Hi everyone! I’m getting married next year and I have a dilemma which I’ve known for years would arise when I eventually was to get married. I don’t have a relationship with my father - he walked out when I was quite young and I haven’t had a real conversation with him in 10 years, there is literally no relationship there and and no chance of reconciliation so he’s obviously not coming to my wedding. I have 2 older brothers who I’m not actually as close to anymore the older I’ve gotten. I have a very close relationship with a work colleague who I’ve worked with for the last 5 years who has been a surrogate father to me. He’s given me lots of great life advice and has been there when I needed someone, but most importantly he is the reason I am getting married as he set me and my fiance up on a blind date. So I have asked him to walk me down the aisle.
I told my mum this 2 weeks ago and she hadn’t spoken to me since. I rung her a couple of days ago to say hello and she was just angry at me on the phone, I literally had no idea why. She said I hurt her feelings by asking “a stranger” to give me away. She said I’ve never been to a wedding and there are protocols to adhere to and I’m making the wrong decision. My fiance’s sister is also getting married next year. My mum said to me “How do you think your fiancé’s mother would feel if his sister didn’t ask their dad to give her away?” To which I replied it’s a completely different situation; she has a dad, I don’t and I told her the reason I’m getting married is because of my work colleague. She said you have two older brothers you could’ve asked. She continued to say I was wrong and making the wrong the decision and hung up on me. The reason I didn’t ask my brothers is because they’re my brothers - neither of them have been a father figure to me.
So - am I in the wrong here?