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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to exclude BFs/GFs from my wedding?

201 replies

Spenguin · 11/02/2011 11:40

We're having a very small and intimate wedding. The ceremony will be at a very secluded location and will only consist of groom, official, photographer, driver and me. A few days later, we'll be having a reception.

We only really want 25 (absolute max) people there. One guest's GF has already been knocked off our list - I've never met her, DP's only met her once (and that was, oddly enough(!), just after engagement had been announced). Also, her boyfriend (our guest) always arranges meet-ups and dinners and things with either my fiance or the both of us...and she's NEVER there. I mean NEVER. We had an on-going joke with the friend that he was just making her up.

I see and have no problem in not inviting her. She has been dating our guest for about 2-3 years, I think. Another one of our guests (whom we adore and is someone we would consider being a future's child's godfather) can't bear her either and excludes her from invitations that are made to the guest/her boyfriend. So, kind of hoping this justifies me a bit. I wouldn't want Future Godfather to be made uncomfortable by her presence either. The friend/her boyfriend has also said that he can't see himself marrying her etc etc, and in essence, is waiting for it to fizzle out. No comment.

However, I have a friend that I like very much, exactly alike etc etc. Yet, neither my fiance nor me can stand her boyfriend (they have been dating since October - reception is this summer). He is bizarre and controlling...frankly, a bit of a smug bastard. We hosted a dinner party at a restaurant, I bothered to send out proper invitations etc etc and the guy swans in, posing and strutting...only half the party had been seated and he calls the water over and asks for still and sparkling for the table. [I was furious and held it in - whilst manically squeezing my fiance's thigh in a 'cheeky bugger! Let's see if he orders the lobster just to take us for a ride' manner]. Throughout the meal he ordered martinis...and encouraged others at the table to do so by way of declaring them lovely, life-changing, great etc.

I can't bear his showboating and, I don't care if I'm being a Bridezilla by saying this...IT'S MY BLOODY WEDDING! After the meal, the two of them started havingsimulatedsex getting very touchy feely. I don't want that at my wedding reception. I think that's really disrespectul in a lot of circumstances...not least an intimate wedding reception.

I've made clear to my friend that I have a policy of no plus ones - if you're married...that's fine. If you're gf and bf, nah! She, through text, agreed on the 'no plus ones' concept at weddings. However, she always bangs on about him and texted, when I told her the location of the reception, that she and him were planning on visiting that place soon but would hold off and save the trip for the reception. Does she think he's getting an invitation?

Please help!

OP posts:
Spenguin · 11/02/2011 12:00

Changing - errrr, no. I wrote that none of the guests with GFs/BFs lived with their GFs/BFs! However, a grandfather lives with his GF of 30 years, and she's practically a guest of honour! I would consider that living arrangement and length of commitment marriage by any other name.

Maylee - I do actually feel bad for the friend's GF as he treats her as if they're just platonic friends. He never attends dinner with us (when he's arranged it) with her accompanying him. He says himself that he won't marry her and is just waiting for it to fizzle out.

All of the other 'young' guests are single.

OP posts:
Spenguin · 11/02/2011 12:02

Many thanks for the quick responses. I've been umm-ing and aah-ing about it for ages.

Thingumy - maybe if I knew them better. However, the whole point of our small wedding was to be surrounded with people we really knew and loved and wanted to celebrate with. I just don't feel like that's possible with a 'stranger'.

I've met my friend's BF a total of 2 times.

OP posts:
HelenBa · 11/02/2011 12:05

If you have a blanket no DPs rule for all friends that's ok - but distinguishing between married and unmarried is really unpleasant.

I had a friend who did the no DPs because of cost mostly and it was really lovely and warm because we all knew them so well and either knew each other or knew of each other so well it was a bit like an extended family meet-up.

Bogeyface · 11/02/2011 12:05

My partner would say "No Im not coming to your poxy wedding" if I wasnt invited.

I have never understood this.

Why should a couple, have to spend money on feeding and entertaining someone they dont either know or like just because they happen to be with someone they do know and like?!

If I dont want you at my wedding because you are a twat then I dont want you there! And if your OH will get funny with me about it then tough. We didnt invite the vast majority of my family to our wedding because of this. We invited one uncle (who came) but not his bitch wife, and I stand by our decision!

It has been said alot on here recently that invitations are not summonses or orders. Well equally, invitations are given to people chosen by the hosts and should not be expected by anyone.

zikes · 11/02/2011 12:06

Maybe you should make an effort to get to know him? If he's been in her life 3 years, it might be that he'll turn out to be permanent.

He might have come off like a show-off and a wanker at the previous dinner because he was stressed about meeting a lot of strangers? 'Course he might be a show-off & wanker all the time, but you don't know that.

chocolatchaud · 11/02/2011 12:07

We had a larger wedding, but did not invite DH's friend's GF's (even though one of them is now a Godmother - actually I do seriously regret not inviting her, it seems a bit mean now).

We had to have a blanket rule as we were limited on space etc and I really did not want them turning up with a girl that they had pulled the night before (a very real possibility!)

Also, with new relationships, who knows what the situation will be by the summer?

Out of your friends, are there ANY couples at all? I wouldn't feel bad if not, and I don't see a problem with the not married/living together rule at your age.

PS It sounds like a fab sort of wedding to me!

chocolatchaud · 11/02/2011 12:07

Sorry about the misplaced apostrophes - should have checked!

Changing2011 · 11/02/2011 12:08

They shouldnt have to spend money on people they dont like Bogeyface - but they must expect the partner who IS invited to possibly turn them down out of loyalty to their partner.

I hate people planning their weddings they think eveyone gives a shit about playing to their requirements - newsflash - they dont!

OP your small and personal wedding sounds perfect.

Spenguin · 11/02/2011 12:09

Zikes - it's the girlfriend of my fiance's friend that has been dating the friend for 2-3 years.

My friend has been dating her BF since October.

Also, he is a prat! Even she bemoans how he's trying to superficially better himself by trying to get into members' clubs and things.

HelenBa - I'm only distinguishing because the age of the guests presents a huge gulf. Everyone is married/has been with a partner for decades or, for the younger ones, have only been dating and not co-habitating.

I think it should boil down to - who do we really know, perhaps?

OP posts:
allsquareknickersnofurcoat · 11/02/2011 12:10

BIL broke up with ex just before our wedding, a month later we were at his cousins wedding, and he brought a girl he had met a week earlier!! Shock

Spenguin · 11/02/2011 12:11

chocolatchaud - your name is making me want to raid the fridge. Aside from that, out of our friends, there are only 2 couples - the ones I have mentioned.

OP posts:
zikes · 11/02/2011 12:11

Oh right, all the friends are running into each other Grin.

ClaireDeLoon · 11/02/2011 12:12

I've been to weddings where DP wasn't invited (because he didn't know the bride and groom) and we're a fairly comitted couple I'd like to think. I had no problem with him not having been invited at all. You have to do what you want in this respect.

Changing2011 · 11/02/2011 12:13

Well we dont really have friends the other partner does not know and even if we did I would expect to go with DP or not at all. Dont mind not taking DD though so i can get drunk Grin

Spenguin · 11/02/2011 12:13

I should have given them codenames!

Also to put the never-met-before-girlfriend into perspective...her reasons for never being at our meet-ups are and have been that she's 'washing her hair', 'reading' or, when we're just arrived the BF will say 'oh, X has just left!' - even when the meet-up had been arranged well beforehand. Odd.

OP posts:
zikes · 11/02/2011 12:16

She's a he and he's not ready to come out yet.

Spenguin · 11/02/2011 12:16

Or...they're the same person?!

OP posts:
Bogeyface · 11/02/2011 12:17

Changing, why should someone pay to have you as a guest when they dont know you? Why would you automatically assume you should be invited?

Changing2011 · 11/02/2011 12:18

Why would you automatically assume your guest would want to attend alone?

zikes · 11/02/2011 12:18

She's married.

Or a spy.

Spenguin · 11/02/2011 12:21

A MARRIED SPY!

If someone does refuse to attend because I didn't invite their BF/GF who I've either never met/the fiance's only met once/we've only met twice, I can deal. If someone can't respect my wedding, pfft. That's ok. People can do whatever they please and react to a lack of invitation accordingly...as I would have done in with-holding an invitation for my own reasons.

However, if that person can't get over it/refuses to talk to me...well, another one bites the dust and all.

More of the minimum spend to go on dessert and wine!

OP posts:
chocolatchaud · 11/02/2011 12:23

At least they haven't all got children - then you have to decide whether to offend the little PFBs or fork out £300 for some chicken nuggets!

allsquareknickersnofurcoat - that's exactly what we were thinking - someone taking up a place that could be used for a friend and they probably wouldn't even be on the scene the following week.

Definitely just invite who you want to invite, especially for a small do.

stubbornhubby · 11/02/2011 12:23

you are going to have a small intimate wedding where half the guests are pissed off with you over the invite list before they even get there.

.good luck with that.

Spenguin · 11/02/2011 12:24

Got my MIL's dog to think about - luckily, she's lovely and her dog is a total cutie!

[I think she's joking about bringing her dog to a triple Michelin-starred restaurant though, right? RIGHT?!]

OP posts:
Changing2011 · 11/02/2011 12:24

Yeah definitely Spenguin - my DP would just politely decline but not cause an issue about it.

I think you should invite exactly who you want to your wedding. If you dont know this person you wont be worried about them reacting negatively to not being invited.

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