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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

If you saw a bridesmaid crying ugly tears (not necessarily happy) what would you think?

220 replies

Friko · 13/05/2025 20:39

So I’m really worried that I am going to look like I am crying sad tears when my sister gets married. And it may look like I don’t approve. I’m not upset at her choice. I’m glad she’s found someone who has made her happy. The wedding is only a month away and I’m getting nervous!

anytime I think about her actual wedding ceremony I get very emotional and sentimental.

We have had a very tough time. My mum was diagnosed with cancer so our childhood and 20s have NOT been carefree. Mums cancer has returned 7 times. Each time one of us had to move in. And we’ve had to help out with finances. We have an amazing light/fun friendship despite it all.

It’s just the end of a chapter. I was always hoping we could share that carefree experience as single, unmarried people but it wasn’t to be. I now it’s going to happen in the next stage in our life. But it’s just sad that this chapter is closing and we never got to right any of the wrongs of you know? Our adolescence is kind of done in a way.

OP posts:
TooBigForMyBoots · 13/05/2025 23:14

Friko · 13/05/2025 20:46

They’re not sad tears they’re sentimental. We never had the weekend breaks, nights out etc like we had planned. We always had to be with my mum. Which is fine. But we didn’t get to experience life in a way we had hoped - carefree and single. It won’t happen now. Which is fine you can play with the hand you are given.

It’s just a regret. I don’t blame anyone. Just it’s sad this chapter has been hard and we didn’t get to put it right.

Edited

You can still do these things.

Dontlletmedownbruce · 13/05/2025 23:45

I can't understand the issue about carefree weekends as single people. Can't you do weekends now? What's being single got to do with it? She stopped being single when she started a relationship with this man, I genuinely don't see why her getting married makes any difference now. I get life is difficult and emotional because you've had a hard time but I can't see why this would make you sob at her wedding. Another time, yes absolutely.

PawsAndTails · 13/05/2025 23:48

I'd just think you had something going on personally. If you can avoid it during the ceremony as bridesmaid, that's best, and try to be discreet, maybe go somewhere else, during the reception. Quiet tears are one thing but big, ugly crying would be a distraction. If you can't help it, you can't help it, but the way you handle it is most important then.

Babyghirl · 13/05/2025 23:51

Never heard the saying op, cry at weddings laugh at funerals.

Todayisaday · 14/05/2025 00:38

Married people have girly breaks and fun too you know, it's not over. It's exciting and happy and you get a new family member.
Write down a list of things that you re excited about for the future, things that make you happy and things that make you laugh and practice thinking about them like a slide show in your head. If you catch yourself welling up, put the slide show on in your head.

VivX · 14/05/2025 00:41

I'd think you were upset or emotional about something. Loads of people cry at weddings and not everyone looks great while crying.

I get the sentimentality. A wedding is one of life's milestones or markers and often a sharp reminder of the passage of time.
Hope it's a great day, though.

LeftieRightsHoarder · 14/05/2025 00:47

I can understand how you feel, OP. You and DSis and your mum have gone through a lot of pain and anxiety, and it’s prevented you and DSis having the good times you were looking forward to.

I hope you all have many happy times together ahead. I’d try to get my crying done before the wedding day. But don’t beat yourself up if you can’t hold it back. Can you tell a good friend who will be there how you feel, so she can give you some moral support on the day?

Flyswats · 14/05/2025 01:23

I would think the bridesmaid is a self-indulgent pig if I saw her crying at her sister's wedding.

I'm so sorry about your mum but fucking hell, behave yourself for one joyous day.

LakotaWolf · 14/05/2025 01:51

You've a month to prepare yourself emotionally. You clearly know that your reaction ("ugly tears" that are "not necessarily happy") WILL happen, as at this point you've created a self-fulfilling prophecy even if you weren't already inclined towards this emotional display already.

I'm not without sympathy and empathy for you - my father had a horrific accident when I was 18 years old (made even worse due to the fact that it happened at home) that resulted in catastrophic brain damage for him. He was in hospital in a "basically no brainwaves" coma for 6 months, and while he survived the multiple initial surgeries and "awakened" from the coma (so to speak) eventually, he was in a basically "just above vegetative" state and was bedridden, completely incontinent/had to wear diapers, and needed a feeding tube in his stomach as the muscle atrophy that occurred during his coma meant that he could no longer swallow/take food/liquid orally. My family's culture (I'm adopted, but adoptive family is Hispanic/Mexican) meant that we take care of our elderly/disabled family members, no matter what. No putting them in facilities/care homes. You handle it yourselves as a family.

So that was it for me, future decided for me at age 18. I never moved out, never finished uni, never got married, never had kids, never had a career (I was a full-time primary caregiver for my dad and worked at the family business as well.) My dad lived another 21 years in this awful state (I hoped every day that his brain damage was severe enough that he did not "realize" the situation/condition he was in, as awful as that sounds.) He died in 2021 when I was 39 years old. My older sister, who did the same as me (stayed living at home, worked for family business/as a caregiver, basically had even less of a social life than I did) was 45 when he died.

So while I genuinely feel for you, as I understand exactly what you went through with your mother's cancer through your childhood and young adulthood - you and your sister still have time. She's not moving to another country. She's not sick/dying/dead herself. She's only getting married. Unless your plans to "share that carefree experience as single, unmarried people" meant that you would be sleeping with random blokes while barhopping/clubbing, I fail to honestly see why you and your sis can't have that "carefree experience" as a married person (her) and someone who is in a "happy relationship" (you.) Again, unless you two were planning to party hard and hookup with dudes casually, very little has changed in terms of having a "carefree experience" with your sister. I'm sure your sister's future husband and your partner would be very understanding of you two having girls' trips (without the hookups) etc. as I imagine they both know what you and your sister went through. The only things that have changed is that you're not literally in your early 20s and you can't casually have hookups with guys you meet on any vacations/trips.

Again, you've a month to emotionally prepare yourself and PREVENT your self-fulfilling prophecy of "I'm going to ugly cry unhappy/sad tears at my sister's wedding." Whether that requires more counselling (or counselling of a different sort perhaps?), or a plan for what you will do when you feel the ugly crying approaching (tastefully remove yourself from the ceremony/reception until you have yourself under control), you have weeks to get yourself ready and NOT potentially make a portion of your sister's wedding about yourself. Because that is what you are currently doing.

Have you stopped to even ask yourself how your SISTER feels about all of this? Maybe SHE wants to ugly cry at her OWN wedding, as she had the same childhood/early 20s time period devoted to taking care of your mother.

Perhaps you should have a talk with her about this whole thing, have a good cry together over the death of lost time/lost young adulthood, and move on together.

MumCanIHaveASnackPlease · 14/05/2025 02:01

I don’t understand this. She’s getting married not going to Timbuktu. You can still have weekends together, nights out, trips etc. She’s not dying or being sent off as a conscript somewhere. She’s getting a bit of
paper and resuming her life as normal the following Monday. Catch yourself on and get a grip.

ImustLearn2Cook · 14/05/2025 02:26

Friko · 13/05/2025 20:46

They’re not sad tears they’re sentimental. We never had the weekend breaks, nights out etc like we had planned. We always had to be with my mum. Which is fine. But we didn’t get to experience life in a way we had hoped - carefree and single. It won’t happen now. Which is fine you can play with the hand you are given.

It’s just a regret. I don’t blame anyone. Just it’s sad this chapter has been hard and we didn’t get to put it right.

Edited

What you have been through as a family is very hard and must have been frightening and painful.

But, I mean this in the kindest way, most people that I have known through life feel that they didn’t get to experience life in a way they had hoped - carefree and single.

I think that anyone who got to experience a carefree life in their youth are in the minority.

Many people have had experiences that they don’t really advertise or is not obvious to others.

I was close to someone who had lost his father to suicide when he was a teenager. Most people in our group had no idea that he had gone through such a life altering traumatic experience. His old friends that knew him in high school and were there during that time knew and of course his family too. But, most other people had no idea.

Life throws unexpected curve balls and everybody is fair game. We have no idea how many people around us have had to get through incredibly hard times or even what they went through.

Feel what you feel. You and your family have been through so much. But don’t pine for the mythical carefree single life that you think you should have gotten. Most people don’t get it. And most of the people who look like they had a carefree single life probably really didn’t.

Mothership4two · 14/05/2025 02:56

If you saw a bridesmaid crying ugly tears (not necessarily happy) what would you think?

The sister of the bride crying her eyes out? I'd think she either really didn't like the groom or liked him a little bit too much

CaptainFuture · 14/05/2025 02:56

@LakotaWolf that sounds v hard. Are you in the US? Was thinking you must be too @Friko and it's been Lakotas post that's made me think that, or if you are uk, you, mum and dsis have been horribly let down as a patient and family to in all that time never be given carer support/respite to enable 2 young carers to have time away from their caring role for 1 night out or away.
Is there just the 3 of you in the family? Did noone ever such support from Macmillan re finances and general support? www.mcmillan.org.uk she was never assessed for formal care support when in hospital?

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 14/05/2025 03:13

Friko · 13/05/2025 20:55

I feel like I’m getting a really hard time.

I’m morning a stage of life that has been harder than most people can even begin to imagine.

Of course marriage doesn’t stop future experiences from happening. It will just be in the next chapter of life. And not as young adults. It’s like a marker. The chapter is ending and we never got to put things right. In THIS stage.

Edited

Yes, BUT it's the next part of hers and your life! Try to enjoy with positive anticipation!

She can still be the same. Carefree person... You can still do similar things... It's not as if. She's moving to Australia!

I'm sure a lot of these feelings are as a result of feeling cheated as a resilt of your mum's illness... That's no one's fault of course..

Callie247 · 14/05/2025 03:31

Flyswats · 14/05/2025 01:23

I would think the bridesmaid is a self-indulgent pig if I saw her crying at her sister's wedding.

I'm so sorry about your mum but fucking hell, behave yourself for one joyous day.

It does come over as making it all about herself on someone else’s big day.

Glitchymn1 · 14/05/2025 03:40

You are getting a hard time, mn isn’t the supportive place it used to be. Nest of vipers.

I can understand where you are coming from, I would speak to your sister, any close friends etc so if you do cry then they’ll know why.

Is your sister having a hen do, could you plan something with her before or after the wedding. Make some happy memories, you sound like you have a wonderful relationship. Your DM is very lucky to have you all.

SpidersAreShitheads · 14/05/2025 03:57

If I saw a bridesmaid crying “ugly tears” that didn’t look like happy tears (your description OP) I’d assume that she secretly wants to marry the groom herself 🤷‍♀️😂

Devilrocknroller · 14/05/2025 04:04

I’d think you were making her day all about you

stayathomer · 14/05/2025 04:19

StarsandCucoos

Honestly? I'd think the one crying ugly-type tears was attention seeking and feel sorry for the bride.

I don’t think most people would think like this!!!!! If you saw a person crying you wouldn’t worry about them?!

DreamTheMoors · 14/05/2025 04:49

I understand. It’s like when your sister moves away to uni or moves out of mum’s house and gets a flat across town.
It’s a step away from the life you shared.
And things will never be the same.
That was always the hardest lesson for me - that things change. But they’re supposed to.
And we don’t always get a fair deal. My girl, my cousin, who was absolutely like my sister, died in 2007. We were supposed to be old ladies together and now I have to be an old lady by myself.
Things just suck all over, don’t they?
But my kid isn’t in a cancer ward and my house hasn’t burned down and I haven’t killed anybody from drunk driving and I still have my real sister.
Are you hearing me? You and your sister have a future. So f**king what if you missed out on some stuff - you can hang out with the newlyweds and make up for it. You have the rest of your lives.
I was 16 when my sister got married and nobody was paying attention to us kids - so we drank champagne. And got drunk. My mum didn’t get mad - she got even, the next day. I was very hungover and she made me eat a great big juicy hamburger and she sat at the table to make sure I finished it. Then she laughed and laughed because I was green.
My mum was an evil madwoman.
I’ll say a prayer for your mum.
You’re gonna be fine. And cry at the wedding if you need to - make sure to tuck a hankie in somewhere. Just don’t blubber for your sister’s sake. Heck - you probably won’t cry at all, being the little sister. I know-have some champagne. lol

2021x · 14/05/2025 05:08

When someone moves on to a happier time, it is sad for those that feel left behind xxx

EatingHealthy · 14/05/2025 05:22

It is very normal to cry at weddings and you may well give your feelings on the day are actually quite different when you see your sister standing there looking so happy /nervous / excited it's likely you'll get caught in the happiness of the day.

That said, your feelings are valid, it sounds like you've had a really tough time growing up and like this is really bringing home to you your feelings of grief over your Mum's illness and everything you missed out on growing up because of it. All completely understandable. It's possible therapy would help you process your feelings. In the short term, personally I always find a good cry to a sad film very therapeutic - let your sadness out. I think you should also start planning some things to look forward to, whether with your sister, alone or with friends. You may not have had the experiences you thought you'd have growing up but it is NEVER too late to go out and have fun.

Globules · 14/05/2025 05:34

A typical MN horrid pile on.

I get it. You're grieving the life you wanted with your sister and that you never got to have. You see this wedding as the end to the fun you had wanted to have together.

It's good you acknowledge this about yourself and want to address it, and not spoil your sisters day.

Can I suggest you try to make time to have some 1:1 time with your sister before her wedding? Have a chat with her about your sadness at the ending of this season of life. Allow her to reassure you that nothing is really going to change. Allow her space to grieve your mum's illness if that's what she needs to.

Then take it from there. She's your sister. She loves you. If my sister had come to me with something like this a few weeks before my wedding, I'd have been grateful for her honesty and had the headspace to process it.

And I've had told her where to go if she thought she could do sobbing on my wedding day. You need to hear it from her, rather than a bank of strangers, that a big ugly cry on her wedding day is out of order. I'd have told my sister the different places at the church/reception I'd expect her to go if she was behaving that way. One of which was away from the loos, as I didn't need everyone seeing her in that state.

All the best.

Neemie · 14/05/2025 05:54

Lots of people cry at weddings. So long as you are silent and not noisily snorting and howling next to the bride then you are fine.

Fourteenandahalf · 14/05/2025 06:04

Flyswats · 14/05/2025 01:23

I would think the bridesmaid is a self-indulgent pig if I saw her crying at her sister's wedding.

I'm so sorry about your mum but fucking hell, behave yourself for one joyous day.

Wow