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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Hen do - Am I right to feel annoyed at bridesmaid?

81 replies

Poppymonty3 · 06/03/2022 14:57

My partners sister got married two years ago and I was surprised that I was not asked to be a bridesmaid for her as we get on well and her only sibling is my partner but I still helped out with wedding planning and attended hen do, etc. I asked her to be my bridesmaid despite this as I thought it was a nice thing to do for my partners family to get them involved and like I said we do get on well.

We get married in 3 months. We have been planning the hen do for a while and it was her idea that we should try bongo bingo as she has been before and completely sold the idea to me but the date are only realised 1 or 2 months before. We have been checking to see when it is available constantly. The dates are now available but she has planned to go on holiday for the entire month before our wedding so we can't have the hen do then. I gave her three dates the month before and she said she was busy for all three of them. She has arranged to go on a hen do on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the end of May in Manchester for a girl who has also asked her to be a bridesmaid. This girl has got several bridesmaids and my bridesmaid has only known her for a year. She is the girlfriend of the my bridesmaids partners friend and doesn't live anywhere near us so they rarely see each other, they aren't close and from what I gather they don't know each other that well, I may be jumping to conclusions but from what i can gather she has only been asked to be a bridesmaid as her partner us best man.

Anyway I am now having my hen do in Manchester the same weekend as it is the only date available. I told her and she said she might see me around. I was expecting her to try and find some middle ground and maybe spend a couple of days with her friend then meet up with us on the Sunday considering she will be in the same city? Her stance is that it is first come first serve and since her 'friend' planned her hen do first she will be spending the whole weekend with her. She said I should have arranged my hen do sooner but she knows that the dates for the bingo are only released a couple of months in advance. She hasn't apologised or even said she is sad that she will be missing my hen do.

Really I am gutted that she won't be there and I am upset that she seems unbothered about it or unwilling to try and work something out. I am so annoyed that I feel like telling her to not bothering being my bridesmaid as she has done nothing to contribute and doesn't seem bothered.

Am I being over the top? Should I be feeling this upset about it?

OP posts:
AprilShowers82 · 06/03/2022 15:12

I think you’re being a bit unreasonable. Your post comes across like you should take priority over the other bride, or like she shouldn’t be her bridesmaid as they haven’t known each other or because the other girl has several bridesmaids, which I think is a bit unfair.
If you were fixed on certain dates, you should have arranged something other than Hingis bingo that could be planned more in advance.
Try not to let it get you down, move past it and don’t take it personally. You’ll have a great hen do, bongos bingo is loads of fun. Maybe organise an afternoon tea or similar with your sister an law and older relatives, separate from bongos.

WhenISnappedAndFarted · 06/03/2022 15:12

I think you see her much more of a friend than you she does for you and that's fine. She's your fiancés sister, she doesn't have to be a close friend.

Step back, stop revolving things around her and if she's there then she's there. You know where you are in the list of priorities and it's not near the top, concentrate on your wedding and leave her to it.

Baconandmaplesyrup · 06/03/2022 15:14

I also think you’re unreasonable you only asked her you said so his family felt involved.

Go with your other friends.

WeDontShutUpAboutBruno · 06/03/2022 15:15

You've asked her to be a bridesmaid out of duty to your partner, she has likely accepted for the same reason.

She has plans already, so just go ahead and make yours to suit yourself and don't worry about her being at the hen do.

luxxlisbon · 06/03/2022 15:15

YABU she has already committed the weekend. You went ahead with your plan knowing she was busy so you don’t really have a right to be pissed off now. It would be shitty of her to duck out of her other plans imo.

Whatsonmymindgrapes · 06/03/2022 15:16

Yabu

Poppymonty3 · 06/03/2022 15:17

It's not that, I have no issue with her being bridesmaid to someone else.

I do think family should be a priority over someone you don't know that well though. She could go on her friends hen do on the Friday and Saturday and meet up with us on the Sunday? I don't understand why this hasn't crossed her mind. I suppose people are different. I gave her multiple dates but there is always something more important to do.

OP posts:
KindlyKanga · 06/03/2022 15:18

You didn't even want her as your Bridesmaid and only asked because she is your partners sister. So just go without her.

AprilShowers82 · 06/03/2022 15:19

You say “don’t know that well” but you can’t possibly know that. You can build quite a close friendship in a year with someone you really click with and spend a lot of time with: I don’t believe personally that family always come first-friendships are really important to me.

BeHappy91818 · 06/03/2022 15:19

Yabu. She already has plans that weekend.

VenusClapTrap · 06/03/2022 15:20

Do you have other bridesmaids?

JackieCollinshasnoauthority · 06/03/2022 15:21

She's not family?

SunnySideUp2020 · 06/03/2022 15:22

She is not your super good friend. You are family and that's ok. Also you didn't have to have her as bridesmaid... she probably knows that.
And she already planned something.
Sorry but yabu on this...
Do your thing you don't need her!

Poppymonty3 · 06/03/2022 15:22

Just one we are having a more intimate wedding.

OP posts:
KindlyKanga · 06/03/2022 15:23

Have an intimate hen do then?

NeverChange · 06/03/2022 15:24

You don't have the relationship with her that you would like to have. Stop trying to force it.

KateMiddletonsBodyDouble · 06/03/2022 15:24

What is bongo bingo??

YABU. In summary -
You were annoyed she didn't ask you to be her bridesmaid - but nevertheless you asked her to be yours, not because she was a very close friend but because you wanted a family connection in the wedding. From her POV she probably couldn't say no.

You think you should take priority over the other bride because of friendship/family status. You think she should leave the other hen - which she already had agreed to go to - early to join you because of this. And you're really annoyed/upset because she understandably won't.

Would love to hear the other side of this....

TheLightSideOfTheMoon · 06/03/2022 15:25

She’s not that into you.

Let her go.

luxxlisbon · 06/03/2022 15:26

I do think family should be a priority over someone you don't know that well though.

That isn’t really your call to make, plus you aren’t really family yet as far as many people are concerned. You don’t really get to dictate that she should prioritise you over the friend, just because they have only known each other a year doesn’t mean they aren’t close.

Spring and summer is a busy time for things like weddings and hens etc, you are being a hit unreasonable to imply she isn’t trying at all or is being shit because “there is always something better to do”, she is already busy it isn’t about ditching you for something better.

Shoxfordian · 06/03/2022 15:26

Yabu; she already had plans that weekend

It sounds like you want to be closer than you are

Poppymonty3 · 06/03/2022 15:27

I did think that we had a pretty good relationship we have known each other for 10 years now and she comes over with her partner for tea on a weekly basis or we go to them. We have been on holiday abroad together twice with our partners. I have been there for her a lot in the past.

OP posts:
Nanny0gg · 06/03/2022 15:27

@Poppymonty3

It's not that, I have no issue with her being bridesmaid to someone else.

I do think family should be a priority over someone you don't know that well though. She could go on her friends hen do on the Friday and Saturday and meet up with us on the Sunday? I don't understand why this hasn't crossed her mind. I suppose people are different. I gave her multiple dates but there is always something more important to do.

Maybe she knows/likes the other hens more?
Aworldofmyown · 06/03/2022 15:28

You rather sound like you think you're doing her a favour by having her as bridesmaid!
Just enjoy your Hen and move on; it really isn't the end of the world

Chloemol · 06/03/2022 15:29

Just accept the fact she is not coming, and if you don’t want to do the bingo etc then do something nearer home you would like to do

Darkstar4855 · 06/03/2022 15:29

You knowingly booked your hen do on the same weekend that she had already committed to go to someone else’s hen do and now you’re getting huffy that she won’t split her time between the two? YABVU.

I can just imagine the AIBU from the other bride if she pulled out of half the hen do to go to a different hen do instead!