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Kristine
Super October 2014

Divorced Parents: Inviting the Girlfriend, Who Broke Apart Their Marriage (Help!!)

Kristine, on June 5, 2014 at 4:12 PM Posted in Etiquette and Advice 0 32

My parents went through a particularly nasty divorce. To make a long story short, Dad participated in an affair - when the girlfriend found out, she did not take it well and began harassing my mother (phone calls in the middle of the night, stalking, driving up from their house to deposit clothing in her front yard, et. cetera) until their divorce was finalized. We do not have a relationship with each other, but my father and I remain close.

We have four months to our wedding day and are finalizing our invitations. My mother and family on her side (as well as my father's brother and his family) do not want the girlfriend at the wedding - however my father and other family members expect her to be invited. To top it off, my father remains wishy-washy on his stance; when they are on good terms he expects her invitation, when they are not he does not.

I am torn on what to do, and would appreciate any suggestions.

32 Comments

Latest activity by Alejandra, on October 1, 2019 at 3:40 PM
  • Samantha
    VIP August 2014
    Samantha ·
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    I would not invite her if I don't personally have a good relationship with her. Anyone that tears apart my parent's marriage would be on the list of people I don't have a good relationship with IMHO. So there would be no way in hell I would invite her to my wedding no matter who has a problem or expected it

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  • F
    VIP October 2014
    FutureMrsS ·
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    What do you want? Forget your dad, mom, or the GF.... What do you want? Do you want her there? Will you miss her if she isn't? Will it be easier if she's not?

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  • MrsMacD
    Super September 2014
    MrsMacD ·
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    Honestly, to keep the peace, don't invite her. Your dad's family should understand why you don't want her there-- she helped break up their marriage!

    At the end of the day, do what you want, not what everyone else does because you can never please everyone!

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  • Emma
    Master October 2024
    Emma ·
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    I would not invite her. Send out an invite to your dad without her name on it. It seems like your dad was a jerk who cheated on his wife, so I wouldn't insult my mother by inviting this woman.

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  • DisneyNut
    Master October 2014
    DisneyNut ·
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    I wouldn't invite her. I've been in your mom's shoes only it wasn't a wedding. It was my son's 5th birthday. He brought her just 3 months after walking out on us. It was the worst day of my life. No joke. I ended up between my ex and my Dad (who are both 6'1") with my arms spread screaming "Stop just stop." The place where we were having the birthday party had management come over and ask me if I was OK. I call it the birthday party from hell.

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  • Pancakes
    Master October 2015
    Pancakes ·
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    Sounds like a Jerry Springer episode. Why was the girlfriend harassing the mother? Doesn't even make sense...

    It sounds like you should not invite the girlfriend. Since they aren't on a balance relationship and can fight and break up any moment. She sounds like she will make a scene, too. I just wouldn't do it.

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  • Brittany
    Super July 2014
    Brittany ·
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    Wowza. I would sit down with your dad and tell him that based on her behavior towards your mother at the beginning of the relationship that she won't be welcome at the wedding. You can also cite his flakiness with how he feels about her being there. I definitely wouldn't invite her though.

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  • Kimberly
    VIP October 2014
    Kimberly ·
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    Don't invite her. Doesn't sound like you want her there and I would hope your dad understands.

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  • Kristine
    Super October 2014
    Kristine ·
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    Wow, that didn't take long at all! Thanks for your input: I tried very hard to keep personal opinions out of it, but Long Story Short, and this has a lot of bias. GF did not take it well that she was the other woman (apparently she fawned over him with lots of expensive gifts) but instead of walking away decided it was her mission to get them divorced so she "won" my dad.

    I wouldn't wish this situation on my worst enemy. Hearing others perspectives is so helpful!

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  • His #1 Lady
    VIP April 2015
    His #1 Lady ·
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    I'm being very honest. I would ABSOLUTELY NOT INVITE HER!!!! There is no way I would invite the person who tore my parents' marriage apart, especially if I have no relationship with them. I can understand stepparents, because my FH is inviting his stepmother even though his mother does not particularly care for her, but his mom and dad were not married and they are completely over one another. Your dad's family should understand. That is absolutely crazy for them to believe that would not be awkward!

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  • rusticbride
    Master May 2014
    rusticbride ·
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    Well, I've been where you are, about 8 years ago. My parents divorced for the exact same reasons (only my Mom was the one who went a little Carrie Underwood - 6 month grace period), and the road to reviving my relationship with my Dad, his mistress/now wife/my now Step Mom, along with salvaging his relationships with my brother and sister and how they view our Step Mom has been a DOOZEY!

    I had no choice. My Dad was paying for the wedding, and my Dad remarried, so of course, my Step Mom was invited.

    If they were just "together," then I probably STILL would have invited her. Look, you can handle this any way you want. The ball's in your court and not in your Dad's because he made his bed, now he has to lie in it patiently waiting to see his kids come around/warm up to his girlfriend or not come around, and not warm up to his girlfriend.

    It's your choice. I wanted to move on with my life. My family's closer now through all the BS that transpired.

    It's your choice. People will have to accept it either way.

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  • rusticbride
    Master May 2014
    rusticbride ·
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    May I add too that on the day of our wedding, no one had anything hateful to say to each other, and even my Mom/Dad got along just fine with my Step Mom there. My Mom and Step Mom did not conversate, oh no, but all parents there were genuinely happy to be there, and were enjoying the wedding for the right reasons.

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  • Rebecca
    Super July 2014
    Rebecca ·
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    Im in a similar situation. My dad cheated on my mom and right after the divorce was finalized married the woman he was cheating with. She is also very young and around the same age as me. I had to invite her but it will be the first time my mom sees my dad since the divorce 8 years ago and her first time seeing my step mom. My mom has no idea how young she actually is. I invited her because my dad would not come if she was not invited. They both said they were not coming multiple times during the planning process because they did not want to see my mom and have it turn into drama on the day of.

    My dad step mom and my mom will be there the day of so we will just see how everything goes.

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  • Finally mrs.jkr
    Master June 2025
    Finally mrs.jkr ·
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    How long ago did this happen? If it was just recently, then there has not been enough time to allow them to develop any non-hostile relations after this happened.

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  • ItsGoodToBeKing
    Master February 2014
    ItsGoodToBeKing ·
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    No divorces but definitely some affairs and I would not have invited the home wreckers. they both would just have had to have kissed my ass and sucked it up.

    nope nope nope

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  • Mrs.Matthews
    Master January 2015
    Mrs.Matthews ·
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    I wouldn't invite her, I feel like it would be unfair to your mom

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  • mrsg
    Master September 2017
    mrsg ·
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    NOPE, I wouldn't invite that bitch even if they were married. If having his girlfriend at your wedding is more important to your dad than being at his daughter's wedding, then he can stay home, too. He already made selfish decisions by having his affair, and you shouldn't allow him to make another by inviting drama into your wedding day. If his family has a problem with it, know that they are crazy and roll with it. Your father made his bed, and now he has to lie in it. Don't let him manipulate you and your mom again.

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  • MinD
    VIP June 2013
    MinD ·
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    Am I missing something ... the GF didn't take it well that she was the other woman?? What a real loser. Personally I wouldn't invite the trouble into my day

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  • J & S
    Devoted August 2015
    J & S ·
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    Absolutely not! She harassed your mom and was the mistress! Out of respect for your mom don't invite her. She doesn't deserve the respect or privilege to feel like a part of your family.

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  • Abby
    VIP October 2021
    Abby ·
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    How serious are you dad and this GF? How long ago did he divorce your mom? Are your dad and the GF living together? How long have they been together since he left your mom?

    I would take all that in to consideration. I mean, I would hate to invite her either way....but I feel like if she is your dad's live in partner of more than a year, then, unfortunately, they are a couple and you need to extend the same courtesy to your father as you would to other people in committed (I guess...???) relationships.

    If they don't live together and it's been less than a year since the divorce, then I would probably not invite her.

    Another thing to consider - do you think the GF will treat your mother poorly at the wedding? If you think there's a chance that the GF will say or do anything to your mom, then I would not include her.

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