Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Sacked as a bridesmaid

188 replies

rainbowsprinkle · 22/04/2019 10:58

So last week my SIL sacked me as. bridesmaid and I genuinely don't know whether IABU or her.

Just for context, I am a student and she is several years older than me and has lived with her fiancé for about six years. We were all delighted when he proposed last autumn because it's something she's wanted, and has made clear she's wanted, for a long time.

Anyway, there was an initial problem because she'd asked some family members to be bridesmaids (before the proposal) and changed her mind, leaving them pretty cross. As a consolation she told them that they could go wedding dress shopping with her, but on the week of the day said they couldn't come because there wasn't enough room in the taxi.

So - already some bad feeling in the family, but I was pleased to be asked and looking forward to it.

Even though the wedding was two years away I was asked to pay £60 for hair, £70 for make-up and £40 for specific coloured shoes. I said I would pay for hair and shoes but that I would do my make up myself. I'm good at it, and could definitely have done the make up she wanted, but she was cross about it (i should say that she's buying the dresses, which are £20 each).

Then a chat was set up to discuss the hen do. I won't have a car or an income, so said I would travel up to 90 mins (my mum would take me) and pay up to £150. Was this mean do you think? It felt in keeping with what everyone else was saying, and we found lovely properties that fit the bill. In the end, the bride chose something much further away. Those of us without transport were worried, so told her we would struggle to attend. She said she would do a meal for those of us who couldn't go, which was fine.

The last straw was finding out that she had been very critical and unkind about the fact that me and my bf got engaged. She had phoned and FaceTimed people to say that we had taken the shine off her wedding, had stolen her thunder, that it was her time to shine etc.

I contacted her to say that I'd heard about this and that we should clear the air, but instead I was sacked. I'm not worried about that really - in many ways it's a relief tbh - but if IABU then I need to apologise, because I always do if I'm wrong.

Again, for context, I didn't know that my bf was going to propose, it was a surprise. We've been together three years, so it felt right. We haven't set a date yet, so I don't think we've stolen her thunder and our wedding will definitely be after hers. I suppose that I have been talking about wedding stuff, because I'm excited, but imagined that we'd be able to talk about things together. She lives an hour away while we live in the same town as both of our families, so people have been taking an interest and asking lots of questions.

So in her last message she said that I had taken the attention away from her, that I had obstructed everything she'd planned, that I hadn't offered to help (I genuinely didn't know that she would need any help yet, absolutely expected to be helping with invitations and favours and things nearer the time).

So, I'm a lot younger than the other bridesmaids and feel that, if I've genuinely behaved badly or done something wrong, I need to make it right. So, AIBU?

OP posts:
Dixywitch19 · 22/04/2019 11:40

I don't think you've done anything wrong!
A 'friend' of mine got engaged a few months before us and when we got engaged (which was a total surprise) she didnt congratulate me she told me my engagement was 'shit timing' and sacked me as a bridesmaid too ha

Weddings make people crazy- we don't talk at all anymore and it made me realise how toxic she is!

lostfrequencies · 22/04/2019 11:41

Deffo a lucky escape.

LadyRannaldini · 22/04/2019 11:41

Ps: get married whenever you want,

Preferably the week before her shindig, suggest that your guests in common will be able to save money on hats, they can wear the same outfit for both!
Oh, you could have some real fun! If she's your SIL is she marrying your brother? If so, I'd be feeling very sorry for him and suggest he runs a mile too.

starfishmummy · 22/04/2019 11:43

I'm going to add to the "you have had a lucky escape" posts

HennyPennyHorror · 22/04/2019 11:43

"Her time to shine"

Boak.

If she thinks "her time to shine" depends on a man asking her to participate in an outdated waltz around Victorian manners and traditions then you're better off not being part of the whole shitshow.

Milicentbystander72 · 22/04/2019 11:43

Blimey. I can't believe how ridiculous some people get about their weddings. OP you have done nothing wrong.

I had my wedding planned for September many years back. A cousin of mine had been in a slightly up and down relationship and her OH was in counselling trying to 'decide what he wanted'. All of a sudden things did a 360 and he proposed. They found a wedding date quite quickly and had the wedding in the May before mine. Not only that, she wore a gorgeous bargain wedding dress I'd found and loved but couldn't wear as it was slinky with tiny straps. I was a big boobed bride who needed scaffolding and she was tall and skinny.
I was very jealous (I did tell her about the dress in the first place though!) but she did look gorgeous in it.

The point is, that at no point did I think she'd stolen the limelight off me and have a massive tantrum. That's because I am a well balanced grown woman who behaves normally and can think about other people's lives beyond my own.

Your SIL is being a massive dick. I think you've dodged a bullet OP.

Mousetolioness · 22/04/2019 11:44

Lucky escape by the sound of it. Make sure you get your money back. It's insane, anyway, asking for the money that far up front. What's she using it for - getting her bridezilla ego enlarged??

TatianaLarina · 22/04/2019 11:49

She sounds like a nut job.

And if you ask someone to be a bridesmaid you pay for their clothes etc. You don’t ask someone to pay for helping you with your wedding.

If you can’t afford bridesmaids, don’t have them. Or keep to a strict budget - £50 dress in the sale from Monsoon, and they do their own hair and makeup.

KurriKurri · 22/04/2019 11:51

Don't apologise,yo have done nothing wrong. She ahs lost the plot completely - sounds as if she wants to 'have a wedding' rather than be married.

Redshoeblueshoe · 22/04/2019 11:51

Lucky escape
Congratulations on your engagement

AnyFucker · 22/04/2019 11:54

You sound lovely and she sounds maaaad

GreenTulips · 22/04/2019 11:55

Sounds like you’ve saved yourself some money and a lot of hassle
You won’t need to go to the hen either - stick with the meal

Have a great day instead with your fiancé

And congratulations

TanMateix · 22/04/2019 11:56

I think you should be relieved she changed her mind. She seemed like hard work both on terms of time, expense and utter lack of consideration.

This is not what weddings are about, they are about sharing, inviting people to celebrate with you, not loosing all of your friends for the sake of meeting selfish expectations.

Now you are free, enjoy your own process/engagement and don’t bother about what she will say or do... if there is a single absolute true about weddings is that you can’t please everyone.

RB68 · 22/04/2019 11:57

Looks like a lucky escape to me!!!

Huzzah

blackcat86 · 22/04/2019 11:58

Congratulations on the proposal! Leave her to it and dont apologise as you have nothing to be sorry for. She is acting like a spoilt brat and you're probably better off out of it. I bet there will be a lot of wedding party changes before the big day. I'm really petty so I would probably elope and get pregnant (obviously only if you want a baby anyway) but then I can be a bit of a dick by my own admission.

HoppingPavlova · 22/04/2019 11:59

I’d actually get married sooner rather than laterGrin. 12-18mths sounds good.

What a bridezilla.

1990shopefulftm · 22/04/2019 11:59

You've done nothing wrong, as others have said you get a day for your wedding, claiming she should have a special year is just insane.
One of my friends told us she'd gotten engaged the night before our wedding, it was wonderful as we were all in one place to celebrate that with drinks the night before :)

thenightsky · 22/04/2019 12:00

She's going to go through a lot of bridesmaids in the next two years if that's her attitude. By the time it comes to the wedding she'll be lucky if anyone is left to ask.

NotStayingIn · 22/04/2019 12:04

Oh wow you’ve definitely had a very lucky escape. If she changes her mind and asks you again make some excuse. Do not ever agree to be her bridesmaid, honestly this one has wedding from hell written all over it. Stay well clear.

Personally I would also keep my wedding and anything to do with it quiet till after hers. Of course you shouldn’t have to! But I just couldn’t be bothered with her drama and wouldn’t want to have to deal with her going on about how I’m trying to upstage her. I wouldn’t want to give her anything to later bitch to everyone about.

Let her shit show play itself out, then do yours with no drama once the dust has settled. Smile

pessimisticstateofperception · 22/04/2019 12:07

Book your wedding the day before hers in the same venue, use all of her ideas on your wedding, invite all of the same people Grin

You've done nothing wrong, she can't expect nobody to get on with their lives for 2 whole years in case it takes the shine off her, how shiny does she need to be?

flowery · 22/04/2019 12:12

Were you supposed to decline your boyfriend’s proposal?!

rainbowsprinkle · 22/04/2019 12:12

Thank you so much for all of your replies.

I can't tell you how relieved I am that people think that I haven't really done anything wrong!

I really have tried to present everything accurately, to make the replies worth having iyswim.

I think it must have been annoying that I said I'd do my make up myself, and that I couldn't attend the hen do but I really didn't think she had any right to be annoyed that I got engaged.

A few pp asked how she's my SIL. I suppose she isn't yet really, but she's my bf's sister.

I've loved reading some of your replies. I think I'll keep my head down for the sake of family harmony and let her get on with it. Some of your suggestions have made me laugh but I don't think I'm brave enough to get married the week before!

OP posts:
DanielRicciardosSmile · 22/04/2019 12:14

I'm assuming this is your brother's fiancee (sorry if I've got that wrong) and she asked you and other members of your family to bfe bridesmaids, then told the others they weren't but could come dress shopping, then told them they couldn't, then had a strop about you getting engaged and told you that you also couldn't be bridesmaid? And all this is 2 years before the wedding? She sounds delightful.

Chloemol · 22/04/2019 12:15

Sorry you said your boyfriends sister! In which case she needs to be mad at him not you. Leave her to it

DowntonCrabby · 22/04/2019 12:16

She’s a bridezilla.

You have nothing to apologise for.

Do NOT ask her to be a bridesmaid also get married before her

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.

Swipe left for the next trending thread