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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To feel very cross with my ex over this (wedding invitation)? Long.

120 replies

Boardgamedust · 13/02/2025 13:31

Last spring, me and my then-DP were invited to DP's friend's wedding which is to be in April 2025.

It was addressed to 'Me and DP' not 'DP and plus one' if that makes a difference. I think it does really but open to other's opinions.

Me and Ex split in September after 4 and a half years together.
It was an amicable break up, we didn't fall out or have cross words, we both just wanted different things and it was inevitable it would happen. We still speak, we check how one another is doing, have one another on social media, I sent DP's niece a christmas present etc etc.

Anyway not long after we split I asked Ex what we were doing about the wedding. I said I was happy to come as a friend, but if bride felt she'd rather invite someone else that was okay-there's also the matter of me having dietary preferences and if someone else was to take my place, this would need sorting with the venue, so best to address sooner rather than later.

I have a mutual friend with Ex DP and we had a natter last night and she asked if I was coming to the wedding. I said I'd check with Ex as I'd not heard back from her about what bride wanted. Friend did say 'Oh (bride) won't care you've split-she'll want you there!' but anyway, I checked with ex and the conversation went something to the lines of;

'Didn't think you'd want to come'

(me) 'Do you remember us discussing it a few months ago?'

'I remember u saying u would come but thought it might be awkward i mean I can ask again if u do ?'

(me) 'Ask again, what do you mean?'

'Bride's Mum took you off as I didn't think you would come' (Bride's Mum is organising things, I don't know bride's Mum myself).

(me) 'Why would you think I'd not come, I'd said I would? If you didn't want me to come, that's okay, you could've discussed that but why tell her I didn't want to come when I'd said I'd be happy to come?'

'It isn't that I didn't want u to come I just didn't think ud want to that's all'.

(me) 'What part of, I'll happily come as a friend could possibly mean I didn't want to come?'

Anyway, I'll elaborate more if people want but in essence ex has gone to the organiser of the wedding and told her that I don't want to come. Ex backtracked later in the conversation and said that bride's Mum had asked, and ex had said we'd split up. I haven't said anything but I simply do not believe this, why would she ask? She's never met me and isn't close to ex either-you don't tend to just ask out of the blue if someone invited is still coming?

I also told ex that if bride didn't want me there due to us splitting up, that would be fine-I can see why she might want to use 'my' place for someone else who she may see more of over the coming years but AIBU to think;

It wasn't my ex's place to make that decision?

Ex should've discussed it with me first-I was an invited guest

If Ex didn't want me to come, I'd have understood and we could have talked about that-I wouldn't want to make things awkward for anyone-however if that was the case I would have gone to the bride direct

And (my main issue with all of this) ex has made me look very rude and dismissive?

If it /was/ true, and I HAD decided not to go, I'd have gone to the bride directly, apologised and explained my reasons-not just told someone else (which I didn't) to 'get me taken off'.

And, ex saying 'I'll ask again' -I did say later on in the conversation that you just cannot mess people about like that with weddings, there's so much work goes into organising them as it is.

I don't really know what to say to the bride without looking as if I am hankering after an(other!) invitation, that is really not what I'd be doing-I just think ex has made me look like an ignorant ungrateful oik.

Further info-bride is someone I'd class as a friend, she came to my ('big') birthday a couple of years ago, we'd often socialise in a group however ex has known her much longer than I have so for this reason, I'd totally understand if she wanted to 'uninvite' me in place of someone closer to her. I just feel that that's up to her, not up to my ex DP.

OP posts:
MorrisZapp · 13/02/2025 13:34

I'd let it all go to be honest.

PrincessPeache · 13/02/2025 13:36

What a lot of fuss for nothing. You were only invited because you were his DP, now you’re not.

Newstartplease24 · 13/02/2025 13:36

Can you just message the bride and wish her all the best and express regret that it has got garbled.
your ex is making up stuff, clearly, as things are getting switched around as hes fudging. So be very hands off about what actually happened. Just say you regret not handling the communication yourself as you’d like her to know you wish her all the very best and very much respect her wedding and her preferences for the day.

InfoSecInTheCity · 13/02/2025 13:36

If you said to me "I'll happily come as a friend" and then left it up to me to decide if I wanted you to, then I'd assume you're not coming if I hadn't directly said that yes I did want you to come as a friend.

You put the ball in their court to make the decision.

Boardgamedust · 13/02/2025 13:37

I will let it go, after I've apologised to the bride though. I really feel like she might be thinking I've just decided not to go, sent a msg via someone else and that I don't appreciate the invitation,which is simply not true.

OP posts:
Newstartplease24 · 13/02/2025 13:38

Dont stay too close to your ex. He’s not a good friend and not entirely honest and he’s taking up too much of your headspace. Move on

Boardgamedust · 13/02/2025 13:38

InfoSecInTheCity · 13/02/2025 13:36

If you said to me "I'll happily come as a friend" and then left it up to me to decide if I wanted you to, then I'd assume you're not coming if I hadn't directly said that yes I did want you to come as a friend.

You put the ball in their court to make the decision.

I did and this was a mistake, I now realise. I just felt because the bride was more Ex's friend than mine that that would be the right thing to do. I also felt that out of respect for my ex and the above, that it was less up to me.

I do think that 'assuming I am not coming' is one thing, but without even checking with me whether I was or not?

OP posts:
Boardgamedust · 13/02/2025 13:39

Newstartplease24 · 13/02/2025 13:36

Can you just message the bride and wish her all the best and express regret that it has got garbled.
your ex is making up stuff, clearly, as things are getting switched around as hes fudging. So be very hands off about what actually happened. Just say you regret not handling the communication yourself as you’d like her to know you wish her all the very best and very much respect her wedding and her preferences for the day.

Thank you-that is a good way of putting it. I will send bride a message shortly.

OP posts:
Boardgamedust · 13/02/2025 13:40

Newstartplease24 · 13/02/2025 13:38

Dont stay too close to your ex. He’s not a good friend and not entirely honest and he’s taking up too much of your headspace. Move on

Definitely hasn't been honest here! A bride's Mum who doesn't know me has randomly asked if I am still coming... I just think that didn't happen.

OP posts:
Boardgamedust · 13/02/2025 13:40

PrincessPeache · 13/02/2025 13:36

What a lot of fuss for nothing. You were only invited because you were his DP, now you’re not.

As I've said, if that was the case I'd have totally understood.

OP posts:
waterrat · 13/02/2025 13:40

Seems a bit of an over reaction tbh on your part

YoungGunsHavingSomeFunCrazyLadiesKeepEmOnTheRun · 13/02/2025 13:42

I don't think the bride will be giving it any headspace tbh.

Just send a card wishing them well.

If you start sending messages blaming your ex for communication issues and suggesting you would have liked to come it puts her in a really awkward situation.

Fmlright · 13/02/2025 13:42

It sounds like it would be weird if you did attend, you’re not a couple anymore and they’re his friends.

mindutopia · 13/02/2025 13:43

If these were your dp’s friends (first), I think you were invited as his date. You aren’t together anymore. It would be weird to attend the wedding together. But if bride and groom wanted you there, they could invite you directly. I think it’s time to move on though, from sending presents and from mutual friends if they are ‘his’ friends.

Janiie · 13/02/2025 13:44

Don't message the bride, you are overthinking this massively.

Cheepcheepcheep · 13/02/2025 13:44

If you weren't close enough to the bride to have had a conversation with her since you split with DP I wouldn't consider you close enough to be attending the wedding in your own right rather than as exDP's plus one.

I get the point if you were all in a friendship group but by that token I would have expected you to speak between splitting and now?

And I would never invite an established couple as Z +1, I'd think that so rude! I'd always use the +1's name, but no, I wouldn't ordinarily expect them still to come if they were to split with Z - it would depend entirely on our own relationship (mine and Z's ex, that is).

Coconutter24 · 13/02/2025 13:46

I said I was happy to come as a friend

Maybe he didn’t want to take you as a friend, that’s the only real explanation I can think of. You were invited because you were with your ex, now you’re not with him it make sense you don’t go. I would definitely message the bride let her know you appreciated the invite and had hoped to come along but you think ex would prefer to go solo

Tagyoureit · 13/02/2025 13:46

Well in fairness, they were his friends first and who on earth wants to spend a wedding with their ex?
No thanks!
Send a nice card to the bride wishing her well and then move on.

Krest · 13/02/2025 13:47

Is it possible that your ex wants to take someone else in your place and hasnt been honest because he feels awkward saying that?

FallenRaingel · 13/02/2025 13:48

Your split isn't amicable. Your ex has rescinded the invitation because they don't want you to accompany them.

Only valid reason bride's mum would ask would be if dietary requirements were not established when invitation was accepted.

Doesn't sound like you're close friends to the bride so don't give it any more head space. Get rid of the ex properly though.

ETA reading other replies I just assumed you are both women.

PaperAeroplane · 13/02/2025 13:48

I don't think you should message the bride, they're his friends not yours and I doubt she's giving you a second thought.
Maybe your ex is taking a date or is hoping to meet someone at the wedding. Sounds like you need to distance yourself from him.

ItGhoul · 13/02/2025 13:48

Good grief. This is a non-issue. The bride won’t be bothered in the slightest whether you go or not; she’s got bigger things on her mind in the build-up to her wedding. And it’s perfectly reasonable that your ex doesn’t want you as his plus one, friends or not. Such a fuss over nothing.

Boardgamedust · 13/02/2025 13:48

YoungGunsHavingSomeFunCrazyLadiesKeepEmOnTheRun · 13/02/2025 13:42

I don't think the bride will be giving it any headspace tbh.

Just send a card wishing them well.

If you start sending messages blaming your ex for communication issues and suggesting you would have liked to come it puts her in a really awkward situation.

I definitely don't want to do that! Hence why I haven't sent a mesg yet-I want to find a way of wording it that doesn't make it appear as though I am annoyed to not be invited any longer-that isn't the case, had it come from her (or DP had discussed it with me and said they'd not want me to) I'd have been absolutely fine with that.

OP posts:
Boardgamedust · 13/02/2025 13:49

ItGhoul · 13/02/2025 13:48

Good grief. This is a non-issue. The bride won’t be bothered in the slightest whether you go or not; she’s got bigger things on her mind in the build-up to her wedding. And it’s perfectly reasonable that your ex doesn’t want you as his plus one, friends or not. Such a fuss over nothing.

It is-It's the going behind my back and lying that I have the issue with.

OP posts:
Boardgamedust · 13/02/2025 13:50

PaperAeroplane · 13/02/2025 13:48

I don't think you should message the bride, they're his friends not yours and I doubt she's giving you a second thought.
Maybe your ex is taking a date or is hoping to meet someone at the wedding. Sounds like you need to distance yourself from him.

I did think this, and again that's fine, but not the telling the organiser that I didn't want to go, after I'd said I would, that's simply not true.

OP posts: