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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to think this is a strange wedding invite?!

348 replies

palomapaloma · 29/10/2016 11:23

Just got my eagerly awaited wedding invite from my first cousin who is getting married in a few months. She sent a group invite for my parents, me and my siblings (all adults) I assumed it included my husband and 2 children and my brothers long term partners. Messaged her just to check and she told me no it's only people named on the invite! Am I being off for feeling a bit put out? I'm now in a dilemma with what to do as hubby has the hump with not being invited! The wedding is about 40 miles away so if I go I'd have to stay over somewhere or not drink( not gonna happen!) I just feel quite disappointed because we grew up together, we are still close and shared a flat a few years back. I've been married for 6 years so it's not like I've got an on off bf that she barely knows. What's everyone's opinion and what would you do?

OP posts:
BellesBelles · 29/10/2016 15:34

Not RTWT but I think it's rude to invite adult cousins without their husbands/wives. Fair enough if cousin is (say) early 20s with a boyfriend, and understandable re no kids, or limiting kids, but it is bad manners to only invite one half of a couple like that. It is disrespectful to the spouse left out. It says "You're still no family of mine".

Even if it's because cousin can't afford, I think she should still have made efforts to say something that indicates it's just finances unfortunately and nothing personal. To just ignore a person's spouse and children on an invite without any warning - it is rude, or at least sender should appreciate it comes across as rude and make effort to smooth that over.

BellesBelles · 29/10/2016 15:37

Oh and OP: I would go but I wouldn't want my DH to be resentful of that as I don't think falling out over cousin's wedding invite is worth it. I can see why your DH feels miffed. I might well decide to go and enjoy it but drive and not stay over.

raviolidreaming · 29/10/2016 15:40

Thanks Okkitokkiunga - I did wonder if I'd got that wrong!

BackforGood · 29/10/2016 15:43

I agree PopFizz - It often comes up on MN that some people seem incapable of enjoying themselves anywhere without alcohol. To me, that indicates they have a problem.
Don't get me wrong, I like a drink as much as the next person, but I don't depend on it to have a good time. Our social life tends to involve taking turns to drive, as, I would have thought, does many people's.

Naicehamshop · 29/10/2016 15:48

OMG - women of Britain get a grip!

You can't go to a wedding without your husband?

You can't attend a wedding without drinking?

You can't drive 70 miles on your own?

You can't drive back in the dark?

Confused

I had exactly this situation last year. The bride and groom couldn't afford to invite everyone and I was invited without my DH and DC. I managed to get there and back on my own (!!!), didn't feel compelled to throw alcohol down my face, and had a lovely day.

DH was fine, btw - he completely understood their financial situation.

It's your cousin's day op; do your best to go for her sake - it'll be worth it in the long run.

Rafflesway · 29/10/2016 15:49

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

FrancisCrawford · 29/10/2016 15:52

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Oldbutstillgotit · 29/10/2016 15:54

I am fairly new to MN but these wedding threads amaze me! It seems that unless the invitation is exactly what the recipient wants, there is a view that it has to be argued/ negotiated! Why can't people accept that a B and G are allowed to have the wedding that they want? No children allowed, then find a babysitter or don't go but don't whinge and badger until you get your own way. Same as this example; whatever people think about what the bride has done it is HER day so respect it! What gives people the right to think that their wishes supercede the B and G's? I wrote on a previous thread about my niece who is having a child free wedding ( guests told a year in advance) but , with 4 weeks to go, guests are still pleading to be the exception and take their children. Totally bewildering.

LittlePaintBox · 29/10/2016 15:56

I think weddings are so expensive that most people put some kind of limit to invitations, I don't think it's unreasonable for your cousin to invite family only and I'm not sure what your DH's problem is, unless he resents having to look after the DCs while you go away and have some fun.

If you feel really strongly, don't go, and explain it's because you can't leave your family for the day. I'd go myself, but I've been married 39 years now, so I've learnt to carve out a bit of 'me' time!

iwanttobemissmarple · 29/10/2016 15:57

Well said naice

There are so many occasions that dh & I don't go to together.

We have a mini break every year without each other. A few years back I was away with my mum sister & all 8 kids. Someone asked me how I coped going on holiday on my own!!

foursillybeans · 29/10/2016 16:05

Honestly - with your DH's medicial needs inpacting your decision then I would say - apply self control and don't drink and go for the day and leave early evening and come home.

Naicehamshop · 29/10/2016 16:08

Good post, old.

Raffles - surely we go to weddings to show our love and support for the bride and groom? It's not all about fitting in with what suits you best.

metaphoricus · 29/10/2016 16:11

missmarple

Ditto. DH and I occasionally take a mini-break without each other, but with friends - or visit relatives in other parts of the country alone. It amazes me that there are couples who can barely leave the house without the other. And I don't understand the explanation that it's because they enjoy each others company so much that they 'couldn't' enjoy anything without their DP. I thoroughly enjoy DPs company. I also enjoy the company of my family and friends. It's a non-issue for us.

Secretsandlies222 · 29/10/2016 16:15

Everyone knows that weddings are often very costly. I know that I had to be brutal when whittling down my initial list to one that was affordable. To think that some posters would have considered me to have been 'rude' for not being able to afford to invite whole couples is ridiculous.

user1474627704 · 29/10/2016 16:16

They aren't inviting your family because you ARE the invited family! Your parents are the invitees and you are their children. You don't then invite their children and partners and whoever else you want as well....

Verbena37 · 29/10/2016 16:23

I'm going to my first cousins wedding soon and it's only me and my sister, mum and dad. Not our husbands or children. My parents and sister were a bit [frown] after the invite came but it didn't bother me because I know it will be because of maximum numbers allowed and cost.

Could you and your family stay at a premier inn down there and you get back there afterwards by taxi....then you can drink but your dh won't be alone all night on his own to cope,with the kids.

WamBamThankYouMaam · 29/10/2016 16:24

I wish my husband's friends and family would leave me off wedding invitations. I'm really quite happy for him to go off and spend time with them without me, but feel obligated when I'm on the invite.

expatinscotland · 29/10/2016 16:26

Oh, there you go, OP, you've got a drinking problem, you just want to get drunk and 'throw alcohol at your face' if you want to drink at a wedding. You should be fine with just a glass of fizz (this could potentially put you over the limit in Scotland, btw, as the drink drive level is pretty close to zero - FWIW, IMO it should be zero everywhere). And you're attached to your spouse at the hip. You're making excuses. Etc Etc

It's 'their' day. They punted for the posh venue.

'Sorry, I won't be able to make it.' Job done. She's gets upset, that's her lookout. It's not a court summons.

PrimalLass · 29/10/2016 16:26

Ask her how she would feel, once she's married, to have her husband excluded from such invitations in future

Not if you ever want her to speak to you again.

brasty · 29/10/2016 16:28

Threads like these are why our wedding is going to be very simple. No cousins are invited at all.
And I like a drink. I do think it is a major red flag though if you can't go to an evening social occasion and enjoy it without alcohol.

PrimalLass · 29/10/2016 16:29

Married couples are social units, and must either both be invited it none invited.

Hmm

The OP has been invited as part of a social unit - her sibling group.

CrotchetQuaverMinim · 29/10/2016 16:31

I don't think people should judge something as 'rude' just because it's not how they (or their circle of friends) would see weddings or other social occasions. People do things differently, and there isn't one absolute set of manners that everyone adheres to - clearly people do things differently in different families, circles, etc. So just because you wouldn't do it at your wedding doesn't mean it's wrong for someone else to. Accept that they're different from you, that it probably wasn't personal, and then make your decision based on whether you want to go or not.

Loads of people don't want to fill up a wedding with lots of plus-ones that they don't know. Some people would rather do that and invite fewer people. One isn't better than another. One isn't rude. Just different ways of managing an occasion. Or, in this case, sometimes the partner is known - but for whatever reason, the B&G have decided there isn't space, money or whatever, and they've made another decision. Perhaps there are lots of other partners that would have been equal status and they couldn't invite them. Maybe some cousins have very recent boyfriends and it would have seemed wrong to invite some and not others, or to have to make the judgement call on which relationships are true ones and which are temporary, etc. So for whatever reason - there could be many - they decided to invite smaller families of just the relations.

Doesn't make it rude. Maybe somewhat unusual, but not rude. And by saying things like 'well she will understand in a few years why it was so awful' doesn't sound like you're accepting that at all, but still insistent on your view that it's rude. If it wasn't deliberately done to cause offense, which it doesn't sound like it was, then get over it, accept it for what it is - a sign that she would like you at her wedding, and make your decision from there.

If you are the sort of person who can't/won't go without a partner, or can't make the practicalities work, then don't go. If you really care about her and want to be there for her, then see if you can. But get over the idea that she is committing some massive wrong by not inviting the people you want. She sees things differently.

If she decided that she had to invite all the partners, you might well not have been invited at all, and then you've have been offended for that, too. And by inviting your partner, it might meant hat someone else she would have liked to invite wouldn't have been invited.

Don't choose to see things as snubs, and your life will be a lot easier.

CrotchetQuaverMinim · 29/10/2016 16:33

And definitely don't try to guilt trip her, or ask her how she'd like it in the opposite situation, or explain in depth why you aren't going in the hopes that she changes her mind or feels bad about it or something - that's just petty. Accept or decline graciously, and don't make her feel awkward, because that's what you'd do for someone you actually care about.

Naicehamshop · 29/10/2016 16:36

Exactly Crochet! Very well said.

FrancisCrawford · 29/10/2016 16:42

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