The politics of planning a wedding are something that many people are unprepared for until it's actually happening. You have to navigate which family members get invites and which don't, rearrange the seating plan to make sure everyone is comfortable, and some people have to make the decision about whether or not to have children present!
Plenty of couples decide to keep their wedding child-free, but one bride's decision caused a bit of an uproar in the family.
Decisions About Wedding Details Are Normally Agreed Upon By The Bride And Groom, No One Else
When planning a wedding, we can all agree that the final wedding details are the choice of the bride and groom considering they're the ones who are actually getting married.
Unfortunately, that's not always the case. Not every family member or friend is going to be happy about some decisions—and they're probably going to let you know.
Keeping The Wedding Child-Free
Reddit user glitterglazegloo is in the process of planning her wedding.
While discussing details with her mom, the bride-to-be let her mother know that she had "zero intention of having any kids present" at her wedding. That's her prerogative, right? Well, not according to her sister.
The Bride Has Five Sisters
The Reddit poster gave a little background on her family, sharing that she has five sisters. They range from ages 13-34, with her sitting around the middle.
Of the sisters, only one is currently married and this almost bride will be the second.
We're Calling The Married Sister "Stephanie"
Stephanie is 33 and has two boys of her own whom she loves dearly.
Stephanie loves her boys so dearly, in fact, that her sister feels like "she has a problem where she makes everything about them."
Everything Is About Steph's Boys
An example the poster shared was that recently another one of their sisters, "Lyla," had received a very competitive and important internship.
When the sister shared the news in the family text chat, "Stephanie sent a picture of the kids and the whole family barely acknowledged Lyla, and instead fawned over the kids."
The Other Sisters Are Fed Up
User glitterglazegloo writes that this sort of situation has been the norm since Stephanie's children were born.
And while she loves her nephews, "It has become very aggravating as many of my sisters and my accomplishments have been shoved to the side while Stephanie has been celebrated the most as she has hit major milestones (marriage, graduating with master's, children)."
Mom Took The No-Kids Rule Poorly
The bride's mom, when she found out it would be a kid-free wedding, "took this as a personal attack on my sister and was completely offended."
The user wrote that she felt like "there's always crying and whining and running around [with kids], which just seems stressful. It's just not my thing."
Mom Snitched On Her To The Whole Fam
Her mother apparently responded with the "typical comments" like, "How could you not want to include your nephews!? That is terrible of you." “Those are sweet little angels, how could you not want them in your wedding?” “That's so mean.”
Then she proceeded to tell everyone else in the family.
And Now Everyone Is Upset
"She went and told everyone, so the rest of my family is now mad at me that I don't want to include the kids."
Somehow a decision about her wedding day has turned into a personal attack on her sibling.
She Also Added That Her Sister's Kids Aren't The Only Ones Not Invited
It's not like this woman was singling out her sister's children and allowing others to come! "There are other children in my family (I have cousins who are 10-17) and I have friends who have kids. No child under the age of 18 will be invited or allowed."
She even debated if her 13-year-old sister would be allowed to come, but ultimately decided that she would be the one exception to the rule since her other siblings are in the wedding party so it felt mean to exclude her. The youngest sister will be a junior bridesmaid but won't be allowed at the reception.
Lucky For The Bride, The Internet Supported Her
Absolutely no one sided with the mother or sister on this thread. Everyone in the comments was supportive of her decision to choose whether or not she wanted kids to attend.
Many people even reaffirmed her decision by sharing their own stories, and parents talked about how much work even well-behaved children are at a wedding. The bride at least found some support online.