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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Family wedding but inconsistant family members invited and veil issue

241 replies

shutupaboutstarwars · 18/01/2016 19:49

So my cousin has decided to have no children at her wedding but hasn't bothered to explain anything to me just sent the same impersonal email round to everyone. My brother's child is invited.
Background rant: she was bridesmaid at my wedding, she is Godmother to my DS1 who will be just a couple of years younger than she was she was when she was bridesmaid at my wedding (14). She will be wearing the same antique veil that has been in the family for several generations. I have fond memories of making a comment to her at my own wedding about how she would be the next to wear it. DB's child will be under a year old at the wedding so they have decided that that will be ok even though the wedding invite says that without children there everyone will be able to enjoy themselves and relax more . My DB has told me that he feels very guilty that his DS has been invited but my DCs haven't. I have been told that the reason that they aren't inviting any children is to cut down on costs but I am not actually sure that this is true or not.
I currently can't even look at my own wedding photos without getting upset when I look at the veil so don't even think that I could cope with being at the wedding without my children being there. My husband has refused to go unless the children are invited but we haven't told anyone yet. It would be 6 hours travelling in the car. I didn't take DCs to the previous 2 weddings on this side of the family as 1was abroad and the other would have involved lots of travelling across London and back as to keep costs down the registry office ceremony and the evening reception were miles apart and separated by hours as well. DS1 has ASD and we felt they the previous 2 weddings would involve so much upheaval for him for such a short period of time at the wedding that it would be inappropriate to go. This wedding is somewhere he has been to before and we would also be able to have access to somewhere quiet if he wasn't coping well.
So do we just say that we can't get child care and so DH and I can't go? Do I go on my own and spend the day feeling like s@&t. Or do I go down the emotional blackmail route about how DN is allowed but mine aren't, how horrible it would be for it to stop being a family veil because my DD won't get to see it and I wish that I had never worn the veil in the 1st place?
I don't want to cause a family argument but I feel that my cousin should at least have bothered to explain personally. It has been years since she had even bothered to send her godson a present and we have been saying for a while how selfish that she can be at times.

OP posts:
ShhhBeQuiet · 18/01/2016 20:42

Ohh, I think you should go down the emotional blackmail route and keep us updated. Wink

JohnLuther · 18/01/2016 20:44

OP you are being pathetic.

LagunaBubbles · 18/01/2016 20:44

Run that by me again about the link between the veil and you not going???

Blistory · 18/01/2016 20:45

Your brother has one baby. You appear to have at least two children who would be old enough to need seating, fed and watered. Big difference.

You also seem upset that she hasn't spoken to you personally but she's organising her wedding so I think you can cut her some slack on that one.

The bottom line is do you care about her and are you happy to celebrate her marriage to someone she loves and be grateful that she wants you there as part of her family ? That's really what it's all about but you seem to want a wee bit of it to be about you. Go, enjoy the day and be genuinely happy for what you do have rather than stewing over an insult that doesn't exist.

Moln · 18/01/2016 20:45

Does anyone understand the problem with the veil?

Think HermioneWeasley got closest to the truth. It evidently IS Schrodinger's veil. Wonder if it also has disappeared off the OP's wedding photos?

chillycurtains · 18/01/2016 20:46

This post really made me laugh. Had a crap day and this complete joke has really cheered me up. Hahahahaha. You are being so ridiculous that it is highly entertaining.

ilovesooty · 18/01/2016 20:48

Just when you think threads can't get any more ridiculous...

ZedWoman · 18/01/2016 20:48

Veils are so 80s.

Is she having a new perm for the occasion?

NorthernLurker · 18/01/2016 20:49

I think the veil thing goes like this:

it's a family wedding veil so the younger female members of the family can see it at other weddings and know that it will be for them one day. Evidently the OP didn't have her dd around when she got married so the Op's dd seeing it on cousin is said dd's only opportunity of seeing the family tradition 'alive' as it were.

Tbh I think that's a bit wet and there's no need at all to see it in use for it to be a family veil. Get a grip OP.

NerrSnerr · 18/01/2016 20:49

It's really common that babes in arms get invited as they don't cost anything.

This must be a reverse? No one is really like this in real life are they?

JohnLuther · 18/01/2016 20:50

I've read the OP three times and I still don't get the fuss about the veil.

ilovesooty · 18/01/2016 20:50

Did you see the failure to invite your children as a veiled insult?

WoodHeaven · 18/01/2016 20:51

So Ill try and guess.
You are upset that you own dcs haven't been invited even though your cousin was invited at your wedding at a similar age. You feel like she hasn't in some ways returned the favour, especially as she is happy to let another child to be present at said wedding.
Your cousin is going to wear a veil that has a lot of importance in the family, one that you wore and you are the last person to have used it until this wedding so of course it reminds you of a lot of memories. But also of the fact your cousin isn't 'all inclusive' unlike you when you made her your maid of honour etc... (Maybe you were expecting your dc1 to be part of the wedding the same way your cousin was part of your wedding, especially as she is his god mother???)

OP were all the weddings before inclusive of children? Is it a 'thing' in your family?
Are you feeling that your dcs have been pushed away, even though she is the god mother of one of them?

kally195 · 18/01/2016 20:53

This level of crazy is exactly why I got married on the other side of the world with no other bugger but DH there (and the official weddingy people).

On the off chance that this is, y'know, for real (and there isn't some dramatic back story about females of the family who don't see every wedding with the veil being condemned by a bitter spirit to a lifetime of cat-obsessed spinsteredom) OP - it's their wedding. They can do what they want. It's really not about you.

WonderingAspie · 18/01/2016 20:54

What!? Confused

So a preteen? girl won't see an old veil being worn whkch means its not longer able to be used and you can't face looking at your wedding pictures and your DH is throwing a strop as well. Fucking hell you all sound like hard work!

You should go to a wedding to wish the couple getting married well. If you genuine can't do this then save them the money and don't bloody bother. Their wedding is not about you and your children and your DD admiring a veil. She may not even want to wear it, I didn't have a veil when I got married, I can't stand them.

Babies in arms are always an exception so you can't compare it. Our DCs weren't invited to our oldest friend's wedding and it wasnt a child free wedding. He was our best man, we are GPs to his children. We said "that's fine" got a babysitter, travelled an hour and a half and ATTENDED THE WEDDING! The world didn't stop turning because our DCs weren't there and we had a lovely time.

Tywinlannister · 18/01/2016 20:55

Can't she look at the pictures of the veil? That's what I did with our family christening gown. I wasn't born so couldn't see it with my own eyes (sadly nor could I emotionally blackmail anyone, being just an egg) but never fear OP, I did get over it...

SirNiallDementia · 18/01/2016 20:57

I've read the OP twice and am Shock at your over-reaction to the whole situation... unless there's some back story?

It's perfectly normal for people to have child free weddings but just invite small kids cos 1) They don'y have to pay out full price for an extra guest and 2) the parents sometimes struggle to get childcare for a day/evening.

You might not agree with it but it's the bride and groom's right to have the wedding they want. Your only choice is whether to go or not.

Redglitter · 18/01/2016 20:58

I'm totally lost with the veil thing. Why does looking at your wedding photos upset you because of it and why the hell will you need your children there to be able to cope with seeing it.

Do the bride and groom a favour and decline the invite

Woodenmouse · 18/01/2016 20:59

This whole post confused me!! I don't understand what the veil has to do with children not going.

Dh and I have been invited to a wedding our DCs will be 3 and 8 months and they are not invited, and although I will be sad to leave them for the day (and probably the night) it will be nice to have some time with just DH and I know my DCs will have a lovely time with their grandparents. I really think its up to the person who's wedding it is to decide who is and isn't invited.

WhatsGoingOnEh · 18/01/2016 21:01

The veil thing isn't a real reason to get upset, it's a clamped-on rant because you're already annoyed about the kids bit.

Your DD will see photos of you wearing the veil - and I'm guessing her grandmother..? It's not really viral that she sees it live, in action.

Don't go if you feel that strongly. But try to take a few steps back towards your happy place. It's NOT this important, I promise.

Canyouforgiveher · 18/01/2016 21:01

Did you see the failure to invite your children as a veiled insult?

love it!

Chicagomd · 18/01/2016 21:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ilovesooty · 18/01/2016 21:07

You could sneak into her bedroom and set fire to it like the first Mrs Rochester Grin

DamedifYouDo · 18/01/2016 21:11

The op isn't coming back is she?

TheSecondViola · 18/01/2016 21:13

You are both so upset at your children not being invited ,yet the last two weddings on that side that they were invited to you didn't bring them?
Hmm

There are no words to say just how unreasonable you are being.

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