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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:
Completelyjo · 13/02/2025 13:50

Really strange to push this hard to go to a wedding half a year after you’ve broken up when your link to the couple is only your ex!

Boardgamedust · 13/02/2025 13:50

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.

Edited

Thank you-food for thought-dietary requirements were definitely known though so it isn't that.

OP posts:
Whotenanny · 13/02/2025 13:51

"I'm happy to come" doesn't mean "yes, I will come". It's a non-commital maybe at best.

I think it's fair to assume you weren't coming, tbh, and I have exes that I'm still friends with.

YoungGunsHavingSomeFunCrazyLadiesKeepEmOnTheRun · 13/02/2025 13:51

Boardgamedust · 13/02/2025 13:48

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.

That's why I suggested sending a card nearer the time.

A message opens a line of communication which requires a response, which would lead into an awkward conversation.

A card is literally just wishing them the best, and doesn't require a response, but makes it clear there's no hard feelings and doesn't make it awkward if you bump into each other.

Boardgamedust · 13/02/2025 13:53

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.

Edited

I was invited-I am going to ex's town soon to see a mutual friend, the same friends whose house I was to be staying at. When we spoke last night, mutual said they'd hoped I'd come on a day out with them the following day. It could've been weird in some ways and of course I'd have been fine (as I've repeated) if ex said not to come, I just don't like the misleading of my reasons or not talking to me about it.

OP posts:
Boardgamedust · 13/02/2025 13:54

Completelyjo · 13/02/2025 13:50

Really strange to push this hard to go to a wedding half a year after you’ve broken up when your link to the couple is only your ex!

Whether I'd be going is not the issue, and I am certainly not 'pushing' to go, I have no idea how that could have been deciphered from anything I have written.

OP posts:
PaperAeroplane · 13/02/2025 13:54

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.

@Boardgamedust
Does it really matter though, he's an ex and for whatever reason he doesn't want you there. Why does it matter what he tells his friends/friends family about your reasons for not attending.. They won't be part of your future so stop worrying about it, I doubt they are.

Janiie · 13/02/2025 13:55

We had people that didn't come to ours due to splitting. If I'd have received messages from any of them I'd have been baffled. You were invited because of him, you aren't together so it will be accepted that you aren't going. Please don't embarrass the bride by trying to have some kind of discussion about this.

SunshineAndFizz · 13/02/2025 13:56

You're being weird.

You've broken up. Who cares what reason he gave about you not going to the wedding - the bride/her mum doesn't need to know you'd have been happy to go. They're his friends and he didn't want you going. And I agree - it would be strange.

Don't message the bride. She doesn't need to know your thoughts on this.

Whyherewego · 13/02/2025 13:56

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.

This is the best approach

Boardgamedust · 13/02/2025 13:57

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

Yes, and I did give that option. It's odd to tell someone I didn't want to though.

Maybe I am old-fashioned but I think It's an honour to be invited to a wedding and had I known ex's feelings I'd have spoken to the bride-I feel It's quite rude to not only say 'I don't want to go' after accepting the invitation but to also then not bother telling the bride myself, I feel it has made me look very ignorant.

OP posts:
Samung · 13/02/2025 13:58

He's an ex. They are more likely to expect that you won't go than that you will. Going as a 'friend' seems a bit odd, maybe he'd like to take someone else.

Completelyjo · 13/02/2025 13:58

Boardgamedust · 13/02/2025 13:53

I was invited-I am going to ex's town soon to see a mutual friend, the same friends whose house I was to be staying at. When we spoke last night, mutual said they'd hoped I'd come on a day out with them the following day. It could've been weird in some ways and of course I'd have been fine (as I've repeated) if ex said not to come, I just don't like the misleading of my reasons or not talking to me about it.

A friend at the wedding is not the same as actually being friends with the couple independent from your relationship.

There is no misleading reason he didn’t talk about it to you, he didn’t talk about it to you because you have been broken up for a while and he doesn’t want to go to a wedding in several months time with you. That’s obvious to everyone but you.

Boardgamedust · 13/02/2025 13:59

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?

It is possible, but again, message or call me and tell me that, don't lie to the bride and say I don't want to come, and not bother telling me

(ex is a woman, sorry wasn't clear).

OP posts:
Tagyoureit · 13/02/2025 14:00

So what do you want to do now?

Storm the wedding? Argue with your ex over it? Make the whole day about you?

Or were you hoping to attend the wedding in your best outfit ever, have your ex look over at you at the wedding during the speeches of love and togetherness and feel you were the one who got away and you're his one true love and then he'd ask you to dance then kneel down and declare his undying love for you infront of all his friends and ask you to be his forever?? And from this wedding, your true love magical fairytale of a wonderful, romantic, Richard Curtis love life would start and then people would speak of it for years to come???

KrisAkabusi · 13/02/2025 14:00

Boardgamedust · 13/02/2025 13:57

Yes, and I did give that option. It's odd to tell someone I didn't want to though.

Maybe I am old-fashioned but I think It's an honour to be invited to a wedding and had I known ex's feelings I'd have spoken to the bride-I feel It's quite rude to not only say 'I don't want to go' after accepting the invitation but to also then not bother telling the bride myself, I feel it has made me look very ignorant.

It really hasn't. She probably assumed you weren't coming as you've split up. You haven't spoken to her in months. You'll probably never see her again. Let it go.

Boardgamedust · 13/02/2025 14:00

Apologies, just realised my wording didn't put any gender in it, I just wanted to be clear who was who-i am a lesbian, ex is a woman.

OP posts:
Boardgamedust · 13/02/2025 14:01

KrisAkabusi · 13/02/2025 14:00

It really hasn't. She probably assumed you weren't coming as you've split up. You haven't spoken to her in months. You'll probably never see her again. Let it go.

I will definitely see her again due to socialising with her close friend-we've a couple of things booked in summer.

OP posts:
Tagyoureit · 13/02/2025 14:01

Her then!

HundredMilesAnHour · 13/02/2025 14:02

You’ve split up. You need to move on and create a new life as an individual rather than hanging on as your DP’s ex. Harsh but true. No matter how amicable a break-up, this is part of breaking up and moving on. The slow loss of what you believe are mutual friends and family but if they were ‘originally’ your DP’s, it’s almost inevitable that they eventually return to your DP’s ‘side’.

I split with my ex one week before his sister’s wedding. I didn’t expect to be at the wedding as a result. I was actually having a (lovely!) lie-in that Sat morning when my ex turned up on my doorstep demanding I get dressed and come straight to the wedding with him as the bride wanted me there (and no-one was saying no to the bride on her wedding day). It was an uncomfortable afternoon but I went along with it for the bride’s sake.

Janiie · 13/02/2025 14:03

Boardgamedust · 13/02/2025 14:00

Apologies, just realised my wording didn't put any gender in it, I just wanted to be clear who was who-i am a lesbian, ex is a woman.

Her/him it doesn't change anything. She is an ex and has every right to say whatever she likes about her wedding invite to the bride.

ServantsGonnaServe · 13/02/2025 14:03

Your ex definitely doesn't want you there but won't say it.

ColinOfficeTrolley · 13/02/2025 14:04

Im going to hold your hand when I tell you this, but the bride couldn't give a shiny shite.

Janiie · 13/02/2025 14:06

ColinOfficeTrolley · 13/02/2025 14:04

Im going to hold your hand when I tell you this, but the bride couldn't give a shiny shite.

Exactly.

PaperAeroplane · 13/02/2025 14:07

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

It is possible, but again, message or call me and tell me that, don't lie to the bride and say I don't want to come, and not bother telling me

(ex is a woman, sorry wasn't clear).

Come on.. How many people do you know who tell there ex partners when they are planning on dating someone new, it would be weird. I'm guessing she's trying to spare your feelings.

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