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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To drop future SIL from being a bridesmaid?

105 replies

Faraway11 · Yesterday 11:12

I hope you’re sat with a cuppa because it’s abit of a long one. My Fiancé and I have been planning our wedding for a long time. We get married in less than 2 weeks, so this happened a while ago but I’ve only just decided to discuss it as it still weighs on me. Initially, my plan was to have my best friend as my maid of honour, one of my closest friends as a bridesmaid and my SIL as a bridesmaid too. We had come out of a rough patch a few months prior, after she cut me off for not being able to attend her birthday drinks due to my car breaking and me not being able to afford it. She eventually apologised and we moved on. After asking her to be a bridesmaid she seemed happy and accepted. I reached out to the girls asking for a date we could all go dress shopping for my wedding dress as I needed input. On the day or shopping for my dress, SIL could not have looked any more miserable. I messaged her after I got home to ask if she was okay. She was annoyed because she thought she was getting her dress too that day and said she had to book time off work for it. It got smoothed over and I forgot about it. We eventually went to go and get the bridesmaid dresses, she seemed very happy on that day and it all went great. Between then and now, I’ve been having health issues, I’ve been diagnosed with ME/CFS and have been having extreme bouts of depression, but have been doing my best to function with the support of my family and friends. Back in April, my MOH asked what I’d like for my hen party. I explained I was more than happy to have a girly sleepover with some games, a takeaway and some cheesy films. I’m not one for being a party animal. My friends tried to get SIL on board with this, SIL mentioned wanting to go to a magic mike show, but that’s not something I’m interested in. So over the months leading up to the hen, my friends tried and tried to ask SIL if she was coming, she kept saying she didn’t know if she’d be at work (this was 6 months before the hen), then she was talking about not having enough money. My friends said they were happy to chip in and help her out if it meant her being there for my hen do. Eventually about 3 weeks before the hen, my bridesmaid messaged her again about it. SIL replied to say she didn’t want to come, because apparently my attitude and demeanor has been depressing lately, she didn’t want to sit in a room with a ‘mood hoover’ all night making her feel depressed, and also because she can sit and watch films at home. My bridesmaid immediately had my back and called her out on this, SIL replied to say that she’s had it hard too but she just got on with it. Obviously with my bridesmaid being a very close friend, she told me straight away. Myself and my partner phoned his mum, we explained that SIL was still more than welcome to attend the wedding, but she is no longer required as a bridesmaid and is not to contact me at all. Since then, I haven’t spoken to her, but she is point blank refusing to attend the wedding at all. I honestly don’t care, it’s my partner I feel sorry for, even though he has constantly supported me and expressed he also doesn’t care wether she attends. I’ve heard that she also thinks I’m taking advantage of my partner due to him covering bills whilst I’ve been unwell. Her reasoning for not attending the wedding continues to fluctuate between not wanting to be around my friends, and just saying she doesn’t want to go. Was i unreasonable?

OP posts:
Totalmayhem · Yesterday 15:37

I’d be relieved she wasn’t coming! Just park it & move on and don’t let it ruin your day!

Rosemariebear · Yesterday 15:40

Totalmayhem · Yesterday 15:37

I’d be relieved she wasn’t coming! Just park it & move on and don’t let it ruin your day!

Exactly this. Enjoy your day without worrying about her.

Notonthestairs · Yesterday 15:50

God knows why posters are focusing on the MIL given it was the OP’s fiancé calling his mum. He’ll understand his family dynamics better than anyone else on here.

The SIL has acted like a complete arse.
Cutting the Op off for not being able to afford her birthday drinks.
Sulking when the wedding dress shopping was indeed wedding dress shopping.
Calling the Op names.
Refusing to attend a hen night that wasn’t to her taste.

And let’s face it SIL is likely to hold this over Op and her brother’s heads for years. Guarantee any mention of the wedding will trigger some kind of outburst.

Really immature behaviour.

DuckbilledSplatterPuff · Yesterday 15:59

you've invited her. She says she just doesn't want to come.

Don't chase or beg. Let her.

Leave it at that...and get on with enjoying your wedding. You are not marrying her, but stop thinking about/talking about her. You are letting her live rent free in your head. You have a long list of her "crimes" just let it go.

she sounds like a spiteful, immature attention seeker. If she bring it up in future (and she will ) shut the conversation down by saying you were invited, it was your choice not to come. Nothing more to say... and leave it at that.

KaleidoscopeSmile · Yesterday 16:04

She should've been told to sod off months ago but I still think it was pretty pathetic contacting her mum!

If she wouldn't answer her phone you or your DH could've said it all in a text or WhatsApp message.

Wdutua · Yesterday 16:06

She is jealous because she will not be the "Star of the Show". Have a lovely day without her.

Happy Marriage to you and soon to be DH.

DaisyChain505 · Yesterday 16:07

She sounds difficult and like she has main character syndrome.

She’s said she isn’t coming to the wedding, your fiancé has said he isn’t bothered so I wouldn’t give it anymore headspace.

You can’t rationalise with this type of person so just leave her to it and enjoy your day.

Faraway11 · Yesterday 16:11

saraclara · Yesterday 15:07

Poor MIL. Fancy being dragged into this and having to be the one to deliver the news.

I don't believe that you/your DH had no other way of communicating with SIL. DH could have turned up at her door, and if she didn't answer, put a note through the letter box.

It was cowardly and unfair to land MIL with the job.

Edited

You can not believe it all you like, that’s the truth. It’s not just about the fact of finding other ways to contact her. I stated that I wasn’t and still am not in the right frame of mind to deal with it, hence why my partner took it into his own hands. He knows how to deal with his family

OP posts:
whippersnapper55 · Yesterday 16:19

Ah well, she's not coming, that's the end of it. I don't blame you for not wanting her as bridesmaid but did you really think she'd come as a guest with everyone knowing she'd been dropped as a bridesmaid? Of course not.

Just leave it alone now and go ahead and enjoy your wedding.

5128gap · Yesterday 16:20

I think you've created a lot more drama than necessary to be honest. A message from you to her "After what you said to MoH, I'm thinking it's probably best if you're not bridesmaid, what do you say?" Could have either had her opting out herself, or apologising.
By both you AND your partner reporting it to her mother, and telling her not to contact you, you've really ramped things up to feud levels.
Your MiL is stuck in the middle, your partner is upset, and this fuss is hanging over your wedding.
She was horrible, no doubt, but sometimes it's good to look a few steps ahead before you react and think what your own responses can lead to. Families are challenging to navigate, but the less fuel you pour on a fire the less it burns.

Missypuddingchops · Yesterday 16:24

The trash took itself out babe...have a lovely day

Restlessdreams1994 · Yesterday 16:24

I don’t understand this whole thing now of the groom’s female relatives expecting to be bridesmaids. Bridesmaids should be the friends and family of the bride, not the future sister-in-law that you might not even have anything in common with!

Boomer55 · Yesterday 16:29

Just enjoy your day. It’s one day. Then move on.

Youhadrambledonfor18pages · Yesterday 16:34

If the hen do is just a sleepover and watching films, what exactly can she not afford to pay for?!

I wouldn’t have dropped her as a bridesmaid for the sake of family relations. Just have fun at the hen without her and be glad she’s not there.

Dancingsquirrels · Yesterday 16:35

I often think threads like this are unhelpful as they just wind OP up even more that she was in the right, SIL's a bitch etc

None of us know what was truly said / done

And Obviously with my bridesmaid being a very close friend, she told me straight away aka bridesmaid stirring up trouble

GreatThingsAwait · Yesterday 16:36

What a lot of over the top drama.
I think your other bridemaids have behaved badly tbh. They have made the situation so much worse. Your SIL clearly didn’t want to come to the hen do so why keep on at her. They could have made it so much easier if they had managed it more tactfully. They could have let your SIL know the details and said it would be lovely if you can make it but no worries if not, we look forward to seeing you at the wedding. They could have also toned down what your SIL said.
It doesn’t matter if neither of you like each other that much what matters is that you are both vocal about it.
As it is everyone is upset and it’s going to hang over your wedding day.

anotherdaytosmile · Yesterday 16:40

You called her mum? How old is she, 10?

MaidOfSteel · Yesterday 16:45

You have wonderful, generous & supportive friends and a marvellous fiancé. She’s no loss. Forget about her.

Wishing you the most joyful wedding day. 💐 👰

Hatty65 · Yesterday 16:48

The pair of you sound quite dramatic and immature. I speak as someone with ME/CF - this sort of silly carry on isn't something I could cope with and I'm very surprised you have the energy to waste.

You'd have been better to accept the fact that she wasn't coming to the hen do, assume she was still being a bridesmaid and have a pleasant wedding day.

Instead you've (both) ramped up the feelings and the drama and the sense of being ill used. It's not the way to manage a chronic health condition if you have one.

GreenCaterpillarOnALeaf · Yesterday 16:57

She sounds like a nightmare and you sound like a bit of a push over. I’d be glad to be rid of her.

Janus · Yesterday 17:11

Quite honestly if someone told me the hen do was a sleepover with a take away I don’t think I’d want to go unless I was very close to the bride. It would have been pretty uncomfortable for you all to ‘hang out in PJ’s’ for the night surely?? So I’d have happily let it go and have her as a bridesmaid and then just backed off after the wedding. Now it’s all a bloody drama when it didn’t have to be.
So I think you’re both to blame here.

itgetsthehoseagain · Yesterday 17:15

It's your partner I feel sorry for, too.

LookInsideMySpottyBag · Yesterday 17:19

Sounds like you’re just not compatible and wind each other up; I suspect if she wasn’t your SIL you wouldn’t be friends.
It sounds like you both enjoy the drama and both sound immature.

TheWildZebra · Yesterday 17:26

Sounds like it’s sorted itself out and there’s nothing else to resolve. Put her and the situation out of your mind and focus on having a nice day with the DH to be. It’s such a special time there’s no point getting wound up whether you’re right or wrong about something. The situation is what it is!

tara66 · Yesterday 17:27

Just have a very quiet wedding.