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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be confused about what the bride wants?

235 replies

Despolime · 29/01/2020 18:56

My friend lives abroad. Another friend and I are two of her bridesmaids. We are travelling to where she's getting married for the wedding in summer. We're staying in a room in the wedding venue Friday - Sunday, which is the time we're abroad. Another 8 guests plus the bride are staying overnight both days too.

Everything was sorted.

Then yesterday, the bride gets in touch to check friend & I definitely want to stay at the venue on the Friday. The wedding is on the Saturday. We said of course. She said that there is no bar or restaurant, only what we take. Fine, we said, we'll pick some things up to take with us. She kept asking if we were sure, and that it's no problem but there's not much about. We double checked again that she'd be there too, and she said yes. She said she was worried we'd be bored if we stayed there.

AIBU to be confused? We're only going to see her get married. Why would we want to stay elsewhere? Am I missing something?

OP posts:
kateandme · 29/01/2020 23:32

is it somewhere yoy can get an online shop delivered to.or better yet takeout/deliveroo?

Pieceofpurplesky · 29/01/2020 23:37

Buy duty free. Buy snacks from the airport or station when you land, ask the taxi driver to stop at a shop. Tell the bride you are having a quiet night with a few drinks and she is welcome to join you

Wonkybanana · 30/01/2020 00:01

I think she's panicking. She (and fiancé) have chosen the venue and arrangements - the DIY décor and catering - they want for their wedding. So far, so good.

Except she's just realised that while they've put all their thought into what they want as B & G, it's possibly going to be a bit shit for everyone else.

If you and the other BM are happy with how things are going to pan out for you, just find way to stock up on food and drink and let her get on with it.

Despolime · 30/01/2020 00:28

Bear in mind if it turns out you can’t stay there on the Friday, you could stay in the city you’re flying into and that would be your food and entertainment sorted for the night. there a kitchen, what will you do for breakfast? You need to ask her what the plans are for being fed.*

I honestly don't have a clue. I know we're being fed on the Saturday afternoon as part of the wedding breakfast, and on the Sunday we're getting a brunch, but I don't know what's happening the the rest. I think I'll take some sandwiches just in case.

I think her moms invited some random cousin and is insisting they need your room because family first and all that bollocks

Definitely not. Her mother is lucky to have an invitation herself.

As bridesmaids she might be expecting you to have made up some games/done a mr and mrs game/brought a photo album for you to all to sit and remember the old times. Ask her!

She's not the kind of woman, and nor are we. Although that said, I do have an old photo album from school I might take along now.

Has she maybe just realised that her and fiance will need separate rooms to keep up the groom shouldn't see the bride in the morning of the wedding tradition and theres no other room available?

No, the groom is staying at his brother's house the night before. Even if this was the case, there are friends staying who are not bridesmaids, and less close than me and her.

Assume since staying there is optional that you need to pay for that night. When the night comes, see how she is, she may want you there she may just go to her room and chill. I guess she is managing your expectations that it’s not going to be a big party night. It’s not personal. Weddings are stressful for the bride.

We are paying to stay there. I couldn't care less if she wants to go to bed at 6pm or stay up drinking till 6am. There are only going to be 11 of us there the night before, with no bar or restaurant, and with two of us having been travelling all day since early morning. I don't think she could think that we were expecting a rave.

Word of advice OP bring extra crisps. I predict the the happy couple will be too stressed to cater and you might end up having to eat one of the wedding party.

Grin Am going to tell other bridesmaid we need to check another suitcase for edibles.

Here's a thought..just ask her directly?

We have. Hence the worried we'll be bored, no bar or restaurants etc.

She's going to spend the day/night before organising this @Despolime hence the "bored" comment.

My much nicer friend said we would help with decorating when we got there. Apparently it will be minimal with not much to do.

Maybe offer to organise some food or something. If there's not going to be many of you and all in one place

We're flying in on the Friday morning, then taking three trains and a taxi to get there. We're not organising food when there are people who live in that country and own cars going.

You know your friend best - is she more likely to be rude or to be considerate of you and not want you to be bored?

I love her, but I'd say 50/50 between consideration and passive aggression for some crime we haven't committed.

Bear in mind if it turns out you can’t stay there on the Friday, you could stay in the city you’re flying into and that would be your food and entertainment sorted for the night.

We're flying into Berlin and the venue is several hours (three train rides and a 40 minute taxi) away in rural Germany. The wedding is on the Saturday morning.

She is managing your expectations, trying to avoid there being any drama if you turn up expecting there to be somewhere you can eat and relax and find there is none.

To be fair, I would have assumed there would be food there on the Friday night, whether it a buffet or takeaway or restaurant. To my mind, the usual thing to do would be 'Hi - not sure you realise but the place is completely self catering but I'll be taking along some water & pizzas or a sandwich platter so there's food when you arrive so there won't be anything to eat or drink on the Friday night. Are you okay to bring something along yourself?' rather than 'you'll be bored and hungry and thirsty. Are you sure you want to stay here? It's really no problem if you do though'.

OP posts:
Despolime · 30/01/2020 00:31

Not sure what went wrong in the first paragraph there.

OP posts:
morrisseysquif · 30/01/2020 00:36

We're flying into Berlin and the venue is several hours (three train rides and a 40 minute taxi) away in rural Germany. The wedding is on the Saturday morning.

She is telling you underhand THERE IS NO FOOD OR DRINK WHEN YOU ARRIVE. PAY HEED.

Ask her what food will be available, please. She may be a BRIDE but she is also a HOST.

Butterymuffin · 30/01/2020 01:14

If the groom is staying at his brother's house, presumably he lives nearby? I'd hope he could put any extra guests up. Is there no other hotel near the venue that does have a restaurant?

Elizadoeslittle19 · 30/01/2020 06:41

In this case @Despolime after your update, if you haven't asked directly "why are you now giving me the impression after months of planning, that you do not want me to stay on the night before the wedding, is there a problem? " then you need to do so. No more skirting around are you sure, you'll be bored. After all that travelling sounds like you'll be glad of the relaxed evening. But do sort the food and drink out.

Elizadoeslittle19 · 30/01/2020 06:43

Also as the groom is staying nearby I would ask politely if they could sort you a food / drink hamper for Friday night / Saturday morning and you will reimburse the cost.

Despolime · 30/01/2020 16:57

Ask her what food will be available, please. She may be a BRIDE but she is also a HOST.

I think that’s what she’s telling us - there won’t be any. The more I think about it the odder it seems. Even for breakfast the next morning.

OP posts:
AryaStarkWolf · 30/01/2020 17:12

Where else does she expect you to stay for 1 night?

Rationalcat · 30/01/2020 17:13

Time for straight talking, OP. No point guessing. You have to ask her and check what is included once you get there.

It's pretty poor to let you travel all that way and have you stock up on essentials before you get there, if you happen to want food and drink prior to the wedding.

As PP said above, she is a host as well and should cater accordingly.

Yeahnah2020 · 30/01/2020 17:18

Well it is rude she isn’t providing any food. Just weird!

Apolloanddaphne · 30/01/2020 17:20

Sounds very odd. Surely if they have cars they would do a big shop and make sure there was plenty of food for dinner on Friday and breakfast on Saturday.

GlamGiraffe · 30/01/2020 17:31

I think if I was you I'd just try and find a b and b as locally as possible or whatever is available. There must be something. You can eat and get prepared there then ho to the wedding. It has to be better. What area? PM if you prefer.

BengalGal · 30/01/2020 17:35

She’s just worried you won’t like it.

IceCreamFace · 30/01/2020 17:41

Ahha - so no compromise from you then. Has to be your way. Says a hell of a lot about you. You’ll be her bridesmaid when it’s convenient and on your terms. No wonder she is struggling to tell you straight. You’d rip her to pieces.

Bloody hell are you a bridezilla? OP is travelling from abroad to attend the wedding why the hell should she be banned from staying at the venue (which presumably the bridge doesn't own) and have an even more inconvenient journey trying to get to the rural venue first thing in the morning.

I can understand the bride not wanting to do anything major or be in charge of entertaining people the night before her wedding but seeing her bridesmaids who have travelled from abroad at least briefly shouldn't be too much trouble.

littlekerry8 · 30/01/2020 17:44

Maybe she is a good person and really doesnt want you to be stuck board ... you have after all I'm guessing spent good mo ey to stay there

FatimaLovesBread · 30/01/2020 17:45

You're paying to stay there? Even though it's a house and not a hotel and has no food and drink facilities?! Hmm

Despolime · 30/01/2020 17:51

Where else does she expect you to stay for 1 night?

I have no idea. It’s rural so it’s not like there are loads of hotels nearby.

You're paying to stay there? Even though it's a house and not a hotel and has no food and drink facilities?!

Well it is a hotel, I suppose. It has a website which advertises the rooms with individual rates. There are about 7 rooms. But she says there is no bar or restaurant and the wedding food is being brought in. For the weddings drinks they’re buying wine and ale in bottles to bring with them.

OP posts:
Iwanttobeagranny · 30/01/2020 17:58

Just tell her you’re bringing food and magazines, you’re going to pamper and chill, she doesn’t have to worry about you.

Troels · 30/01/2020 18:24

Why not email the hotel and see what they say.

Rachel709 · 30/01/2020 18:28

She probably wants your room for someone else?

Angelil · 30/01/2020 18:33

Check on the hotel website and see what it says about food/drink options.

VenusClapTrap · 30/01/2020 18:39

Uh oh. This is eerily similar to a wedding I attended a couple of years ago. The couple had rented a rural French chateau through Airbnb; it was beautiful but in the middle of nowhere.

We arrived after several hours of driving, to find guests being put into ‘teams’. One group had to go to the supermarket (miles and miles away), others were on cooking duty or decorating duty. Dh was sent off to organise Mr & Mrs games, while I was allocated ‘flowers’ with people I’d never met before. I found myself traipsing round the grounds and fields picking flowers to make a bridal bouquet, with absolutely zero experience of flower arranging. No pressure...

I think it was all supposed to be laid back let’s-all-pitch-in type fun and frolics, but actually I just found it awkward and stressful. And there wasn’t enough food. So heed the warning up thread about filling your case with snacks!

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