He replied online but it seems like it is just for him.It’s all day
We have been married for 40 years and would have never done this despite being on a low budget at the time.
.

I’m with you OP and if he’s doesn’t feel like making the effort he should not bother. Just asked my own husband and he also would not be bothered.

Work is work, and we (general we) enjoy some of our colleagues but most we probably would never see again if we parted ways with our roles.

Time is precious and days off too few. Weddings involve expense and often travel. No sense taking the time for someone that doesn’t know him well enough to understand that this particular wedding would be an obligation rather than a pleasure.

mtobrokeme · 08/08/2026 17:04

If I was to get married again then no I wouldn’t invite partners of my colleagues. It wouldn’t even cross my mind to. He’s the one she knows, not you.

SandwichesAndGingerBeer · 08/08/2026 16:58

OneSparklyGoat · 08/08/2026 14:03

It’s tone deaf to celebrate your own union by ignoring that of others.

Some think it’s a favor to invite someone to their wedding though. These are also the types that refer to it as “my day”.

I’m sorry I really don’t understand this. Genuinely, can you please explain.

You get your union celebrated at your wedding. Obviously someone else’s wedding is about their union, not yours, surely? Weddings aren’t about celebrating/validating all marriages, just the one being entered into that day.

And the wedding IS their day isn’t it? Who else’s day would it be?

Coconutter24 · 08/08/2026 14:40

OneSparklyGoat · 08/08/2026 14:32

Suspect he’s annoyed because he doesn’t want to go alone but feels compelled to attend, taking time away from home and things he’d rather be doing with his wife.

If he doesn’t want to go then he just declines the invite and says it’s the travel. I think OP might find it strange she’s not invited but it’s really not in these circumstances, it’s not family or close friends it’s colleagues. Nothing strange about not having plus ones for colleagues, they can all go together and have a good time.

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