AIBU to feel awkward about attending this wedding?

[Kitteninblack]

Been invited to a family member’s wedding (cousin) who I haven’t seen in many years. Whenever I do see them, they don’t really speak to me much. I’m quite confused as to the invitation. My parents are going and they said we can travel with them. They think myself, DH and DC should attend as other family members are going and it’ll look ‘bad’.
I’m assuming it’s just an invite out of duty or politeness. I feel awkward about going.
We saw each other more when our grandparents were alive.

WWYD?

The older I get, the less I see my cousins. I was never that close (certainly not geographically) but we share family history and, for some reason, that means something.
Also I find my DC don't know my family dynamics from previous generations- sometimes I wish they knew more family.
Accept the invitation if you want to go. If you refuse, consider the next time you see your cousin may be a funeral and think if you retrospectively wish you'd shared a happy occasion with them.

Obligation, simple as that probably. You aren’t close so just turn it down - less hassle for you and they don’t have to fork out - it’s a win/win

Because they feel obliged to. As PP said, they are probably hoping OP declines.

It's a bit sad how many people assume it's just obligation. We invited all our cousins, regardless of how much we knew or saw them because we wanted to and it was a family occasion we wanted to share.

Wasn't at all offended when some declined either but the invitation was entirely genuine.

Maybe they feel sad that there is less family “glue” now the grandparents are gone and would like to make sure that they keep in touch with you. You don’t have to be best buddies with cousins. I’d go.

I hate weddings. Luckily, I often seem to have a holiday or some other committment coincidentally booked for the same day.

Just send your regrets and a gift and nobody will care.

It could be obligatory invite, it could be their spouse-to-be are very close to their cousins /have a much larger family and want to balance the sides.

But also it could be for their parents sake who want their DNs at their dcs wedding. It could be they see weddings as not just about them but also as a family event, that they’ve attended other people’s events within the family and view it as their turn. That perhaps while they don’t see you regularly they view family as important and so want to hold a family event, not just a party.

Sometimes it's nice to get the family all together...

Either go or don't go. Depends on the inconvenience of going.

Because it is wedding etiquette to invite family and if you weren’t invited then it looks bad on them

I think people decide a familial 'level' to keep things fair. Like, aunts and uncles/cousins/second cousins etc.

But you don't have to go if you don't want to.

If you don't want to go, don't go.

It’s quite normal to invite cousins to weddings. I don’t see that as odd at all. I went to all my cousins weddings.

This is so weird in my opinion, makes me feel like I've probably disappointed someone by making the effort to turn up!

I rarely see my cousins but it's always very relaxed when we do meet - being family and playing together as children forms a bond that lasts.

See I had no " family ' bond with my cousins. The eldest was born 23 years before me and the youngest on that side is 10 years older. Hardly playing together as kids

The other side the cousin below me is 8 years younger and they lives miles away. Think I pny set eyes on them twice in my life

Don’t overthink it.

‘Thanks for the invitation . Sorry we are unable to attend’

job done.

This.

Same.