Woman 'Invited' to Wedding, Only to Find Out That She Is Expected to Spend the Whole Time Babysitting for Free

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  • 01
    r/weddingshaming u/EdenCapwell • 4d Invited to a wedding, but there's a huge catch and I'm in utter shock.
  • 02
    I posted this elsewhere on Reddit but I was asked by many people to share it here. I'm literally in a state of shock. I've done the crying thing and now I'm just angry. I was so happy to see a wedding invitation in my mailbox. I pulled it out and a little note fell out on an index card but I looked at the invitation first. It was truly beautiful and I immediately stuck it to my fridge like the work of art it was. It was addressed to my husband and me and I was beyond stoked. I love weddings. I t
  • 03
    I picked up the notecard and read that and while my husband was invited ... I'd be in another room helping to babysit all the children there with several other female invitees. There's a special room for children at the church and that's where I'd be. For everything. I'd still need to dress for a wedding in case I wind up in any photos, but I'd be taking my reception meal with the children and I'd be with all the kids for the ceremony. Then there was a link for their gift registry.
  • 04
    Oh, and the meals for my husband and myself would be $100.00 each and we have a link to pay it when we digitally RSVP. And it costs money to RSVP on the website they've chosen. The first problem here is that I am disabled at 50 years old. Legally. I use oxygen. I use a walker when I need to walk long distances. I sometimes have to give up the walker entirely and use a wheelchair. I'm not proud of it, but there it is. I could happily sit in a room and LOOK at kids but I'd be pretty useless to pre
  • 05
    Second, my husband isn't the one who has been friends with these people since childhood. I am. Why would he be invited to watch the ceremony and be part of the reception but not me? My husband said he'd happily watch the kids and let me attend the wedding and reception but the invitation specified that only a few other FEMALE invitees would be watching the kids so I doubt they'd let him.
  • 06
    It's just the pure audacity for me. They expect me to not only pay for a meal that I have to eat while watching kids... but also get them a gift and dress up just in case I happen to be captured in photos.
  • 07
    I know them because the bride's mom and I were besties growing up. Our mothers were the very best of friends and it made us become like sisters. Our birthdays are four days apart in the same year. We've been friends our entire lives. We went to school together, graduated together, and got married in the same year. The bride is like an unofficial goddaughter for us and we've been there for all her big milestones. She even met her fiance at a cookout at our house (we're related to the groom via ma
  • 08
    We're all American. They've rented a Southern Baptist church but none of us are overly religious so that isn't the reason for this. It's not a cultural thing. It's just a tacky thing. I don't even know how to process all of this. I'm angry and sad and feel disrespected and ... ughh. Just ugh. ✩ 2,604 в 599 2☑
  • 09
    Weaselpanties • 3d That is the tackiest thing I've ever heard of. Asking guests to provide free childcare, pay for their meal, AND give them a gift? no. I wouldn't even RSVP (since it costs money), I would just ghost these people. They might have been your friends, but they aren't good people, and they aren't people you are going to want in your life anymore, because this kind of behavior will continue and escalate. Reply 3.6k
  • 10
    The RadHamster • 3d Oh I wouldn't even ghost these people. I'd bring out the gasoline and light that bridge on fire for everyone to see. An "invite" when I was volun-told to babysit random children (while being disabled) plus the whole meal and gift issue? I would send RSVPs to bride & groom and bride's mother expressing my immense disappointment in the whole affair. They took a on the relationship and need their faces rubbed in it. I'm stunned by the sheer audacity. 1.2k
  • 11
    . sqrrrlgrrl ⚫ 3d I'm trying to figure out the metrics of a $100 meal in a Southern Baptist hall. I thought we all just brought a covered dish and prayed gramma didn't add that something special that she almost never remembers and won't even tell us about when she does, but it's weird. 487 Starchasm 3d I see you also have a family member that randomly puts raisins in the Mac and cheese. ← 1311
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    demon_gringo • 3d $100 per meal is enough reason to RSVP no, even before the sexist insult of making women tend to the children and be separate the whole time. I say you ahould write not going and circle all the outrageous on the invitation and mail it back. Dont go to the address to rsvp electronically, the written response will make things slightly difficult for them. Reply 1.1k
  • 13
    asietsocom • 3d Trust me I'd love to hear more about this world record in tacky but you don't deserve this OP. I personally wouldn't even give them the time of day to RSPV No. But you might want to be less petty. But please please please don't go. There is NO justification for this. No matter your age or ability to look after children. I can't imagine how painful this must be but this person does not care about you. You deserve people around you who do. Reply 117
  • 14
    SavoyAvocado • 3d This cannot be real... how do you invite your mother's childhood friend to your own wedding and volun-tell her that she'll be working for you at the reception??? Second, you're not their guest at all if you're paying for your meal. Spend the $200 on a night out with your husband instead. Good grief ← Reply 407
  • 15
    Beneficial_Music930 • 3d How awful! I would RSVP no via snail mail since online costs money and they deserve a big fat NO to their wedding!! ... Reply 443
  • 16
    the_beat_labratory • 3d Clearly the bride and groom are awful people making ridiculous decisions, but I wonder if the bride's mom (OP's long time friend) is even aware of what her daughter and future son in law are trying to pull here. OP, I would verbally RSVP no to the bride's mother and explain exactly why. Her reaction (whether she's outraged on your behalf or cool with daughter's plan) will tell you if there's any chance of salvaging your friendship. CLEARLY there's no point in trying to sa
  • 17
    doubleOh 3d That's a hard pass. Just straight up. I've been to plenty of weddings with kids - a couple of Catholic weddings, too - and never seen anyone do this. Guests with kids? Their parents watch them. If they don't want to do that, they find a sitter for the day. If they don't want to do that? They decline the invite. The church my parents go to even has a room specifically for families with babies/young kids so that it's not too disruptive if they start crying (it's a windowed room at the
  • 18
    clserdaigle 3d • That's unbelievably cheap and insulting. I had a friend do childcare at my wedding but I talked to him about it first and paid him. I hope nobody goes along with this ridiculous plan. Reply Ŵ 97 ♡
  • 19
    Bright Broccoli1844. 3d First, I love that your husband volunteered to switch places with you. Second, there's no shame in having a disability. I am sorry they hurt your feelings. Those people really went off the rails. Reply 64
  • 20
    freshcanoe 3d I've never aired out family drama on Facebook or social media... but this would be my time to shine. You bet your britches exposing this is my hill to die on. ← Reply 43
  • 21
    IdlesAtCranky • 3d I'd be wondering who the other "designated babysitters" are. Not to throw gasoline on the fire, but this smacks of possible ableist "we need to be picture-perfect" bigotry. As someone on oxygen myself, who also uses a walker or chair, it just immediately came to my mind that it's an excuse not to have you in their photos. Either way, this couple is being incredibly rude. Anything else aside, a demand in the invitation that you pay upfront for your meals, plus having to pay to
  • 22
    lovesongsaredumb. 3d I would call the MOB and tell her that someone is playing a cruel joke on her daughter, because you got the invitation, but someone slipped in an index card saying that'd you not only be expected to pay for your plate, but that you weren't even INVITED, you're expected to baby sit! It was so outrageous that it has to be a prank and you wanted to let her know. That way a) MOB finds out the couple is doing this without her knowledge, thoroughly chews her out. b) MOB admits tha

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