Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Not invited to friend’s wedding dilemma

356 replies

ScullyD · 15/03/2026 00:59

I was part of a friend group at uni 15 years ago and from that group I remain closest to my friend Emma. In particular me, Emma and Fraser were close for years and took trips together. Sometimes me and Fraser, or just me and Emma, or all 3 of us. Then when he got a gilfriend he seemed to drop us and it was very hurtful. I missed him.

i remember meeting the new gf twice and each time she looked me up and down quite nastily which I took to be feeling threatened of the platonic friendship. 5 years later he suddenly reappeared making an effort with Emma and I went for lunch with them. But crucially he has never kept in touch with as he used to and according to Emma she’s only invited to the wedding because she’s managed to befriend his girlfriend.

long and short of it - Emma lives out of town and I live next to the venue. Therefore Emma wants to stay with me while she attends the wedding. But I think I’ll find this upsetting and difficult although it’s not Emma’s fault. AIBU to expect her to make alternative accommodation?

she said she might angle at if a guest can come but even still the fact they haven’t invited me still stands.

OP posts:
nomas · 15/03/2026 10:32

Fundays12 · 15/03/2026 10:29

If she is staying overnight they can spend the following day catching up. The OP really needs to move on from this situation and focus on the fact she does still have a nice friend.

OP has moved on, she doesn’t contact Fraser. So her friends should do her the courtesy of being sensitive and not bring his wedding into her home, however obliquely.

Boogery · 15/03/2026 10:33

nomas · 15/03/2026 10:08

Emma is happy enough to ask you for a bed even though she knows you’re sad about the lost friendship so you should have zero qualms about telling her you’re not around that weekend.

You need to put yourself first. Do you usually prioritise Emma’s feelings over yours?

I agree.

I think Emma is being very insensitive.
I couldn't imagine putting a friend in this situation.

nomas · 15/03/2026 10:33

YourShyLion · 15/03/2026 10:32

You used to be friends but aren't any more, your friend is still a friend.

Of course you welcome her to stay and stop being so churlish.

Why wouldn’t you book a hotel in this scenario? Are you really that tight?

wuzawuz · 15/03/2026 10:35

It's bizarre how much abuse both Fraser and his fiancee are receiving for just moving on from a friendship that happened 10-15 years ago! Is the ego this fragile that the only way to accept a friend dropping contact is (i) his fiancee is controlling (ii) he was in love with you (iii) he's a bad/weak person.

Can it really not just be the reason most people in their 30s are not in touch with old friends - they don't have the time balancing work, relationships, kids etc and choose to prioritise new friends and relationships that are more fulfilling for that stage of life. How many men actually stay in touch with close uni friends of any sex once they're in their 30s and 40s - if OP were a man, people would just accept it as the cycle of life. It's only because OP is a woman, his fiancee needs to have been involved in him losing touch. OP herself lost touch with everyone in their uni gang of 15 people except Emma and Fraser - it's just life.

Men just approach friendship differently, they don't attach the deep emotional connection and meaning to it that women do past a certain age. And once they meet their partners who fulfil any emotional needs, they just want low effort friendships that don't need as much contact or time or emotional energy. That's why male friends can say in touch for months with just memes on whatsapp, meet up for drinks and pick up the friendship with no drama. Then go back to memes. Whereas a female friend like OP would be annoyed they hadn't met up more, spoken more, had more in-depth convos, been on trips together etc just adding more emotional complexity. Most people don't have the bandwidth for it once older especially if they have other close friends as well.

This possessiveness of friendship - that it must last a lifetime with the same intensity is why some friendships get dropped. Because no one wants the guilt tripping of a friend who expects a similar level of contact, and for everything to be unchanged, not accounting for how their friend's life has evolved. Work becomes all consuming, people meet other friends in a similar life stage, couples make couple friends, people buy houses and think about children, they develop new hobbies, and they fall in love - in summary they change and want people around who know and support them as they are, not as they were. And people can sense when an old friend is not supportive of change, particularly if the friend's life hasn't evolved in the same way.

Also bizarre that everyone thinks the only reason Emma is friends with him is because (i) she brown nosed the fiancee (ii) the fiancee can gatekeep their friendship. Can it really not be the most obvious thing that after all these years Emma realised the fiancee wasn't some villain and is actually a nice person, and they have common interests and get on well. And her friendship is now more with the fiancee than Frasier as a result. She'd have to downplay this for OP who would no doubt see this as a betrayal because OP still sees the fiancee as the reason Frasier dropped her.

OP, I assume you must be mid 30s if 15 years ago you were at uni? I assume you don't have a relationship where your emotional needs are met, or haven't made any new friends who fill the emotional gap Frasier once did and Emma doesn't offer what he did. And that's where you should focus your energy, finding your person. Frasier just met his person - the one he shares finances with, discusses his problems and deepest feelings with, will lean on when he gets sick or redundant or has elderly parents, goes on trips with, may have children with and has built a whole life with that needs way more commitment/time than a friendship. Unless he has no other friends, it doesn't make him or his fiancee bad people for dropping you or prioritising their relationship over you. Hurtful for sure, but it's been years now so enough time to fill the gaps he left. If you haven't found a single living soul who replaces his friendship in 15 years, I would gently suggest it was more than a friendship for you - maybe not romantically, but you certainly liked being his priority and enjoying some of the benefits of a relationship.

I don't know if Emma knows how upset you still are as she may have assumed you've moved on. Be honest with her, and have her stay elsewhere. I don't think you're worried about Emma's reaction tbh, I think you're just stinging from the realisation that Frasier has really moved on, and the fiancee isn't just a blip. You cannot be invited to a wedding where you don't like the bride - it's just common sense. The wedding isn't a party, it's a declaration of their love and commitment to each other so only people who support them both are invited. So please don't let Emma ask them to invite you, that would be humiliating for you.

I hope you find someone with all the things you liked in Frasier - but this time as the gf and the priority. That's how you will move on and maybe also understand why he prioritised his relationship over you.

PinkMagpie · 15/03/2026 10:36

OP I completely understand that this is hurtful for you. I think your best option in this scenario is to let Emma stay with you. This is for two reasons, 1. You don’t want this situation to harm your friendship with Emma and 2. If you say no to her it will get back to the wedding guests and the couple and it will make you look very bothered. Better to come across as unbothered and rising above it

ScribblingPixie · 15/03/2026 10:36

I'm probably not the first to say this but I would go away that weekend and let Emma stay at yours. She can't be particularly close to this friend any more or she would know why you're a problem, but she's not. It sounds just like keeping in touch on his partner's terms. I wouldn't waste any more effort on this lost friend other than to roll your eyes.

Joliefolie · 15/03/2026 10:40

"I don’t want to hurt her but I also don’t want to hurt myself by having to put up with being left out and not able to share this moment with my feiends"

"this moment" is a marriage between two people who have treated you badly, one of whom you barely know, and you feel that their union is the very thing that caused you to be treated badly in the first place. Their wedding is really not really a moment for you to share with them.

If you really feel that her staying would feel like rubbing salt into a sore wound, I actually do think you should be able to say to Emma that she knows how important her friendship is to you and how much you love to spend time with her, but that you still feel badly let down by Fraser, you want to move on from the hurt and that means putting him out of mind completely, which is not going to be possible if she's staying with you whilst attending his wedding. And then don't talk about him again. Don't wish him well or ill, just draw a line, move on, and ask Emma to understand that you need to do this.

nomas · 15/03/2026 10:40

wuzawuz · 15/03/2026 10:35

It's bizarre how much abuse both Fraser and his fiancee are receiving for just moving on from a friendship that happened 10-15 years ago! Is the ego this fragile that the only way to accept a friend dropping contact is (i) his fiancee is controlling (ii) he was in love with you (iii) he's a bad/weak person.

Can it really not just be the reason most people in their 30s are not in touch with old friends - they don't have the time balancing work, relationships, kids etc and choose to prioritise new friends and relationships that are more fulfilling for that stage of life. How many men actually stay in touch with close uni friends of any sex once they're in their 30s and 40s - if OP were a man, people would just accept it as the cycle of life. It's only because OP is a woman, his fiancee needs to have been involved in him losing touch. OP herself lost touch with everyone in their uni gang of 15 people except Emma and Fraser - it's just life.

Men just approach friendship differently, they don't attach the deep emotional connection and meaning to it that women do past a certain age. And once they meet their partners who fulfil any emotional needs, they just want low effort friendships that don't need as much contact or time or emotional energy. That's why male friends can say in touch for months with just memes on whatsapp, meet up for drinks and pick up the friendship with no drama. Then go back to memes. Whereas a female friend like OP would be annoyed they hadn't met up more, spoken more, had more in-depth convos, been on trips together etc just adding more emotional complexity. Most people don't have the bandwidth for it once older especially if they have other close friends as well.

This possessiveness of friendship - that it must last a lifetime with the same intensity is why some friendships get dropped. Because no one wants the guilt tripping of a friend who expects a similar level of contact, and for everything to be unchanged, not accounting for how their friend's life has evolved. Work becomes all consuming, people meet other friends in a similar life stage, couples make couple friends, people buy houses and think about children, they develop new hobbies, and they fall in love - in summary they change and want people around who know and support them as they are, not as they were. And people can sense when an old friend is not supportive of change, particularly if the friend's life hasn't evolved in the same way.

Also bizarre that everyone thinks the only reason Emma is friends with him is because (i) she brown nosed the fiancee (ii) the fiancee can gatekeep their friendship. Can it really not be the most obvious thing that after all these years Emma realised the fiancee wasn't some villain and is actually a nice person, and they have common interests and get on well. And her friendship is now more with the fiancee than Frasier as a result. She'd have to downplay this for OP who would no doubt see this as a betrayal because OP still sees the fiancee as the reason Frasier dropped her.

OP, I assume you must be mid 30s if 15 years ago you were at uni? I assume you don't have a relationship where your emotional needs are met, or haven't made any new friends who fill the emotional gap Frasier once did and Emma doesn't offer what he did. And that's where you should focus your energy, finding your person. Frasier just met his person - the one he shares finances with, discusses his problems and deepest feelings with, will lean on when he gets sick or redundant or has elderly parents, goes on trips with, may have children with and has built a whole life with that needs way more commitment/time than a friendship. Unless he has no other friends, it doesn't make him or his fiancee bad people for dropping you or prioritising their relationship over you. Hurtful for sure, but it's been years now so enough time to fill the gaps he left. If you haven't found a single living soul who replaces his friendship in 15 years, I would gently suggest it was more than a friendship for you - maybe not romantically, but you certainly liked being his priority and enjoying some of the benefits of a relationship.

I don't know if Emma knows how upset you still are as she may have assumed you've moved on. Be honest with her, and have her stay elsewhere. I don't think you're worried about Emma's reaction tbh, I think you're just stinging from the realisation that Frasier has really moved on, and the fiancee isn't just a blip. You cannot be invited to a wedding where you don't like the bride - it's just common sense. The wedding isn't a party, it's a declaration of their love and commitment to each other so only people who support them both are invited. So please don't let Emma ask them to invite you, that would be humiliating for you.

I hope you find someone with all the things you liked in Frasier - but this time as the gf and the priority. That's how you will move on and maybe also understand why he prioritised his relationship over you.

Such a sexist attitude from you that women can’t miss a male friend just because they were a friend and that OP must want him.

OP accepted being ghosted by Fraser and she accepted being looked at by Fraser’s girlfriend like she was shit on her shoes.

But it’s been years now and OP is allowed to not want Fraser’s wedding weekend impinge on her home.

Why are you all so tight that you wouldn’t book a hotel room for this wedding? Especially as Emma is also trying to get a a+1 for the wedding and probably wants thm to stay at OP’s too. Like pay for a fricking hotel room, it’s not hard!

nomas · 15/03/2026 10:41

PinkMagpie · 15/03/2026 10:36

OP I completely understand that this is hurtful for you. I think your best option in this scenario is to let Emma stay with you. This is for two reasons, 1. You don’t want this situation to harm your friendship with Emma and 2. If you say no to her it will get back to the wedding guests and the couple and it will make you look very bothered. Better to come across as unbothered and rising above it

Edited

Op can just say she has plans. Anyone can have plans. It’s not that unusual.

nomas · 15/03/2026 10:42

ScribblingPixie · 15/03/2026 10:36

I'm probably not the first to say this but I would go away that weekend and let Emma stay at yours. She can't be particularly close to this friend any more or she would know why you're a problem, but she's not. It sounds just like keeping in touch on his partner's terms. I wouldn't waste any more effort on this lost friend other than to roll your eyes.

As @AnnieLummox said, why should OP bear the expense of going away that weekend to avoid Emma having to bear the expense of attending Fraser’s wedding?

nomas · 15/03/2026 10:45

wuzawuz · 15/03/2026 10:35

It's bizarre how much abuse both Fraser and his fiancee are receiving for just moving on from a friendship that happened 10-15 years ago! Is the ego this fragile that the only way to accept a friend dropping contact is (i) his fiancee is controlling (ii) he was in love with you (iii) he's a bad/weak person.

Can it really not just be the reason most people in their 30s are not in touch with old friends - they don't have the time balancing work, relationships, kids etc and choose to prioritise new friends and relationships that are more fulfilling for that stage of life. How many men actually stay in touch with close uni friends of any sex once they're in their 30s and 40s - if OP were a man, people would just accept it as the cycle of life. It's only because OP is a woman, his fiancee needs to have been involved in him losing touch. OP herself lost touch with everyone in their uni gang of 15 people except Emma and Fraser - it's just life.

Men just approach friendship differently, they don't attach the deep emotional connection and meaning to it that women do past a certain age. And once they meet their partners who fulfil any emotional needs, they just want low effort friendships that don't need as much contact or time or emotional energy. That's why male friends can say in touch for months with just memes on whatsapp, meet up for drinks and pick up the friendship with no drama. Then go back to memes. Whereas a female friend like OP would be annoyed they hadn't met up more, spoken more, had more in-depth convos, been on trips together etc just adding more emotional complexity. Most people don't have the bandwidth for it once older especially if they have other close friends as well.

This possessiveness of friendship - that it must last a lifetime with the same intensity is why some friendships get dropped. Because no one wants the guilt tripping of a friend who expects a similar level of contact, and for everything to be unchanged, not accounting for how their friend's life has evolved. Work becomes all consuming, people meet other friends in a similar life stage, couples make couple friends, people buy houses and think about children, they develop new hobbies, and they fall in love - in summary they change and want people around who know and support them as they are, not as they were. And people can sense when an old friend is not supportive of change, particularly if the friend's life hasn't evolved in the same way.

Also bizarre that everyone thinks the only reason Emma is friends with him is because (i) she brown nosed the fiancee (ii) the fiancee can gatekeep their friendship. Can it really not be the most obvious thing that after all these years Emma realised the fiancee wasn't some villain and is actually a nice person, and they have common interests and get on well. And her friendship is now more with the fiancee than Frasier as a result. She'd have to downplay this for OP who would no doubt see this as a betrayal because OP still sees the fiancee as the reason Frasier dropped her.

OP, I assume you must be mid 30s if 15 years ago you were at uni? I assume you don't have a relationship where your emotional needs are met, or haven't made any new friends who fill the emotional gap Frasier once did and Emma doesn't offer what he did. And that's where you should focus your energy, finding your person. Frasier just met his person - the one he shares finances with, discusses his problems and deepest feelings with, will lean on when he gets sick or redundant or has elderly parents, goes on trips with, may have children with and has built a whole life with that needs way more commitment/time than a friendship. Unless he has no other friends, it doesn't make him or his fiancee bad people for dropping you or prioritising their relationship over you. Hurtful for sure, but it's been years now so enough time to fill the gaps he left. If you haven't found a single living soul who replaces his friendship in 15 years, I would gently suggest it was more than a friendship for you - maybe not romantically, but you certainly liked being his priority and enjoying some of the benefits of a relationship.

I don't know if Emma knows how upset you still are as she may have assumed you've moved on. Be honest with her, and have her stay elsewhere. I don't think you're worried about Emma's reaction tbh, I think you're just stinging from the realisation that Frasier has really moved on, and the fiancee isn't just a blip. You cannot be invited to a wedding where you don't like the bride - it's just common sense. The wedding isn't a party, it's a declaration of their love and commitment to each other so only people who support them both are invited. So please don't let Emma ask them to invite you, that would be humiliating for you.

I hope you find someone with all the things you liked in Frasier - but this time as the gf and the priority. That's how you will move on and maybe also understand why he prioritised his relationship over you.

So please don't let Emma ask them to invite you, that would be humiliating for you.

What a cruel, calculating thing to say. Are you like this in real life?

There is no suggestion OP would want this.

AnnieLummox · 15/03/2026 10:45

nomas · 15/03/2026 08:56

It’s not about that, Emma has stayed before. But this occasion is hurtful Op and she is allowed to feel hurt.

I think you’ve misunderstood what I’m saying. I agree it’s hurtful for Emma to ask her! The post I was responding to suggested OP was risking her friendship with Emma by not letting her stay over.

PinkMagpie · 15/03/2026 10:46

ScribblingPixie · 15/03/2026 10:36

I'm probably not the first to say this but I would go away that weekend and let Emma stay at yours. She can't be particularly close to this friend any more or she would know why you're a problem, but she's not. It sounds just like keeping in touch on his partner's terms. I wouldn't waste any more effort on this lost friend other than to roll your eyes.

This is the best option

nomas · 15/03/2026 10:46

AnnieLummox · 15/03/2026 10:45

I think you’ve misunderstood what I’m saying. I agree it’s hurtful for Emma to ask her! The post I was responding to suggested OP was risking her friendship with Emma by not letting her stay over.

Ah sorry @AnnieLummox You and I are definitely on the same page, I agree with your posts.

nomas · 15/03/2026 10:47

PinkMagpie · 15/03/2026 10:46

This is the best option

Are you offering to pay for OP to go away that weekend?

PinkMagpie · 15/03/2026 10:48

wuzawuz · 15/03/2026 10:35

It's bizarre how much abuse both Fraser and his fiancee are receiving for just moving on from a friendship that happened 10-15 years ago! Is the ego this fragile that the only way to accept a friend dropping contact is (i) his fiancee is controlling (ii) he was in love with you (iii) he's a bad/weak person.

Can it really not just be the reason most people in their 30s are not in touch with old friends - they don't have the time balancing work, relationships, kids etc and choose to prioritise new friends and relationships that are more fulfilling for that stage of life. How many men actually stay in touch with close uni friends of any sex once they're in their 30s and 40s - if OP were a man, people would just accept it as the cycle of life. It's only because OP is a woman, his fiancee needs to have been involved in him losing touch. OP herself lost touch with everyone in their uni gang of 15 people except Emma and Fraser - it's just life.

Men just approach friendship differently, they don't attach the deep emotional connection and meaning to it that women do past a certain age. And once they meet their partners who fulfil any emotional needs, they just want low effort friendships that don't need as much contact or time or emotional energy. That's why male friends can say in touch for months with just memes on whatsapp, meet up for drinks and pick up the friendship with no drama. Then go back to memes. Whereas a female friend like OP would be annoyed they hadn't met up more, spoken more, had more in-depth convos, been on trips together etc just adding more emotional complexity. Most people don't have the bandwidth for it once older especially if they have other close friends as well.

This possessiveness of friendship - that it must last a lifetime with the same intensity is why some friendships get dropped. Because no one wants the guilt tripping of a friend who expects a similar level of contact, and for everything to be unchanged, not accounting for how their friend's life has evolved. Work becomes all consuming, people meet other friends in a similar life stage, couples make couple friends, people buy houses and think about children, they develop new hobbies, and they fall in love - in summary they change and want people around who know and support them as they are, not as they were. And people can sense when an old friend is not supportive of change, particularly if the friend's life hasn't evolved in the same way.

Also bizarre that everyone thinks the only reason Emma is friends with him is because (i) she brown nosed the fiancee (ii) the fiancee can gatekeep their friendship. Can it really not be the most obvious thing that after all these years Emma realised the fiancee wasn't some villain and is actually a nice person, and they have common interests and get on well. And her friendship is now more with the fiancee than Frasier as a result. She'd have to downplay this for OP who would no doubt see this as a betrayal because OP still sees the fiancee as the reason Frasier dropped her.

OP, I assume you must be mid 30s if 15 years ago you were at uni? I assume you don't have a relationship where your emotional needs are met, or haven't made any new friends who fill the emotional gap Frasier once did and Emma doesn't offer what he did. And that's where you should focus your energy, finding your person. Frasier just met his person - the one he shares finances with, discusses his problems and deepest feelings with, will lean on when he gets sick or redundant or has elderly parents, goes on trips with, may have children with and has built a whole life with that needs way more commitment/time than a friendship. Unless he has no other friends, it doesn't make him or his fiancee bad people for dropping you or prioritising their relationship over you. Hurtful for sure, but it's been years now so enough time to fill the gaps he left. If you haven't found a single living soul who replaces his friendship in 15 years, I would gently suggest it was more than a friendship for you - maybe not romantically, but you certainly liked being his priority and enjoying some of the benefits of a relationship.

I don't know if Emma knows how upset you still are as she may have assumed you've moved on. Be honest with her, and have her stay elsewhere. I don't think you're worried about Emma's reaction tbh, I think you're just stinging from the realisation that Frasier has really moved on, and the fiancee isn't just a blip. You cannot be invited to a wedding where you don't like the bride - it's just common sense. The wedding isn't a party, it's a declaration of their love and commitment to each other so only people who support them both are invited. So please don't let Emma ask them to invite you, that would be humiliating for you.

I hope you find someone with all the things you liked in Frasier - but this time as the gf and the priority. That's how you will move on and maybe also understand why he prioritised his relationship over you.

I really could not disagree with this take more! How condescending to assume that OP is upset because she hasn’t found her person and she needs to get herself a man. She doesn’t want a relationship with Fraser, she wanted to maintain their friendship

CinnamonJellyBeans · 15/03/2026 10:48

If I was Emma, I wouldn't have asked to stay at your place. It's very insensitive. Fancy getting dressed up and waving goodbye to host number 1, as you get in the taxi to be hosted by the host 2 who friend-dumped host 1.

Only you can decide whether you will let her stay or not.

Fundays12 · 15/03/2026 10:48

nomas · 15/03/2026 10:32

OP has moved on, she doesn’t contact Fraser. So her friends should do her the courtesy of being sensitive and not bring his wedding into her home, however obliquely.

She hasn't moved on. I totally understand why she is hurt but it was a long time ago. I would happily let a friend stay in this situation

nomas · 15/03/2026 10:51

Fundays12 · 15/03/2026 10:48

She hasn't moved on. I totally understand why she is hurt but it was a long time ago. I would happily let a friend stay in this situation

You seem to lack the ability to understand nuance.

You can move on from a friendship without wanting it to be brought back into your life by other friends.

You just don’t care because it’s not you in this scenario.

nomas · 15/03/2026 10:51

PinkMagpie · 15/03/2026 10:48

I really could not disagree with this take more! How condescending to assume that OP is upset because she hasn’t found her person and she needs to get herself a man. She doesn’t want a relationship with Fraser, she wanted to maintain their friendship

Yep the sexism drips from his / her post. Reads like a man.

wuzawuz · 15/03/2026 10:52

nomas · 15/03/2026 10:40

Such a sexist attitude from you that women can’t miss a male friend just because they were a friend and that OP must want him.

OP accepted being ghosted by Fraser and she accepted being looked at by Fraser’s girlfriend like she was shit on her shoes.

But it’s been years now and OP is allowed to not want Fraser’s wedding weekend impinge on her home.

Why are you all so tight that you wouldn’t book a hotel room for this wedding? Especially as Emma is also trying to get a a+1 for the wedding and probably wants thm to stay at OP’s too. Like pay for a fricking hotel room, it’s not hard!

I made it clear that OP should NOT allow Emma to stay and to be honest why.

It is deeply unhealthy for anyone, man or woman, to feel this strongly about friendships or romantic relationships that ended years/decades ago. Because it means they haven't found what they're looking for and idealising/being nostalgic about an old connection.

It's even more unhealthy to direct all the upset at another woman just because her partner CHOSE to prioritise her over another woman - and making it seem like she controlled it is sexist. How many men can be forced into doing things they don't want to? OP must have known she wouldn't be invited to the wedding of a couple where she doesn't like the bride and has been resentful for years at the groom. If she did, that's delusional and also still not understanding that Frasier and she have not been friends for a long long time. The wedding is about their families and close friends joining together, not people he once knew well. OP thinks they're being petty by not considering Emma would stay with her. If that isn't misguided main character energy in someone else's love story, I don't what else it could be.

AnnieLummox · 15/03/2026 10:57

Fundays12 · 15/03/2026 10:29

If she is staying overnight they can spend the following day catching up. The OP really needs to move on from this situation and focus on the fact she does still have a nice friend.

So nice that she’s using her for a free bed for the night, even though any idiot could work out that it’s completely insensitive?

wuzawuz · 15/03/2026 10:57

PinkMagpie · 15/03/2026 10:48

I really could not disagree with this take more! How condescending to assume that OP is upset because she hasn’t found her person and she needs to get herself a man. She doesn’t want a relationship with Fraser, she wanted to maintain their friendship

What friendship? The one they shared when he was single and could prioritise OP? They were in their 20s then, they're mid-late 30s now. He hasn't been that person or friend in a long long long time. This is just nostalgia for a stage of life and a type of friendship that was never going to survive past a certain point, for the simple reason life/circumstances have changed since that friendship for everyone.

Igiveyouthemoon · 15/03/2026 11:00

wuzawuz · 15/03/2026 10:35

It's bizarre how much abuse both Fraser and his fiancee are receiving for just moving on from a friendship that happened 10-15 years ago! Is the ego this fragile that the only way to accept a friend dropping contact is (i) his fiancee is controlling (ii) he was in love with you (iii) he's a bad/weak person.

Can it really not just be the reason most people in their 30s are not in touch with old friends - they don't have the time balancing work, relationships, kids etc and choose to prioritise new friends and relationships that are more fulfilling for that stage of life. How many men actually stay in touch with close uni friends of any sex once they're in their 30s and 40s - if OP were a man, people would just accept it as the cycle of life. It's only because OP is a woman, his fiancee needs to have been involved in him losing touch. OP herself lost touch with everyone in their uni gang of 15 people except Emma and Fraser - it's just life.

Men just approach friendship differently, they don't attach the deep emotional connection and meaning to it that women do past a certain age. And once they meet their partners who fulfil any emotional needs, they just want low effort friendships that don't need as much contact or time or emotional energy. That's why male friends can say in touch for months with just memes on whatsapp, meet up for drinks and pick up the friendship with no drama. Then go back to memes. Whereas a female friend like OP would be annoyed they hadn't met up more, spoken more, had more in-depth convos, been on trips together etc just adding more emotional complexity. Most people don't have the bandwidth for it once older especially if they have other close friends as well.

This possessiveness of friendship - that it must last a lifetime with the same intensity is why some friendships get dropped. Because no one wants the guilt tripping of a friend who expects a similar level of contact, and for everything to be unchanged, not accounting for how their friend's life has evolved. Work becomes all consuming, people meet other friends in a similar life stage, couples make couple friends, people buy houses and think about children, they develop new hobbies, and they fall in love - in summary they change and want people around who know and support them as they are, not as they were. And people can sense when an old friend is not supportive of change, particularly if the friend's life hasn't evolved in the same way.

Also bizarre that everyone thinks the only reason Emma is friends with him is because (i) she brown nosed the fiancee (ii) the fiancee can gatekeep their friendship. Can it really not be the most obvious thing that after all these years Emma realised the fiancee wasn't some villain and is actually a nice person, and they have common interests and get on well. And her friendship is now more with the fiancee than Frasier as a result. She'd have to downplay this for OP who would no doubt see this as a betrayal because OP still sees the fiancee as the reason Frasier dropped her.

OP, I assume you must be mid 30s if 15 years ago you were at uni? I assume you don't have a relationship where your emotional needs are met, or haven't made any new friends who fill the emotional gap Frasier once did and Emma doesn't offer what he did. And that's where you should focus your energy, finding your person. Frasier just met his person - the one he shares finances with, discusses his problems and deepest feelings with, will lean on when he gets sick or redundant or has elderly parents, goes on trips with, may have children with and has built a whole life with that needs way more commitment/time than a friendship. Unless he has no other friends, it doesn't make him or his fiancee bad people for dropping you or prioritising their relationship over you. Hurtful for sure, but it's been years now so enough time to fill the gaps he left. If you haven't found a single living soul who replaces his friendship in 15 years, I would gently suggest it was more than a friendship for you - maybe not romantically, but you certainly liked being his priority and enjoying some of the benefits of a relationship.

I don't know if Emma knows how upset you still are as she may have assumed you've moved on. Be honest with her, and have her stay elsewhere. I don't think you're worried about Emma's reaction tbh, I think you're just stinging from the realisation that Frasier has really moved on, and the fiancee isn't just a blip. You cannot be invited to a wedding where you don't like the bride - it's just common sense. The wedding isn't a party, it's a declaration of their love and commitment to each other so only people who support them both are invited. So please don't let Emma ask them to invite you, that would be humiliating for you.

I hope you find someone with all the things you liked in Frasier - but this time as the gf and the priority. That's how you will move on and maybe also understand why he prioritised his relationship over you.

This is such a load of odd nonsense I dont even know where to begin 😂

So, firstly the ridiculous gender stereotyping about what all men are like in relationships that holds nothing whatsoever to the reality I had growing up with male friends.

Secondly, the weird dismissal of assumptions about the new wife and yet you have no hesitation making massive random assumptions about the OP that she must be in love with Fraser as thats the ONLY reason she might be upset about a friendship ending. What utter bollocks. I've lost a male friend and I can tell you that he had all the sex appeal to me as a hairbrush, that doesn't mean I wasn't really upset that our friendship ended. The key word in friendship being "friend".

Thirdly, the patronising bollocks at the end. Pfft.

AnnieLummox · 15/03/2026 11:04

PinkMagpie · 15/03/2026 10:36

OP I completely understand that this is hurtful for you. I think your best option in this scenario is to let Emma stay with you. This is for two reasons, 1. You don’t want this situation to harm your friendship with Emma and 2. If you say no to her it will get back to the wedding guests and the couple and it will make you look very bothered. Better to come across as unbothered and rising above it

Edited

Who cares how it comes across to the couple? They clearly don’t give a shit about the OP, so why should she care what they think?