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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:
Penguinmouse · 13/02/2025 15:26

I would step away from trying to be friends with your ex. I think they haven’t wanted to say to you that they don’t want you to come, even as a friend (because let’s face it, that just opens up questions and maybe sad memories or they want to take someone else) and have fudged it. You were invited as your ex’s partner, your invitation has gone. I wouldn’t message the bride, if you feel like she is a friend you can send the couple a gift but need to accept that you aren’t going. I was a Covid marriage so between sending out invitations and the actual wedding day, about three couples had split up. The partners were just crossed off the list and new +1s offered where appropriate.

Tohaveandtohold · 13/02/2025 15:30

I think this is one of the situations where you think you’re still friends with your ex but they don’t want to be friends with you, especially not to be seen as still together at a wedding. You need to accept that for one reason or the other, (the obvious one being you’ve split up) your ex does not want you to accompany them to the wedding. The couple is their friend and that’s the only reason why you were invited in the first place.
You need to let it go and stop buying gifts for their family, you won’t move on if you’re not detaching your self from them.

SanctusInDistress · 13/02/2025 15:30

He doesn’t want you to go.

NiftyKoala · 13/02/2025 15:33

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

Agreed. The best revenge is not letting his upset you and being indifferent.

YouMustBeTheWeasleys · 13/02/2025 15:37

Almost this exact thing happened to me at my wedding.

I invited Dave and Julie to my wedding (a named guest because they were an established couple at the time, living together).

Dave was the childhood friend of my now husband and a groomsman.

Julie was fine but we were not friends outside of her relationship with Dave.

I thought it was pretty damn obvious to Julie that it wouldn’t be appropriate for her to come anymore - would have been extremely uncomfortable and we didn’t see her since the break up.

But I still had to uninvite her which was horrid because Dave kept saying she thought she was still invited.

You should have done everyone a favour and bowed out gracefully - instead you have created a drama around this couple’s wedding who incidentally probably don’t want you to come anymore, just like I didn’t want Julie!

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 13/02/2025 15:42

Oh for goodness sake !

of course you are not going with your x as a ' friend '

and the invite may have used your name rather than +1 but you are not now expected at the wedding as you are no longer with your X

I can imagine your reaction if the invitation has said +1 !!!

It is your X's friend that is getting married, and your X may very well have someone else in mind to go to the wedding with.

jolies1 · 13/02/2025 15:44

How close are you to the bride? Properly friends or just someone you would socialise with at big occasions? Were you invited on the hen? Did you have your own friendship separate to Ex eg would you meet for coffee, dinner, speak on phone etc.

Have you remained friends post break up?

If not then absolutely you should not go, it’s your ex that’s their friend and not fair to make it awkward. Sounds like they knew it would be awkward and dealt with it discreetly.

BustyLaRoux · 13/02/2025 15:52

Massive overthinking

Sassybooklover · 13/02/2025 15:53

Many moons ago I was invited to my ex-boyfriend's sisters wedding, after we'd split up. The invitation was to me personally, not joint with him. I refused, because it would have just been too awkward. I wouldn't have known anyone, other than my ex and his family. I appreciate your situation is slightly different, as you were invited with your now ex partner. However, you'd only know your ex, bride/groom and possibly a few more of your exes friends? It becomes awkward, even if things are amicable between you. I suspect your ex simply didn't want you coming, probably because he felt awkward, so he lied. Honestly, if it was me, I would not be having as much contact with him, if at all.

paranoiaofpufflings · 13/02/2025 16:00

Either the bride and/or groom are close enough friends of yours that you could have sorted this out yourself direct with them (but you didn't).

Or they are not close enough friends, you were invited as your ex's partner, and it was fine for your ex to deal with rsvping on your behalf.

I think your anger is maybe more about the break up than you realise. Breaking up nicely is one thing, moving on happily is another.

MummaMummaMumma · 13/02/2025 16:01

You were only invited because of your ex. So if you have split up, you're no longer invited.
Unless, you are very close to the bride/groom and stayed in contact since the split?

babyproblems · 13/02/2025 16:01

To be honest if it’s ’his’ friend I doubt she’ll have thought about you at all! I’d just let it go and leave it.

kittensinthekitchen · 13/02/2025 16:03

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.

You just realised you didn't put any gender in? 😂

Oh come on, you deliberately covered up the sex of your ex (except where you accidentally referred to her as 'her' in your OP) and replied to lots of posters about 'him' 😂

Her sex was totally irrelevant to the topic, but the obfuscation was intentional, for whatever reason.

Your ex does not want you to go. The bride doesn't really care. I would put money on your ex having a different view on this.

User788889 · 13/02/2025 16:08

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.

Abort abort don’t go!!! It is a bit weird if you go now. You guys aren’t together anymore. Yes it might have read so so and Ex but it really was Ex’s plus one. Now he will bring another girl and you’re going to look like you are crazy obsessed with him. You kind of already do. I wouldn’t even stress it, thumbs up emoji and don’t attend.

Spacecowboys · 13/02/2025 16:12

So I have been with dp over 25 years. If we had a wedding invite from one of his friends and then we separated, I wouldn’t even consider going to the wedding. An invite such as this is surely on the proviso that you are still in the relationship, the invitation may have your actual name on but it’s still just a plus one scenario ( in my opinion). Being completely honest , your ex probably doesn’t want you to attend and may be planning on taking someone else. It doesn’t sound like remaining friends is going to work out.

JimHalpertsWife · 13/02/2025 16:13

If you are friends with the bride then why haven't you just contacted the Bride to check your invite still stands? Why does the ex have to do it?

IchiNiSanShiGo · 13/02/2025 16:17

Let the friendship with your ex go - she certainly seems to have from her side.

If you’re friendly with the bride, you could message / send a congrats card saying you wish them well etc, would be lovely to catch up with you before / after the wedding - if that’s something you’d want to do.

ginasevern · 13/02/2025 16:17

I can't imagine the bride gives 2 fucks that you haven't declined in an honourable and formal manner. Get the message, your ex doesn't want you there! I also doubt whether anyone cares that much whether you are or not. Everyone involved in the planning (including the bride) will assume that you won't be attending because you've split up. That would the automatic assumption from anyone remotely normal. They will give it no more head space than that. You really are making this all about you aren't you.

Cosyblankets · 13/02/2025 16:24

If i was getting married and friend had split up with partner it wouldn't enter my head that they'd still be coming to my wedding

diddl · 13/02/2025 16:33

Cosyblankets · 13/02/2025 16:24

If i was getting married and friend had split up with partner it wouldn't enter my head that they'd still be coming to my wedding

Indeed.

Ex doesn't want Op there so has clarified to the bride that Op won't be there.

I would have thought the fact that the ex hasn't said anything to Op would be indication that they didn't want to be accompanied by them.

Bonzoman · 13/02/2025 16:43

Can u send a message after the wedding? That way it's clear u r not after an invite x

Teaandapple · 13/02/2025 16:46

My cousin’s ex girlfriend insisted on coming to my wedding because she’d been invited when they were a couple. My mum handled the responses and when she told me “Amy” was coming I said that was fine by me as long as it was all right with my cousin. She assured he’d said it was fine. I mean, he did say it was fine, but he didn’t really mean it. Somehow he just couldn’t bring himself to say that he’d rather Amy wasn’t there. She carried on muscling in on family events for some time after that and people let her because they liked her. My cousin never voiced an objection but slowly began to stop coming to things and to distance himself from us all. Years and years later he admitted that he felt uncomfortable with Amy there, but had not known how to say so. Long story short: I reckon your ex does not want you there but is too scared to say so.

BotterMon · 13/02/2025 16:47

Much ado about nothing very much.

BigDahliaFan · 13/02/2025 16:48

So you don't mind about not going - you just don't want to look ignorant. So just say to ex that you aren't going and send a nice card and wish them a lovely wedding. If they wanted you there as 'just you' they'd have got in touch and invited 'just you' rather than asking your ex if you wanted to come.

TwigletsAndRadishes · 13/02/2025 16:51

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.

Honestly, I doubt she's thinking anything. You broke up, your place has been cancelled, her mind is on other things. It sounds as if deep down you still really want to go? Was the break up more on his side than yours? All this 'but I need to tell the bride I didn't not want to go, if the bride still wants me there I'm happy to go, but I completely understand if...' puts her in a difficult position.

Your ex has taken it out of everyone's hands and just cancelled you. Perhaps he just felt more comfortable doing that than spending quite a long intense day with you and having loads of people wondering if you are back together or not. Of course the invitation had your name on it rather than Plus 1, you were with him for four years. But the simple fact is, you were only invited because you were his partner. They are primarily his friends and you clearly don't keep in close contact with the bride or you'd have had this conversation directly with her before now.

Your ex is just saying whatever pops into his head because you are putting him on the spot. Don't overthink what the bride or her mother were told. Honestly, it doesn't matter and they won't care. Send her a nice card and a text on her weddding day and leave it be. You'll look a bit needy and as if you are trying to make it all about you otherwise. If the bride had any concerns about it she'd have rung you herself by now.

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