Bride Refuses To Invite Her Special Needs Aunt To Her Wedding, Family Drama Ensues

The bride feels like she wouldn't even enjoy the wedding.

Senad

• Published in Interesting
• August 13, 2023

Imagine this: you're about to say "I do" at a beautiful autumn wedding. But there's a twist. You've expressed your wish that your aunt doesn't attend the wedding festivities. Why? Because she has severe developmental delays, which means she has the mindset of a 5-year-old.

OP is about to tie the knot in the upcoming fall season. As she delved into wedding preparations, she faced a challenging decision regarding her aunt's attendance.

Her aunt, who experiences severe developmental delays equivalent to a five-year-old's cognitive level, finds large crowds overwhelming and struggles to enjoy such events. Interestingly, this scenario had occurred before; her aunt didn't attend OP's parents' wedding either due to these challenges.

Considering her aunt's comfort and happiness, OP expressed her preference that her aunt wouldn't attend the wedding. She believed that the bustling atmosphere, coupled with the absence of her aunt's preferred food choices (hot dogs and pepperoni pizza), might not make the event enjoyable for her.

To offer an alternative, OP suggested arranging a separate gathering tailored to her aunt's preferences. Additionally, she extended invitations for the bridal shower, rehearsal dinner, post-wedding brunch, and more manageable events. Regrettably, all these alternatives were declined.

Instead, the family proposed that her aunt attend the wedding, accompanied by two hired caregivers to assist her. However, this proposition raised concerns for OP.

If her aunt required two caregivers to navigate the event, would she genuinely find joy in the occasion? Furthermore, the family didn't offer to cover the additional costs incurred by these extra attendees, a factor that OP and her partner were independently financing.

Seeking clarity on the plan, OP inquired about her aunt's attendance duration. Conflicting responses emerged, suggesting she might come for the ceremony, just the dinner, or both.

Frustrated by the lack of consistency, OP realized that having her aunt join during pivotal moments, like speeches or the first dance, would disrupt the flow of the wedding. Additionally, she worried that the limited menu options for her aunt might contribute to her anxiety and discomfort.

OP is getting married in the fall and she doesn't want her aunt to attend the wedding

OP had the idea of having a different party just for her

All of OP's ideas were rejected and everyone insisted that she attends the wedding

OP didn't think that the aunt would even enjoy the wedding

OP tried explaining that the aunt wouldn't have anything to eat at the wedding

OP made the hard decision of saying no

OP's decision caused a lot of family drama

Double standards at play

Such hypocrisy

Toxic family

So, readers, what's your take on this situation? Is OP in the wrong for saying "no" to their aunt's attendance? Or is their family overreacting?

The people of Reddit agree that OP did nothing wrong, calling out her mother for her hypocrisy since she didn't invite the aunt to her wedding either. OP's arguments made a lot of sense, and since it's her wedding, she gets to do whatever she wants.

Senad