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Savvy February 2022

i don’t want to be involved in my friends wedding because of how she’s behaved for mine

Brooke, on December 16, 2021 at 11:45 PM

Posted in Etiquette and Advice 30

I’m hesitant to post this but truly feel I need advice from people who don’t love me and know me. I have a friend who I’ve had trouble keeping connection with, none of my other friends or future husband are a fan because she is a little unstable and I guess “toxic” as some would say. Nothing in her...
I’m hesitant to post this but truly feel I need advice from people who don’t love me and know me.
I have a friend who I’ve had trouble keeping connection with, none of my other friends or future husband are a fan because she is a little unstable and I guess “toxic” as some would say. Nothing in her life is good enough for her, I have a hard time respecting her as a partner and parent because she will just storm out and not tell her fiancé where she’s going and disappear and lash out at him and her two year old to the point her two year old will say sorry for making her sad and ask her to calm down. She’s already “fired” two bridesmaids and threatened to fire all the rest of them because they hadn’t started up plans for her pre wedding festivities two years before her wedding date. She begged her fiancé to propose to her for a year, these “discussions” led to blow up fights where they would break up for a week and multiple times. But then she’d tell him he’d have to pay 1k in child support and refused to help him with their daughter saying he can’t do it without her and to figure it out and if they’re not together she won’t help with her own child.
Anyway, so I have a very hard time setting boundaries with her because I care very much about her daughter and we were friends in high school so to an extent I have a bond with her and I know what she went through as a kid. She decided to move her wedding up a full year and a half and now it’s in may. They’ve decided not to serve food and to have a cash bar and they want their guests to bring their ceremony decorations. They asked everyone to bring a dream catcher or wind chimes for their backdrop and are relying on guests for it. She was mad because she found out “if guests don’t pay enough tips to the bartenders” or buy too many of their own drinks she would have to do 20% of what we all spend if we don’t “tip enough” or “drink too much.” She’s expecting me to purchase an eighty dollar dress, which isn’t bad, but for my wedding she refused to purchase the dresses I picked (50-140 in price ranges) and got a ten dollar dress on Amazon and asked if it was okay. She asked me to book a venue for her bridal shower but she showed up to mine empty handed, with no decorations no gift and didn’t do any of the planning for mine. I was previously in an abusive relationship (a long time ago) and she expects me to get along with women who consistently undermined what I went through even after it came out he seriously injured his infant child (the woman after me and his) they said they believed it may have happened but it “probably wasn’t as bad as I said.” And she said she could see how they’d think that. I feel like I almost have a trauma bond to this person but I’m being asked to buy an expensive dress drop 150 on her bridal shower when she DIDNT contribute to mine and then had the nerve to vent and complain about all the work my other bridesmaids put into it saying that she’d rather have no bridal shower than mine and that she knew I wouldn’t do that to her when we plan hers and that if her bridesmaids get decorations from the dollar general they’re fired, she said that to her other bridesmaids. She told me she was pregnant on my bridal shower day and spoke about her wedding the whole time which didn’t bother me until she went off about how horrible my other friends were. But I was happy with my bridal shower. I don’t want to be in a different city from my fiancé for a weekend as it is, let alone to spend a bunch of money on the hotel I’m required to stay at the night before and after, pay for my own drinks, get myself back to the hotel somehow, not sure what else she’s cheaping out on if she’ll feed anyone at all that day or if I am supposed to drink on an empty stomach? Like is there a time window for me to pay for my own food in a drive through then? She literally only bought three of her bridesmaids bridesmaid t shirts and sent the rest of us a link to buy our own because she “couldn’t afford it.” But I spent 50 bucks on each of my bridesmaids including her, not to mention a yacht fully open bar champagne cocktail cruise excursion, catered breakfast with gourmet pancakes morning of, etc. I feel like I have no respect for this person. Whenever we’re together I help her daughter make brownies and take her to the park and for picnics and I pay for everything. Whenever her and her spouse to be break up she camps at my house for a week with her kid and I pay for everything and talk her off the ledge while gritting my teeth because she does not talk to me any other time. I do realize that it says negative things about me that I’m even involved with all of this, but I did try to say no to being in her wedding citing my own wedding as the reason but she didn’t accept that. And now I don’t know how to back out but I don’t want to be apart of this I don’t think the relationship will survive and it doesn’t sound like a good time. I feel sorry for her daughter and fiancé because I feel she’s manipulative selfish and entitled. And I don’t like that in this relationship with her I find myself keeping score and feel I’m a better person outside of this friendship. I’m not perfect financially but I have managed to host my own wedding and treat my bridesmaids like I love them and value them and have been grateful for what I’ve been given and not asked for anything more

30 Comments

  • Lisa
    Legend July 2022
    Lisa ·
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    I agree with this. That text is a lot for anyone to process and respond to. If you're planning on ending your friendship with this person, I don't think you need to detail everything you're upset by. Instead, I agree with Kylie that a short note along the lines of, "Hey, I've taken quite a bit of time to consider this, but this isn't working out for me. I have decided to not participate in your wedding after all. I hope your wedding turns out to be everything you dreamed of, and best wishes to you going forward!" And if she responds poorly, you don't need to reply to her.
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  • B
    Savvy February 2022
    Brooke ·
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    I think you’re right and besides that, I don’t want to reduce my character in my response and I don’t want to give her a chance to try and discuss it with me because on second thought, she doesn’t have a say in if we’re friends or not. It’s not good for me and she’s not interested in growing.
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  • B
    Savvy February 2022
    Brooke ·
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    I was trying to gauge if that was just going to be a vent thing in the notes on my phone to get it out or something sendable. And after the feedback I’ve gotten, and agree with and I think my intuition felt wrong sending it to which is why I posted here, I think it just is going to get deleted and was a means as getting it all out. I think it’s wrong to send but I do think I’m justified to feel all those things and be more angry and appalled by some of it and inconvenienced minorly by some of it and it just was for me, not her. I will exit the situation differently but I’m still glad I wrote it because I feel much lighter.
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  • B
    Savvy February 2022
    Brooke ·
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    I am under a lot of pressure from my fiancé to address the situation with her future spouse and from my friends to address the situation with our friendships and how I feel taken advantage of but my gut is telling me I don’t need an apology or resolution I just need to move on.
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  • A
    Expert September 2022
    Allie ·
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    You are so welcome! And I definitely think there's value in what you wrote out in a subsequent comment (and for me, it's suuuuper helpful to write stuff down, just to get it out of my head), but just in a slightly different scenario. But I hear you loud and clear: if a conversation in-person or via phone isn't gonna be ideal for you (and YOUR feelings are the priority here!!!), then draft an email or something with a concise message saying you need to back out of the bridal party (because I would agree with a PP that she's probably gonna get super defensive), and go ahead and send it. To be honest, I think for her, she'll internalize (and tell people externally) "oh my gosh, can you believe she dropped out of the wedding party?? How rude!" no matter what you say (and she's gonna ignore everything else), so it's almost better to keep it short. And hopefully those around her have learned to take her slander with a grain of salt. Maybe you could include something about how you've been feeling that the friendship has run its course, and that it's best to amicably part ways, and that you wish her the best for her and her family's future. I *do* think the longer written message would be better suited for the following scenario: get a piece of paper and your favorite pen, and then an adult beverage (if you drink), and let your hands/pen write out everything that's been on your mind! Let all your thoughts and feelings flow! And then.............burn it! I think it would be an awesome emotional release. It's helped me in the past, that's for sure. Wishing you lots of luck and peace as you navigate this tricky situation!!!

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  • B
    Savvy February 2022
    Brooke ·
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    Yes all of this!! I’m honestly too anxious by her to send it even if someone said oh yeah do it lol.
    I appreciate that my friends and fiancé want me to be treated well, but I will be handling the situation according to my own character which I’ve worked hard to maintain. I probably will lean towards saying something about how our friendship has run it’s course.
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  • Jacks
    Champion November 2054
    Jacks ·
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    Just say "no, I'm not going to be able to participate, best wishes" and walk on.

    Don't send the text. It will look like an attack on her, making you the aggressor and her the victim. If she is who you're describing, this won't resonate with her at all.

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  • Melinda
    Expert March 2022
    Melinda ·
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    I wanted to add that if she flips on you, block her.
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  • E
    Expert August 2023
    Elly ·
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    This "friend" sounds like an abusive narcissist, especially with her emotionally manipulative tactics, and how she strives to always have the spotlight on herself.

    It can be hard to break away from narcissists because they can come across as charming and creative at their best, but they are leeches in just about every sense of the word. Narcissists can also be the product of abuse and trauma, and this is all they know in terms of how to relate to people, but this is NOT your battle or your duty as a friend to take care of.

    Everyone may badmouth ghosting, but when it comes to certain circumstances, particularly leaving an abuser, ghosting is a form of self defense and preserving your sanity.

    If I was in your shoes, I would have this conversation via phone or text only, and be ADAMANT about keeping things brief. For example:

    "Hey (person's name), I have been doing some self-reflection and thinking that what used to be a friendship that bonded over parenting and _____ has really dissolved. I just feel uncomfortable with what I've seen and how you've acted to not only your family, but to me when preparing for my wedding. I can't shake it. I just wanted to call/text you and be upfront about this, and that you will not have a place in my wedding, or anything in the preparations or events leading up to it".

    Expect her to scream, cry, try and give bs reasons, but don't get caught up in the act or stay too long; she will chisel away at any backbone you have.

    Wait for a pause. Don't raise your voice, simply say something short and sweet to the effect of, "I just know that how I felt towards you as a friend is over. I don't want you there, or near my family. Goodbye (person's name)".

    Hang up. Block calls. Delete off of social media immediately.

    Those who are in the know will applaud you, and stand beside you.

    I definitely agree with the other comments on this post that say prepare for her backlash. It will be a good idea to contact any vendors and sellers ahead of time to inform them of your actions so that way they know if she tries to contact them, to ignore everything she says. I wouldn't write her off to pull some crazy move as trying to cancel your caterer, photographer, venue, or florist.

    Allow yourself to grieve. It may come as questioning yourself, but narcissists can't be reasoned with. I sincerely wish you the best.


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  • B
    Savvy February 2022
    Brooke ·
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    Thank you, I actually did take a similar approach, I was initially going to “ghost” her but then after discussing with my fiancé decided to send something short and sweet and then she immediately got extremely upset but I then moved on right away and took her off social media.
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