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Just Said Yes October 2019

Husband a groomsman but I’m not invited?

Michelle, on August 20, 2018 at 11:03 PM Posted in Etiquette and Advice 0 47
Here is my scenario (Sorry it’s long, this just happened so I’m a bit worked up):
My husband is a groomsman in an old school chums wedding (On the opposite coast from where we live). The bride is best friends with my husbands ex, and the ex is a bridesmaid. I have only met the bride and groom briefly a couple of times, and have never met the ex.
My husband and his ex are not on good terms (she really let her crazy show when he ended their relationship) and the bride obviously sided with her best friend. And so even though they broke up ages ago, and we have been happily married for several years, there is still some awkwardness.
All that to say: the wedding is in a few months, and the formal invitation arrived today. Addressed only to my husband. No +1 included. I know basic wedding etiquette and that only the people addressed on the invitation are invited.
My husband, bless his heart, assumed it was just etiquette ignorance on the bride and grooms part, and texted the groom to see if I was Invited. The response was along the lines of “oh, I guess she can come if she wants” which seems pretty clear to me.
With that being said: what should I do? My husband said he would back out of the wedding, but I don’t think that’s the mature thing to do so close to the date. However I dont really feel comfortable going knowing I’m not wanted. But then my husband said he wouldn’t go without me.
Any advice appreciated, I feel so hurt. I’ve already sent this couple multiple engagement/wedding gifts that they have acknowledged so it’s not like they forgot I existed.
Help!

47 Comments

Latest activity by Rubyru, on October 10, 2024 at 4:23 AM
  • Going to the chapel
    Master July 2017
    Going to the chapel ·
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    Good for your husband!!! Give that guy a big hug and kiss. He's exactly right in that if you don't go, he won't go. How incredibly rude of his friend and the friend's fiance. I'd go to the wedding and show everyone how happy you and your husband are. Just shove it in their faces. Petty? Yes, but to have had absolutely no intention of inviting you is rude on their part.

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  • AF412
    Devoted March 2019
    AF412 ·
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    Without a doubt, I would let him back out of the wedding. It was completely disrespectful to not invite you.
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  • M
    Dedicated October 2019
    Morgan ·
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    I am so sorry this has happened to you, its honestly really immature on the bride and grooms part in my opinion. My FH said, cause i asked what he would do lol, he would not go because its not okay. Me and my FH are very close and we rarley do anything without the other i am his right hand and he is mine. I would feel very uncomfortable with him going knowing the situation. I think its really something yall should talk about and work out between yall. If it may cause tension and conflict and he says he will back out then thats the option i would go with. Its a crappy situation all the way around and im truely sorry.
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  • Kay
    Super November 2018
    Kay ·
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    THIS completely! How incredibly rude of them. He should absolutely not attend this wedding, they are being so disrespectful to him and you. WOW.

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  • Halli
    Dedicated August 2019
    Halli ·
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    I would just go with him and kill ‘em with kindness. But he needs to make sure there will be a seat for you CLOSE to his seat at the head table. Not far away with all the third cousins twice removed.
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  • F
    Super August 2018
    FutureMrsO ·
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    Either go and kill them with kindness or have your husband back out. However if he backs out, I would make sure he tells them exactly why he’s doing so because that is beyond rude and disrespectful of that couple
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  • C
    Dedicated September 2018
    Christine ·
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    I totally wouldn't feel comfortable going, but I probably would. Briefly anyway. Get a room somewhere close but not too close, go for the ceremony, and dip out with your husband right after dinner. Then he did his duty as a groomsman, you showed face, but it still makes a statement that those actions were not alright. Plus, the 2 of you could have a blast on a little mini vacation!
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  • C
    Master July 2018
    Cuoghi ·
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    I'd be the bigger person and show up and act completely normal, oozing confidence and kindness. That is utterly rude bad immature for them not to invite you, you are married! How shallow and low of them.
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  • Caytlyn
    Legend November 2019
    Caytlyn ·
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    He should drop out. He shouldn't spend his time and money traveling for, and attending, a celebration of their marriage when they have no respect for his.

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  • Winter Bride
    Expert December 2018
    Winter Bride ·
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    We are snuggled up and I just asked FH what he thought. Here’s his response:
    Me: Question, cause you’re a guy. Her husband is a groomsman in a wedding but she wasn’t invit-
    FH: No.
    Me: -ed.
    FH: No.
    Me: And..
    FH: No. If she’s can’t go, then he shouldn’t go. And he should back out of the wedding too.
    Me: Ok but then also..
    FH: No. And that’s messed up. Seriously.

    I hadn’t even gotten to the part about the bride being best friends with the ex yet.
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  • C
    Master July 2018
    Cuoghi ·
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    That's a good point. It really is about respect.
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  • J
    Expert May 2018
    J ·
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    Honestly it’s perfectly acceptable for him to back out under these circumstances, especially because you’d have to spend the time and money to travel across the country to a wedding where you don’t feel like you’ll be welcomed.
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  • Realynn
    Expert September 2019
    Realynn ·
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    To be honest, I understand the bride/groom's point of view as to why they didn't invite you to the wedding in the first place ... but I'm going to go against my own beliefs and say they were in the wrong. The groom asked your husband to be a groomsman even knowing his ex is also in the bridal party (I assume). The least he could do to make your husband more comfortable is to invite you. It especially strikes a chord with me that they did not invite you but when 'confronted' via text all of a sudden it's "okay if she wants to come???" *eyeroll*

    I feel more annoyed by the situation than hurt so I'm sorry I can't relate my feelings to yours :\ If I were you, I'd leave it up to my husband because it's his friend. Does HE still want to go to the wedding? If so, I'd just attend and try to act normal. "Kill them with kindness" as someone else mentioned in the comments. But, I'd bring up to my husband that it's maybe worth discussing with the groom why you weren't invited in the first place -- because it seems like it's a personal problem. If your husband doesn't want to attend, that's fine too! But he should be ready to possibly lose that friendship (I assume the groom wouldn't 'understand' why your husband would back out last minute ... which is a red flag)

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  • Courtney
    Super December 2018
    Courtney ·
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    Cut your losses and spend your time and money elsewhere. FH should absolutely explain why, but be prepared to lose the friendship.
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  • Sarah
    Master June 2016
    Sarah ·
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    I just asked H how he felt about this and he said absolutely not. He’d back out and completely lose respect for his friend if I wasn’t invited to a wedding he was supposed to participate in.

    I’d let him back out and have him explain exactly why he’s doing so.
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  • M
    Super June 2019
    Mary ·
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    I might be in the minority but if my husband wanted to still bein the wedding of his friend I would be fine with that. He would just go alone. I wouldn't want to spend my vacation days visiting people that don't want me there. His friends aren't required to like you and vice versa. I'm not saying this to be rude. Best of luck either way.
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  • MrsMcK
    VIP September 2017
    MrsMcK ·
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    He should definitely back out. This is so rude of the bride and groom. I’m sorry you’re dealing with this! Definitely frustrating.
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  • V
    Super April 2019
    Valerie ·
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    He should NOT back out unless he wants to end his friendship. Like, this WILL be a friendship ending move and I'm not sure why everyone is so casual about that. And it is an awkward situation when ex's are involved so I get where they might have wanted to reduce drama if possible it being the brides best friend. Yes, I would have invited both if I was in that scenario as a bride, BUT we see brides DAILY on this forum asking about these situations, so it isn't a shock that it happens. And, maybe she was a crazy ex, but also, it is amazing how many people become the 'crazy ex' in bad breakups even though there is bad on both sides. I'm the 'crazy ex' to my college boyfriend, and from his side of the tale I am, but from my side, he is the crazy one.

    Also, a guy texting back 'I guess she can come if she wants', I wouldn't take offense to. Do you know how this person normally communicates? My FH best friend says stuff like that all the time, but he doesn't mean it in a hurtful or like I'm an afterthought kind of way, he just means it at face value. It took me a while to realize he wasn't being rude and excluding me.

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  • Cynthia
    Expert May 2019
    Cynthia ·
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    Agree with the PP that you should give your husband a big kiss and allow him to back out! If it was a local wedding, and not across the country, I would say go and kill them with kindness. But I wouldn’t spend that much money to attend and event that you were not invited to. Bravo and kudos to your husband for standing up for you!!
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  • AngTrom
    Dedicated May 2019
    AngTrom ·
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    I think ultimately you should follow your husbands lead on how he would like things to play out.

    To play devil's advocate: It's generally etiquette to invite significant others, and always if they are married but maybe this is a small wedding and no one has that option, not just you? Or maybe they were misguided and trying to be mindful of the cost of traveling cross country?

    As for what my FH would decide: likely that the friendship doesn't warrant him in the wedding given their immaturity/lack of respect....but if it did and it was important to him, I would not want to be where I was not invited (or spend the money to travel, frankly) so I would sit it out while he went.

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