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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To have expected my daughters to be flower girls

1000 replies

Notmotherofflowergirls · 06/04/2024 16:02

Just created an account for people to pile on to me and tell me I am an idiot. I don’t think I can tell my real friends.
I am inwardly cringing!
My brother is getting married in 3 months time to a woman with no nieces or nephews.
My mother and I naturally assumed that my two girls 4 and 6 would be the flower girls. There are no other kids in the family although stepdad has grandchildren.
My mother was feeling left out of all the planning. DB was uncommunicative about the plans and always referred us to SiL and when my mum asked to contribute she was batted away.
Finally Mum insisted that she would buy the flower girl dresses and finally brother agreed. So on Wednesday SiL posted an invoice for three flower girl dresses from a Shop in Dublin. She included a nice note saying that she mustn’t feel obliged to pay.
My mum asked who the third dress was for: it turns out all three are for her cousin’s girls.
Brother came round and said that they will be only kids at wedding.
My brother was asked point blank if he didn’t want his nieces there and all he could say was he would speak with SiL. He did look sheepish.
My dad died and while my mum has not remarried she has been with her partner for 9 years. His kids are not invited. My stepdad isn’t going and is angry that my mum has been made to feel so upset.
I feel as if I have been kicked in the guts. My mum keeps bursting into tears.
My DH says he’s ongoing either Have we overstepped? Would anyone else have made the same assumption?

OP posts:
Nannyogg134 · 06/04/2024 16:13

You're being a bit OTT about the flower girls thing, I wouldn't have ever expected my DDs to be a flower girl (or even that there would be flower girls at all tbh). However, your brother has been a bit strange about the wedding as well, he doesn't sound too excited about it.

Itsokish · 06/04/2024 16:14

I think it's a very reasonable assumption to make.If either of my sons got married and their one niece was not included but others were I would very surprised!My daughter would probably feel quite sad about it as well .

LittleLittleRex · 06/04/2024 16:15

Sounds like your brother could communicate better but that you are all very dramatic and easily hurt. You can carry on the childish and avoidant way of communicating or try to be grown up about it.

Your mum was playing games offering to buy the dresses, instead of having an actual conversation. Probably part of her anger is embarrassment.

Why would your mums boyfriends kids be invited, it sounds like you are all adults, so didn't grow up together as step siblings.

BMW6 · 06/04/2024 16:15

Well it's not your wedding so of course you erred in having expectations!

Surely the bride chooses her attendants and the groom his.

As for your Mum's partners kids, I'm not at all surprised they're not invited. They want a child free wedding apart from the 3 flower girls.

I'm afraid you all just have to suck it up or cause major problems for your db.

KeinLiebeslied54321 · 06/04/2024 16:16

Why on earth did you just assume?

beAsensible1 · 06/04/2024 16:17

It sucks but I think you need to also accept that either your brother doesn’t care or isn’t interested in you guys being involved in the wedding other than as guests.

As I read it your children aren’t invited either.

I think you guys might to take a step back especially if you want to potentially have a relationship with SIL their kids in the future.

Leave any chats until after the wedding. And with him only.

pootlin · 06/04/2024 16:17

Your mum should absolutely not pay for flower gorl dresses or anything else.

Has she told db she won’t be paying?

Also, as your dc are uninvited, you should decline as well.

hazeydays14 · 06/04/2024 16:17

I can understand why your feelings were hurt. It’s a shame she hasn’t asked your girls to be flower girls, I can’t imagine not having my niece (DHs sisters child) as my flower girl but DH didn’t expect me to have her (or SIL as my bridesmaid) but I wanted them both to be included. SIL and I do have a relatively close relationship though.

However I do think you and MIL WBU to assume. SIL seemed genuinely surprised when I asked them both to be involved so I don’t think it’s always a given.

vickyvelvet666 · 06/04/2024 16:17

I suppose it's wrong to assume anything when it isn't your wedding. However, I can understand why you are upset, as it would seem reasonable to include girls from both families.

isitbananatimealready · 06/04/2024 16:17

pikkumyy77 · 06/04/2024 16:06

Its a crazy level of assumptions to have made. Stop being so demanding and weepy over someone else’s wedding.

It's not all that crazy to assume that people will invite their own family to their wedding, or that the groom's little nieces might be called upon to be bridesmaids.

InTheShallowTheShalalalalalalalow · 06/04/2024 16:18

It sounds like he was being shady about it because he knew the dramatics it would cause and couldn't be arsed with it.

You and your mum shouldn't assume anything about someone else's wedding, the only input you have to any wedding is your own, your stepdad is being a twat by spitting his dummy out because his kids aren't invited as well.

All in all I feel sorry for the couple.

gamerchick · 06/04/2024 16:18

BMW6 · 06/04/2024 16:15

Well it's not your wedding so of course you erred in having expectations!

Surely the bride chooses her attendants and the groom his.

As for your Mum's partners kids, I'm not at all surprised they're not invited. They want a child free wedding apart from the 3 flower girls.

I'm afraid you all just have to suck it up or cause major problems for your db.

Seriously, 3 months to go to your siblings wedding and you hadn't been told your kids weren't invited. You would just shrug and not feel a bit of a stinging sensation?

WhiteLeopard · 06/04/2024 16:18

I wouldn't have necessarily expected my DDs to be flower girls in this situation - lots of brides don't have flower girls. However, I would be gutted that the bride's cousin's children are invited and the groom's sister's children aren't. So on balance YANBU.

PlasticOno · 06/04/2024 16:19

isitbananatimealready · 06/04/2024 16:17

It's not all that crazy to assume that people will invite their own family to their wedding, or that the groom's little nieces might be called upon to be bridesmaids.

Well, but surely you’d wait until the girls were actually asked? Hilarious to have offered to buy flower girl dresses and then discover different children are going to be wearing them.

FacingDivorceButSad · 06/04/2024 16:19

The bridal party us usually made up from the brides side not the grooms. It was an assumption that shouldn't have been made. Your brother should advocate for who he wants in attendance though so step dad's kids are on him. I don't understand why people get so invested in other people's weddings

Sageyboots · 06/04/2024 16:19

agree with pp about flowergirls, but i would be interested to understand your brothers decisions about who is invited from his side of the family.

Glass113 · 06/04/2024 16:21

I can never understand people who are this invested in other peoples weddings.

Pepsiisbetterthancoke · 06/04/2024 16:21

This is how the dreaded MIL/SIL reputations start

Brides so shitty things like this, groom doesn’t stand up to bridezilla and then when his family question why he is not standing up for his family they will be seen as “difficult”

Your brother is being unreasonable as he no doubt knew the details well before now but wasn’t man enough to be honest with anyone which has now caused bad feeling

AlohaRose · 06/04/2024 16:22

Well your mum made a huge assumption that your DDs would be flower girls and as a result has now ended up paying for dresses for flower girls she doesn't even know. There is no obligation on your brother or soon-to-be SIL to have any specific people in their wedding party and while it might have been nice for your DDs to be included, they're not so please don't create a drama about it. Does your DB have a relationship with his step-siblings? Did they grow up together?

Ozanj · 06/04/2024 16:22

I sympathise. It’s an absolute piss take for your brother and sil to accept your mil’s money for flowergirl dresses and then them not invite your daughters. Your brother has shown you where you and your daughters stand - ie below random cousins kids who they’ll probably never even see after the wedding. I suggest you all take a massive step back from the wedding - stop asking questions, stop talking to your db, and stop involving him in any family celebrations. It’s obvs he doesn’t give a shit about any of you.

Heronwatcher · 06/04/2024 16:23

Yeah, I think it is very odd that tradition is being trotted out in this day and age- so far as I can understand it the grooms actual nieces aren’t invited but the bride’s second cousins are- and moreover are bridesmaids. I agree that the bride should have the final say on the flower girls, but close blood relations of the groom (he’s their Uncle FGS) should either be invited, or clearly the situation should be explained much earlier in the day. Sounds to me like the useless brother has just zoned out and the bride has either pressed on with her own plans or got so pissed off with his inaction she’s given up (doesn’t sound like the brother even asked about his nieces being there, let alone as flowergirls).

boonr · 06/04/2024 16:23

That is pretty shitty :/. I can see why you're both hurt.

The only thing I don't agree with is the flower girl bit. I wouldn't have assumed that the kids would be flower girls, however not even inviting them when there are the other 3 kids there...that's really shit of her.

InTheShallowTheShalalalalalalalow · 06/04/2024 16:23

Pepsiisbetterthancoke · 06/04/2024 16:21

This is how the dreaded MIL/SIL reputations start

Brides so shitty things like this, groom doesn’t stand up to bridezilla and then when his family question why he is not standing up for his family they will be seen as “difficult”

Your brother is being unreasonable as he no doubt knew the details well before now but wasn’t man enough to be honest with anyone which has now caused bad feeling

What has the bride done that's 'shitty'? Asked members of her own family to be flower girls?

pootlin · 06/04/2024 16:23

AlohaRose · 06/04/2024 16:22

Well your mum made a huge assumption that your DDs would be flower girls and as a result has now ended up paying for dresses for flower girls she doesn't even know. There is no obligation on your brother or soon-to-be SIL to have any specific people in their wedding party and while it might have been nice for your DDs to be included, they're not so please don't create a drama about it. Does your DB have a relationship with his step-siblings? Did they grow up together?

The mum hasn’t paid yet and shouldn’t pay.

pootlin · 06/04/2024 16:24

InTheShallowTheShalalalalalalalow · 06/04/2024 16:23

What has the bride done that's 'shitty'? Asked members of her own family to be flower girls?

Invited her own cousin’s dc to the wedding but refuses to allow her husband’s nieces or step-siblings to be invited.

That’s pretty shitty.

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