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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Wedding guests

346 replies

Neapwind · 25/10/2021 19:32

My granddaughter is getting married and only has one female cousin. She is not inviting her to the wedding as she is only 11 and they want NO children there. This has hurt me and surely one little girl who thinks she is going to the wedding will be very upset. Asking her to be a flower girl would be wonderful.
Other peoples thoughts please.

OP posts:
tigerinyourtank · 25/10/2021 22:34

@Neapwind

No one said she was going but her parents were asked to save the date and naturally mentioned it. Very sadly 3 days earlier my granddaughter was diagnosed on the autistic spectrum which is why I am upset . Sorry to bother you all other Mumsnets.
Autism isn't anything to be 'very sad' about. Your time would be better spent adjusting your disablist attitude than fretting about other people's weddings.
TheCuntessOfMiddlesex · 25/10/2021 22:34

It might be your ideal for the 11 year old to be there but its not your wedding
If she's the only child that would be attending she's going to get quite bored quite quickly I would think
Make allowances for one child and then the world and his wife want to bring theirs

mummydoris2006 · 25/10/2021 22:35

Personally if it was me getting married I'd prefer my grandmother to be there over an auntie or uncle and would expect the child's parents to stay home with them, not you

Echobelly · 25/10/2021 22:37

Up to her/her partner - maybe she doesn't want flower girls. Maybe they have limited budget and can't afford to get any kids in. Maybe they just don't want any kids there.

I'm not sure every 11 year old would be thrilled by a wedding either, it's the sort of age a lot of kids might just find it boring.

JudgeJ · 25/10/2021 22:37

@CanIGoHomeNowPlease

It’s your granddaughters wedding and she can invite or not invite who she wants to her wedding.

Are you paying for it?

Surely that should read 'who they want to invite to their wedding'? Why are men ignored, they're 50% of the wedding!
MaggieFS · 25/10/2021 22:38

Why are you babysitting and not your GD's own parents? Why should they get to go and you don't?

Separately, I understand why you are hurt if she is the only cousin. One child really won't make that much difference (I didn't invite children because there would have been at least eleven of them, but just one, I would have done).

Neapwind · 25/10/2021 22:38

There are no more cousins , just a younger brother of the bride. I realise it is the bride and grooms choice to invite whom they want so have now accepted this. I will look after my little granddaughter and her parents will get a break and a week end away.

OP posts:
MrsHastingslikethebattle · 25/10/2021 22:38

I'm on the fence.

I'm usually for bride and groom invite who they want but at the same time, Its excluding family members.

My rule is only my familys children are allowed.

As for the woman who isnt letting her step child to the wedding, fuck me! His daughter could have came for the ceremony and then get picked up.

Crazy!

MaggieFS · 25/10/2021 22:40

@Neapwind

There are no more cousins , just a younger brother of the bride. I realise it is the bride and grooms choice to invite whom they want so have now accepted this. I will look after my little granddaughter and her parents will get a break and a week end away.
Why are you martyring yourself over this? You go to the wedding and the aunt/uncle parent of your GD argue it out with the bride or don't go. It's part of the shite of being a parent. Sometimes you just can't do things you want to do.
gogohm · 25/10/2021 22:41

Unfortunately it's the trend for perfect weddings, child free in case they don't get the choreography quite right and how dare a child speak at the wrong point. Personal bugbear of mine and I organise them.

Apart from suggesting it there's nothing else you can do

Neapwind · 25/10/2021 22:44

Save the day notes came out today 25/10/21

OP posts:
GreenClock · 25/10/2021 22:45

OP - be honest - are you martyring yourself by offering to babysit in the hope that the child will then be invited? That’s a risky strategy if so.

I’m not trying to be mean, honestly. Just saying that it might not work and you’ll miss out too.

The child’s parents should make other arrangements.

appleturnovers · 25/10/2021 22:47

I hate this attitude of "it's their wedding, their choice, end of." Yes, of course it is their choice, but that doesn't change the fact that some people's choices are incredibly hurtful and, in some cases, downright rude, and they need to face that.

IMO weddings are family events. I find it very bizarre behaviour to exclude close family. If it's children of friends who you barely know thenor you don't want dozens of children running around your swish hotel then I can understand it more, but an 11 year old girl is most likely perfectly capable of behaving herself. Very weird and hurtful in my opinion.

LadyMacbethWasMisunderstood · 25/10/2021 22:50

Please don’t miss your grand daughter’s wedding. That is likely to cause her great hurt. Try to avoid that even, though you yourself are hurting.

Depending on your relationship with your grand daughter I do not think it would be wrong to have a very low key chat with her about the possible attendance of her cousin. Along the likes of your grand daughter probably did not realise, but because of her autism her cousin can’t be left with anyone else and would she feel able to include her? Whilst it is of course her decision I do think the views of grandmother with whom one has a good relationship should be at least listened to.

But if your grand daughter’s views remain the same, please don’t let it spoil your relationship if it is otherwise good. I do think that her cousin’s parent or parents should be the ones to stay behind, not you. It would look like a real snub if neither you nor your husband (her grandfather?) went to her wedding.

Teach234 · 25/10/2021 22:51

How will your child take the news that you are not attending your granddaughters wedding?

Sally872 · 25/10/2021 22:52

I can't believe you would miss your granddaughters wedding to give 11 year old's parents a "a break away" you can do that another weekend. You should be at wedding.

CantStartaFireWithoutaSpark · 25/10/2021 22:55

OP is a drama lama

MarieIVanArkleStinks · 25/10/2021 22:57

Weddings. They cause so much angst and so often result in people behaving atrociously. And they're boring to boot!

Normally I have no truck with bridezillas and groomzillas who treat people appallingly during the run-up to their wedding and expect everyone to dance attendance on them. However, the bride is the one who has my sympathy on this occasion.

Reading between the lines of OP's updates there's a clear dynamic going on here with the younger grandchild as the favoured one. The 'mini-wedding' idea is - to put it mildly - unusual. This is all I think it's necessary to say on that point.

The grandmother would prefer to babysit the younger grandchild than attend the wedding of the elder one, under the not uncommon principle in this day and age of having a child-free wedding. Normally I'd suggest that if people issue child-free invitations they should expect some of the parents of said children not to attend. The grandparents, who then implicitly turn this into a choice of 'invite my golden DGC or I don't attend either', not so much. I wouldn't mind having a wild stab in the dark, too, and guessing that this dynamic is part of the reason she isn't wanted there, and the easiest decision has ended up being not to invite children at all.

Your ploy is transparent, OP, and it's unkind. One of your younger granddaughters parents could easily stay with her whilst you attend the wedding with your son or daughter. Your treatment of your poor elder granddaughter is awful. (And I suspect she's experienced similar since the younger one came along).

So pleased we eloped. We'd do the same again. What is it about weddings that makes people behave like this?

allthegoodusernameshavegone · 25/10/2021 22:58

I actually think you are being disrespectful to your elder DGD, to not respect her wishes and to not attend her special day in favour of a child whose parents are still happy to attend. Yabvu, I would be hurt if my dgp reacted as you have.

Princessorange · 25/10/2021 22:59

Can't the 11 year old other grandparents look after her?

For the poster who said about her daughter leaving out her 3 year old step daughter that's awful, what a cruel step mother she sounds, child free weddings are asking guests to leave their children at home not the couples own actual children.

Whitecushion · 25/10/2021 22:59

Well I think your bride grandaughter is mean and unkind not to invite her. Its one child of 11 who is a close relation. You can't really say anything but I would be seriously disappointed with any granddaughter of mine that excluded a young cousin.

appleturnovers · 25/10/2021 22:59

@HoundofHades

My daughter's planning her wedding right now - and is adamant that she wants NO children there. Problem is that her partner has a 3 year old little girl whose grandmother has automatically assumed that the little darling is going to be a flower girl...

My future SIL couldn't give two shits as to whether his daughter (who's a sweetheart, to be fair) attends or not - all he cares about is keeping out of the row between my daughter and his mother. In other words? He's picked his battle. Not every bride wants her vows drowned out by small children screeching, her dress potentially touched by sticky fingers, or everyone "ah..."ing over cute toddlers carrying flowers and/or looking terrified. Your older granddaughter is probably wiser than you about these things, @Neapwind

What on Earth have I just read? Heartbreaking.
cowskeepingmeupatnight · 25/10/2021 23:00

My frail 88 year old grandad just flew across Europe for my wedding, navigating PCR tests and vaccine passports and online checkin and the rest. Because he’s my grandad and he wouldn’t have missed it for the world. You need to give your head a shake, OP.

Lillibettina · 25/10/2021 23:02

Agree with pp who said it looks like you are martyring yourself over this.

How about putting your granddaughter who is getting married first rather than thinking how "hurt" you are?

It smacks of a petty tantrum to say you "have" to look after younger granddaughter, when her father (who is probably less bothered about going to the wedding as a more distant relative) could look after her.

Are you trying to guilt your older granddaughter into doing what you want? I feel sorry for her!

Stickyblue1987 · 25/10/2021 23:02

Is the younger brother of the bride attending?

Personally where I am (ireland) I've never been or heard of a child free wedding (where the children are family). It's a family affair. Although I've been to many friends wedding where nobody brings their own children (who would want to!)

I could understand if there were like 30 family children but if it's only one 11 year old who is likely to sit quietly then I don't see the issue.

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