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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be annoyed at being left out of wedding party?

124 replies

Buttercup2926 · 02/04/2012 14:18

My general rule is to accept whatever other people want for their own weddings, no matter how loopy it is just suck it up and smile.

I am feeling totally pissed off at the moment though about being left out of my sister's wedding party. There are 5 siblings, 4 sisters and a brother. It's my youngest sister who's getting married. Her fiancé is my brother's best friend, that's how they met. So my brother is the best man.

I hadn't given too much thought as to who would be bridesmaid. I thought they were keeping things fairly small and having 2 bridesmaids, so figured she might ask one of her 3 sisters and her best friend. I would have been delighted to have been asked but equally happy if one of my other sisters was asked instead. All 4 of us sisters get along quite well, but we all live in different cities so don't live in each others pockets.

It now transpires that she is having 4 bridesmaids, my other 2 sisters, her best friend, and another friend. To be honest I am feeling really hurt about it and finding it hard to understand. The wedding party are all staying in a hotel the night before the wedding, having dinner etc., so my brother and 3 sisters will all be there while I'll be at home. They'll all be at the top table, etc.

I plan on doing and saying absolutely nothing about it, I will just put on a smile and get on with it. AIBU to just feel really left out and hurt?

OP posts:
Gentleness · 03/04/2012 21:09

Hey OP - did you decide to talk to her or not? Keep us posted - I'm really feeling bad for you!

Lookslikesnow · 01/05/2016 14:52

I think it would be abnormal for you to not feel left out! Or hurt!
At best your sister is immature because it has to be 4 grooms and 4 bridesmaids! Lol! I mean God forbid the numbers be uneven! When people mature silly little details like that do not matter all that matters is your loved ones, people being there and everyone being happy! The other factor is she has no empathy for others but again that comes with maturity! How do you think she might feel if you organise a night out at a restaurant with your Mum, dad, brother and 2 sisters and do not invite her? then use the excuse it was because there was only enough room at the table for 6 people! Mature adults would always consider other people and their feelings and would be careful to not leave anybody out. Mindless, immature people on the other hand will always upset others of course!
I find it unacceptable your family haven't protested more! Ok say a sister said something or your Mother cried, are they frightened of the bride to be or something? If it was my daughter doing that on her sister I'd tell her I won't be going to her wedding unless she sorts it out! If she insisted I'd boycott her wedding and take my other daughter out for the day, after all I didn't raise my girls to turn out to be thoughtless, spineless and selfish! I'd expect more from my daughters than that! It sounds awful doesn't it but if my daughter would rather both her sister and me not be at her wedding than go against her idea for 4 grooms, 4 bridesmaids then I've clearly failed as a parent and well there's not much hope for my bride to be daughter is there? I'm sure in that case she would just have to change the dynamics! Yes it's her wedding, it's what she wants but you know what she'll get over it! One day when she is a mature adult she will look back on her wedding day and be so glad a mature, caring adult like her mum made her get her priorities right as in its more priority to inc your sister than have even numbers! Otherwise sadly, one day, when your sister matures and realises how insensitive and hurtful her actions were she will be left feeling tremendous guilt for the rest of her life! You cannot change the past but you can change the here and now! That's why I find it disgusting your parents are not putting their foot down on your behalf or hers! As much as you put on a brave face and try to get over it for being left out you won't! Every time those wedding photos come out or your family start talking about what an amazing time you had it will just open up old wounds time after time, their can be no escape from such a hurt in your life! Your parents should be thinking one daughter might felt deeply hurt for the rest of her life or the other might end up feeling deeply embarrassed, ashamed and guilt once her brain catches up with her actions! Otherwise I am very sorry to point this out but there could be a bigger issue at hand and the need to have 4 groomsmen to 4 bridesmaids is just a lame excuse! I mean if she really wanted you in the wedding party but wanted to keep numbers even she could just get one more groomsman so there are 5 on each side! Or does she have some weird obsession with number 4? Do you think your sister may be jealous of you? It happens a lot between siblings! Yes you all get on but you never know what really goes on in the mind of someone else! She is 9 years younger. Perhaps when she was still at school she saw her big sis with a job, going out with friends and envied you but as time goes on envy could turn to jealousy, my sister is like that. Have you ever had a sense your sister wants everything that you have or just wants to d one better than you' allthe time? Maybe you were the focus of your parents attention as you began to fly the nest which made her feel left out and ever since she's been wanting to get you back? What she fails to realise though is if that was the case you were unaware she was being left out where she is fully aware of that fact! Which is bad! Maybe you are already married, have a good job, look good for your age, have nice things, your sister always wants that so badly too, hence getting married now herself! Or the opposite could be you haven't settled down, your free, doing what you want and she is jealous of that and how you appeal to others and she doesn't want your lovely self stealing the limelight on her big day. You never know if her husband to be gas ever said he really likes you or thinks your good looking, obviously not in a creepy way at all on his part but your sis could be anxious you might steal the attention in her big day when all eyes will should be on her! She might feel inadequate in your presence. Totally irrational as sure everyone will be looking at her and not you but it's hard to get that out of your head if you have always believed someone is better than you.

On the other hand it could be that she doesn't get on with you as much as you think, she might think you won't be fun I. Her wedding party that somehow you will bring the mood down and spoil things! If you have a drugs or alcohol problem she might be scared you will ruin things.

So if you seriously have no issues, as in drug, alcohol abuse or you are known for sleeping around or any other embarrassing, difficult issues that makes your family feel uneasy about you being included and closely involved then your sister is just immature and thoughtless with a hint of OCD and in that case, all the best to her with her marriage, she's gonna need it, or she is jealous of you and doesn't want you involved incase you steal the show!

Hope this helps!

Ps: it won't do any good to ask her about it, her motivation for leaving you out, if she is immature and thoughtless her answers to your question will be also thoughtless and immature. If it's because she has OCD and obsesses with even numbers you can't do anything about that!
If she is jealous of you she will just lie to you
And if she is ashamed of you she'll also lie toy you to save the peace do there's no point confronting her about it!
The only solution really is one of your other family grow a pair and put their foot down on your behalf.

Otherwise if it's down to immaturity you could try making her see what she is doing like inviting your family, not her then just saying you thought she'd be too busy with wedding plans or there was not enough space for her, it might make her see what she's doing and if she kicks off that you didn't include her don't say 'well now you know how if feels' say instead ' oh I'm sorry I didn't think you would mind and you would understand, you know just like I do about your wedding and decision to only have our 2 sisters as bM and not me to keep numbers even! It might not change anything but at least you know you tried and if she matures one day and realises she'll know you tried to reason with her but she ignored it and her guilt is only down to her actions nobody else is to blame!

Pinkcadillac · 01/05/2016 14:58

zombie

SauvignonBlanche · 01/05/2016 15:00

Ps: it won't do any good to ask her about it

No, it won't, four fucking years later!!

What's with all the ZOMBIE THREADS?? Hmm

SilverBirchWithout · 01/05/2016 15:24

Teehee.

Such a long helpful reply too. Smile

Lookslikesnow · 01/05/2016 15:28

SRory just to add, some people suggest she may be being considerate to you because you have kids or there's something she feels would put you in a diffuse position being a bM. Well that utter tosh! Having children does not stop anyone from doing anything! And it's not for her to decide what's best for you. She could have still asked you al, the same. You might be the type who doesn't like t let others down and say yes then worry after about how you can make it to all the dress fittings if you can't afford travel all the time or if you can't get to them because if work or home commitments whatever, it's up to you to decide how you handle all that not her! You might be able to sort it out anyway. If not and issues were to become apparent during the. Lead up like you often cannot make it to dress fittings or lunch out to discuss plans or go to rehearsal or even a fear you might not even get there on the day they surely don't need your input that much, where there's a will there's a way no I get the sense it's just an excuse! I have been told by my sister that the reason I was left out if a girls day out recently is because my sister didn't want to out me under pressure as not sure if I have enough money etc! It's bull! I live in a private house and it's quite big! I'm not loaded but we always have more than enough money for the things we need. She in contrast lives in a corporation house and their income is 3x less than ours. I have no idea why she thought I'd not have enough money to join in, only thing I can think of is I was telling her it's cost a fortune for uniforms etc and we lost tenants in our other house so had to lay the bills on the house till we got some more but at the end of the day it was just bull crap that's what I concluded. She could have still asked. If I couldn't manage it money wise I'd just say and if I did go out but left myself short that's for me to deal with but I've never been irresponsible like that anyway so no need for her to worry. Equally if I couldn't make it for any reason I'd just tell her I certainly wouldn't sell my kids to an orphanage and all my belongings just to make it in a day out with her and my other sister! Lol! You can always rearrange for another time! It's not the end of the world! No she defo didn't invite me full stop not because she was worried for putting me in a difficult situation there wasn't any anyway she just simply didn't want me there! She consistently leaves me out of family plans. Oh we get on fine mostly but she does try it on a lot. She always tries to trip me up or she'll criticise or belittle me over something and because I understand it's through jealousy and she's doing it on purpose I just ignore it or rise a over her attempts to fall out with me or counteract them! I'm 100% sure she would love me to fall out with her and my entire family then it can be as if I do not exist! Which suits her really. She tried causing trouble between me, my other sister and patents not long ago too and we all nearly end up falling out but gladly it didn't work! We saw through it and all was fine!
Now she has left me out of her wedding too. It hurts, hearing how my Mum and Sis have been out with her all the time arranging the big day but I'm not included but at least you got an excuse, I haven't. Nobody has bothered to tell me or at least bullshit me why I want picked too.

My sis feels bad I'm not included but she only young and doesn't know how to handle the situation to be fair to her. As for my Mum, God knows but it's disgusting!
Thinks she's used the excuse that my brothers are not inc in the wedding party too but it's different when all the girls have been except for me!

At the end of the day if her actions are unintentional then one day she'll realise and I wouldn't want to be her when she does.

On the other hand if her actions are intentional the truth always comes out in the end. People around her will want to know why I wasn't included and she will look bad to others so,.,

LordoftheTits · 01/05/2016 15:30

snow

Save your time and energy, this thread is ancient Hmm

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 01/05/2016 15:31

You might want to start your own thread, Lookslike - can't think why you've resurrected a ZOMBIE THREAD just to tell your own story.

SilverBirchWithout · 01/05/2016 15:32

Lookslikesnow

THIS THREAD IS 4 YEARS OLD. IT WAS POSTED IN 2012!

Skittlesss · 01/05/2016 15:33

Snow I think you might need to make your own thread, love. This lasses sister must have been married 4 years by now.

Lighteningirll · 01/05/2016 15:33

Bet they are divorced by now FOUR YEARS later aaaaaaaah

SecretWitch · 01/05/2016 15:35

Dang, I'm generally meh about Zombie threads but this seems a bit extreme...

Rollinginthevalley · 01/05/2016 15:39

YANBU.

That is very hurtful. I think you could at least be invited to the family events the night before & sit at the top table (hate that phrase - it's Bridal table at any of my family's weddings).

Rollinginthevalley · 01/05/2016 15:42

oh bugger

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 01/05/2016 15:43

FFS THIS THREAD IS FOUR YEARS OLD

sizeofalentil · 01/05/2016 15:49
  1. YANBU - she could have easily had another bridesmaid or found you a role or at least acknowledged this to you and explained her choices. I'd have been gutted but not sure what I'd actually do… Like some people have said, if she asked you now it would be quite hollow. Maybe she planned to ask you to be a witness or do a reading and just hasn't done it yet? We asked people to do things at various times - we didn't bulk message everyone all at once on the same day, with roles for our wedding.
  1. Really surprised at all the people saying 'just don't show up'. Snubbing her wedding will make the rift bigger. I know how hurtful it is, and she's totally in the wrong, but if you don't go people will notice and talk about it and it'll make everything worse.
  1. Also surprised at the amount of adult women upset that their SILs didn't ask them to be bridesmaids. Assuming these SILs have their own friends/family that they'd want there. It's not down to your SIL to find you a role in the wedding party - that's your DB's job.
sizeofalentil · 01/05/2016 15:50

Oh just seen that this is a zombie. Whoops!

sizeofalentil · 01/05/2016 15:51

Would still like to know what happened…

HelHH · 01/05/2016 15:52

Have read only the first page, and apologies in advance, don't have much experience with this super formal style of wedding (and very glad, considering the hurt and drama they cause) but. Is it totally out of the question to include close relatives in the "wedding party", e.g. hotel + top table? Esp. in a case like this where all other siblings are included?

HelHH · 01/05/2016 15:53

Eek, sorry, also fell for the zombie. Sorry, sorry! Will check better next time.

FishTailPlait · 01/05/2016 16:31

Started reading this - it's like a whodunnit with the last chapter missing! What happened? Did you make up with the bridezilla sister? Did you cause a big scene & destroy the perfectly symmetrical wedding? Was your poor mum ok?

Gah so many questions- come back Buttercup!!!!

IWILLgiveupsugar · 01/05/2016 16:53

I have invested bloody ages reading this. I want to know how it all ended up!

M00nUnit · 01/05/2016 17:16

Oh FFS.

cherrypepsimax · 01/05/2016 17:48

Could there be another reason that you're not aware of? My dsis invited everyone for Xmas day except me, and then asked her ds to have me on the table with distant relatives for my nephews wedding ( her son who I am quite close to) turns out it was something I did in my 20's that she still isn't over. Almost 40 now, she is almost 50. Nothing would suprise me.

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