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Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Furious about family wedding abroad

619 replies

Creamandjamorjamandcream · 02/09/2024 16:39

A close family member has lived on the other side of the word for the last five years. He met someone over there who seems great (we’ve only actually met her once when they spent some time in Europe) and last year he proposed!

We have been discussing flights and accommodation for a few weeks. We are a family of 4 with a 4 year old and an 18 month old so it was always going to be tricky financially and practically to travel. They live in a major city but the wedding will be about two hours away in a beautiful rural location. We have booked flights and accommodation for the wedding and the two weeks either side to explore.

Last week we received a formal invitation which stipulated that it was an adults only wedding. I immediately contacted my brother to make sure that our kids were not included in the ban - seeing as he knew we had booked flights for us all and this had never been mentioned. Unfortunately he said that our children were not welcome at the wedding however his wife to be had the details of some baby sitters in the city.

I don’t know what to do!! I am furious that we have paid so much money for accommodation and travel which I never would have if I’d have known our children weren’t invited!! I feel very uncomfortable with leaving the children two hours away with a stranger overnight however if we take them with us we have no other alternative as everyone we know in the country will be attending the wedding. I’ve asked if they can be babysat in the hotel on the wedding site as a compromise but have been told no as ‘they don’t want any kids there at all’.

Please help me with what I should do!! I feel like I’m too angry to think straight.

OP posts:
tigerbear · 03/09/2024 19:34

@Creamandjamorjamandcream i was in a similar position over 10 years ago, when my brother got married.
When they announced the wedding date and stipulated that it would be child free, it was fine, as I didn’t even have a child then.
However, I found out I was pregnant a few weeks later, with DD due date 2 weeks before the wedding!

DH and I thought they’d make allowances for a 2 week old baby (if indeed she arrived on the due date and if I felt well enough to attend), but SIL refused! My brother and the whole family tried to change her mind, but she refused.

DD DID arrive 2 weeks before, so I had to make the decision of either not attending at all, or leaving DD with DH at my mums house, while I went to the wedding.
i decided to go (it was 4 hours away by train), having had an emergency C-section.

Upon reflection, I wish I hadn’t bothered - I was knackered, SIL and brother barely spoke to me, and at the reception, I was seated the furthest away from the top table, on a table of randoms I didn’t know (think ex work colleagues of my brother), so couldn’t even chat to family.
Then had to spend about half an hour in one of the hotel rooms, expressing breast milk.

Several years later, my brother and SIL split up (no surprise there!) and brother told me he was sorry, and that he’d nearly called the wedding off because of how she’d behaved.

Think carefully before deciding what to do.
I’d try and cancel as much as possible, if you can get a refund on flights or hotel, or try to get credit to fly somewhere else.
Even if you do go alone to the wedding, you’ll have no end of friends and relatives coming up asking where DH and the kids are.
In my case, all of the extended family were incredulous, asking where the baby was, when I explained that my tiny little 2 week newborn wasn’t allowed to come 🥺

tigerbear · 03/09/2024 19:36

To add, when I asked DB why SIL had been so against baby DD being there, he admitted it was because she hadn’t wanted any attention diverted away from her, and wanted to ‘be a princess for the day’!

AllyArty · 03/09/2024 19:48

That’s bad form on their part. I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving children the age that yours are with strangers.

BlueFlowers5 · 03/09/2024 19:52

Cancel it all - your children wouldn't be 'allowrd' in the hotel you've paid to stay in? No way.
And your DB should have forewarned you...

Blueroses99 · 03/09/2024 19:52

InterIgnis · 03/09/2024 19:30

What marriage, family and future generations mean can vary wildly depending upon whom you ask. He may not be concerned about being particularly close to his nieces and nephews now and/or later. He already lives on the other side of the world, after all.

I’m not sure why you’re blaming her, as if he couldn’t possibly make this decision himself and she must be a bridezilla. For all we know he’s the driving force, or at least equally in agreement 🤷🏻‍♀️

OP - Lots of people utilize hotel babysitters, so he probably didn’t think getting one would be at all a big deal. I don’t think he’s done anything wrong by having a childfree wedding (and no, family children aren’t always, and don’t have to be, exceptions), but it was unwise not to tell you earlier.

A hotel babysitter when you’re on the premises is one thing but leaving children (overnight?) in a city 2 hours away is quite another. Are the babysitters that SIL-to-be identified personal recommendations from friends or family, a reputable agency or random Gumtree type ads? Either way, it’s not a ‘hotel babysitter’ arrangement that’s been suggested.

Whatinthedoopla · 03/09/2024 19:56

Cancel the flight and accomodation. If you can't cancel, go as a holiday and miss the wedding

coinkidinks · 03/09/2024 20:01

Honestly… in this situation I would just take your kids and go to the wedding. What are they gonna do- make a big scene at the actual venue and actively kick you out?? All your family will be there to help out, presumably your kids are old enough/ well behaved enough to manage a few hours, and I bet others will take their kids along without even double checking the way you have!

Littlemisssavvy · 03/09/2024 20:12

Creamandjamorjamandcream · 02/09/2024 16:58

Thank you everyone. I think I needed to rant to get the upset out of my system.

I will take a few days to calm down and chat with him again. I agree that the best option is to have the children at the hotel the weddings at with my partner staying up in the room with them. If that’s not an option, I think we will probably have to decline the invite all together and get whatever money back we can.

This has been very cathartic. I appreciate you all taking the time to reply.

Your brother will look back on this and cringe…..it’s beyond awful!

When you manage to speak to him, you should be as assertive as you are able and say that you will either need to a) get a full refund and not attend b) repurpose into a family holiday and not attend or c) find a compromise at the hotel with your husband so that I only you can attend a part of it……

You need to say that until they have their own DC, they have no idea how unreasonable they are asking you to leave 2 pre-school children in a foreign country, 2 hours away with complete strangers.

How on earth are they even expecting you to relax and enjoy the day.

Grannyinnwaiting · 03/09/2024 20:15

That's totally unreal do keep us updated OP / people's selfishness knows no bounds.

InterIgnis · 03/09/2024 20:24

Blueroses99 · 03/09/2024 19:52

A hotel babysitter when you’re on the premises is one thing but leaving children (overnight?) in a city 2 hours away is quite another. Are the babysitters that SIL-to-be identified personal recommendations from friends or family, a reputable agency or random Gumtree type ads? Either way, it’s not a ‘hotel babysitter’ arrangement that’s been suggested.

Hotel babysitter or local babysitter - same principle applies. If OP isn’t comfortable with that then obviously that’s her choice, but other people can and do use them when travelling abroad so it probably didn’t occur to the brother that it would be a problem.

7isthemagicnumber · 03/09/2024 20:33

I had a friend do the same to me, it was short haul though, everyone we knew in the country was at the wedding, dh and the kids flew over but didn't go the wedding, I did - it was shit...but we'd paid for everything.

ThistleTits · 03/09/2024 20:33

@Creamandjamorjamandcream perhaps contact the hotel and ask if they can recommend local bbs. Alternatively, enjoy the trip minus the wedding.

PatioRose · 03/09/2024 20:39

I wouldn't be going.

hydriotaphia · 03/09/2024 20:40

I can only assume the people commenting here that the brother is reasonable have not encountered kids that age before. Because most people can’t just leave their 18 month old with a random (even if DBS checked)- a toddler that age will need to meet them a few times before being comfortable to be left. And being left overnight with an unknown to them babysitter in a foreign country is just not something any young child would be happy with. It’s not (just) a safety issue, it’s just not going to work for kids that age.

BorsetshireBanality · 03/09/2024 20:47

Start saving after this wedding and you’ll have enough to spend on travel to his next wedding!

Rory17384949 · 03/09/2024 20:47

I would want to cancel the whole lot, see what money you can get back if you cancel.
I would not have my DC staying overnight with a babysitter I hadn't met before so if you're going to lose a lot of money by cancelling I would tell your brother that the DC will be with a babysitter at the wedding hotel and that's non negotiable.

Sleepytiredyawn · 03/09/2024 20:54

Cancel, or go and enjoy your holiday, screw them. Yes it’s up to them if they want a child free wedding but what they’ve done is shitty. I certainly wouldn’t leave my kids with a stranger in a City over here, let alone do it in another Country. Typical of childless Couples to assume this would be ok. One day, when they have their own kids, they will realise that asking this of you was a dick move.

Neverneverneveragain · 03/09/2024 20:58

Unless you can get a lot of what you spent already refunded I would go on the holiday and not go to the wedding at all. How inconsiderate of your brother not to have said anything ahead of you booking. I would be so furious but I’d make a point of really enjoying the holiday

Lola1974 · 03/09/2024 21:03

Or you could just go and have a great holiday but not attend the wedding.

caringcarer · 03/09/2024 21:04

UnctuousUnicorns · 02/09/2024 16:43

Don't go to the wedding, just treat the time away as a holiday. That's what I'd be doing. 🤷‍♀️

Me too. I'd be bloody furious. I'd just go as a family holiday and not attend the wedding.

caringcarer · 03/09/2024 21:05

If his nephew and niece were not welcome he should have told you before you booked.

caringcarer · 03/09/2024 21:09

Snowdrops17 · 02/09/2024 17:13

Think it's really strange that he would wait until after you booked everything to tell you that but was an adult only wedding it's almost like his wife decided recently ? Honestly I wouldn't go , expecting you to leave your kids with strangers in a foreign country no thanks . I'd go in the trip and plan something else for when the wedding is on and tell him he should of let you know before you booked everything

Maybe they knew OP and her family would choose not to travel to wedding if they told them from the outset.

Evergreen90 · 03/09/2024 21:12

This is insanity. I would be furious too, and really hurt. There’s no way I would leave my children alone with a stranger, not even in a hotel room (if he was willing to make that compromise!)

Makingchocolatecake · 03/09/2024 21:21

UnctuousUnicorns · 02/09/2024 16:43

Don't go to the wedding, just treat the time away as a holiday. That's what I'd be doing. 🤷‍♀️

This, and you (just you) could go to the ceremony whilst dp has children

Easipeelerie · 03/09/2024 21:21

He moved the goal posts after you’d paid . That’s the crucial point, not child free weddings. Of course you can have a child free wedding, but you don’t watch your sister discuss and book family flights then act as if that and never happened.
You are being extremely generous if you bother going. Either cancel or go there on holiday and sack the wedding.