Bride's entitled family uses rehearsal dinner to have a free family reunion on 39-year-old groom's dime, he cancels wedding after they invite their own guests and wreak havoc: "My family felt uncomfortable""

Author image for Ely Bulnes
Ely Bulnes • Writer and Editor
Mar 11, 2025 8:00 PM EDT

When you marry your partner, you are also marrying their family in a way. Of course, this isn't always the case. Plenty of people have tense relationships with their relatives and their behavior, views, and lifestyles are not a reflection of their own; they might even have very little contact with their family. However, in the average relationship, you should expect to have to interact with your partner's side fairly often, and not getting along with them could be a potential red flag. 

In our story today, a groom-to-be calls off the wedding after getting to know his fiancée's side a little too well. Not only do they demand that he pay for the wedding and go over budget, they hijack the rehearsal dinner to have their own little family fun time. What's worse is that his partner does nothing to stop them! Scroll down below for the full story. 

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  • 01

    AITA for canceling our wedding after our rehearsal dinner was ruined by her Mom and her family?

    "Her side of the list kept growing and showing up."
    via Eric Moura from Pexels
  • 02
    My (M39) ex fiancee ( Kelly F40) and I were together for 3 years. We are both divorced and have children from our previous relationships. I had kids with my ex wife and Kelly got married really
    via u/Ok-Entrance37
  • 03
    young and divorced after 10 years, then met a guy and got pregnant within weeks and they tried to work things out but they couldn't.
    via u/Ok-Entrance37
  • 04
    We did have our challenges but always managed to pull through. We are both working class so when I proposed, we both agreed to either have a very small wedding or hold a larger event later because I
    via u/Ok-Entrance37
  • 05
    would need to save up. She doesn't have a job and I would need to save up for over a year. We skipped the big wedding and agreed on a ceremony and reception at her family's home (where her aunts live).
    via u/Ok-Entrance37
  • 06
    Cheezburger Image 10478138368
    via halfpoint

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 07
    Kelly and I planned for a very simple wedding to take place in the space at her family's backyard and the garage. Because I was paying for almost everything, they offered to let us use the space as our venue at no cost. So I purchased the alc ol
    via u/Ok-Entrance37
  • 08
    with exception to a few cases of beer, and paid for the rental chairs and tables. My groomsmen chipped in with a few things while I noticed that her family was very laid back. Don't get me wrong, it was my wedding and our responsibility. But I noticed that she slowly began listening to them and
    via u/Ok-Entrance37
  • 09
    wanted a few things that were not in our budget. So she wanted a floral arch, and I managed to get one. Her mom began pushing for more stuff to accommodate her family's ideas. We agreed on a bakery cake and MIL twisted her lips in disapproval. Those things felt annoying but manageable.
    via u/Ok-Entrance37
  • 10
    Fast forward and her big brother Justin (M47) got depressed because he got dumped. The official story is that his "wealthy, *itchy ex gf decided to dump him and treated him badly'". I regretted letting him stay with us after I learned that he cheated on his ex. This bothered me a lot since his ex helped
    via u/Ok-Entrance37
  • 11
    him out many times and did lots of things for his kids. Zero trust after that. Kelly and her siblings think that he's God because he took over the paternal role when her parents got divorced. They give him way too much credit. The guy can't hold a job, can't even guide his children right and does lots of entertainment parenting but doesn't teach them responsibility. I can't stand him and Kelly knows it.
    via u/Ok-Entrance37
  • 12
    As the wedding approached, it became more difficult to get Kelly's attention in our relationship. She started taking him on drives to check on his ex. I objected to this. Then he would constantly interrupt us to bring updates on his ex. He only
    via u/Ok-Entrance37
  • 13
    wanted to apply to online jobs and ended up trying to enroll me in something that didn't look serious at all. I asked her to make him leave but she got very angry and stopped talking to me.
    via u/Ok-Entrance37

  • This guy sounds exhausting! The fact that his girlfriend is taking his side and defending him so adamantly is certainly not a good sign.

  • 14
    Cheezburger Image 10478138624
    via pixelshot

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 15
    Kelly and I had a huge argument that I'm sure he overheard. I went to take a shower and when I came out of the bathroom, I overheard him telling her that he didn't expect me to understand him because I'm too simple (I can't remember his exact words) and
    via u/Ok-Entrance37
  • 16
    said he doesn't expect a (insert my job) to understand his life. I immediately confronted him and not only did she deny everything I heard, but she basically took his side. I kicked him out and drove him to MIL'S with all his things. That was 4 months ago and her family never treated me the same.
    via u/Ok-Entrance37
  • 17
    We had our rehearsal dinner, which was supposed to be a very small gathering. My kids and her kids were present, as well as my parents and maybe 10 other people on my side. Her family kept showing
    via u/Ok-Entrance37
  • 18
    up. I know that her family cooked for the occasion aside from other things that we provided, but the point is that I was restricted from bringing people while her side of the list kept growing and showing up.
    via u/Ok-Entrance37
  • 19
    The worst part is that her mother got drink. My family are very low key and a bit shy, and MIL is a belligerent drink and started to act vulgar. I took her comments about me and Justin in stride just to keep the peace but my family felt uncomfortable
    via u/Ok-Entrance37
  • 20
    and I knew that she was trying to insult me. I pulled Kelly aside about 4 times to ask her to control her mother. To her credit, she tried to get her mom to sit down. Her family (older Aunt and 2 cousins) also got drink and got pretty loud. By the time we were
    via u/Ok-Entrance37
  • 21
    supposed to show some pictures on the monitor, nobody was paying attention and Justin was telling jokes and acting like the event was about him. The chairs had been pulled away from the tables and the burgers and hot dogs intended for the kids were missing.
    via u/Ok-Entrance37
  • 22
    I asked my parents to take my kids home and after raging inside for the whole night, I decided to ask my friends to help me load all the alc ol and stuff that I had contributed that were physically kept at her family's home into our cars. Everyone went quiet after that. It was a complete sh show. Kelly started
    via u/Ok-Entrance37
  • 23
    crying and promised that her family would. apologize. I didn't want to talk because her family used our rehearsal to party on my dime. I went to stay with a friend. From all this, what hurts the most is that hers and my kids had to see the drunken spectacle and my parents had to see me in an embarrassing situation.
    via u/Ok-Entrance37

  • Wow, that evening sounds like a total disaster. They only allowed themselves to let loose like this because someone else was paying for it, I bet.

  • 24
    Cheezburger Image 10478138880
    via HenrietteLohmanFotografie

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 25
    Kelly and I talked. She was very eager to fix things but while I still love her, I don't see myself repeating the experience. I knew her family wasn't perfect and of course mine isn't either, but I had very little support from her. She says that her family were just being "a big family" talking among themselves and
    via u/Ok-Entrance37
  • 26
    being loud, and that while she understood that I was offended, I caused a scene and she didn't disown me. I haven't been able to sleep because I feel empty and alone. It took a lot from me but I decided that we should cancel the wedding. I never want to see her mom or her brother again and I will never ask her to cut them off because despite everything,
    via u/Ok-Entrance37
  • 27
    it's not fair and she will hate me. Also, she would never do it and the fact that my parents said they would support whatever I decided but they would prefer not to attend my wedding but would go anyway because they wouldn't do that to me really stung. So my family was ignored and I was treated poorly and I'm supposed to act like nothing happened?
    via u/Ok-Entrance37
  • 28
    Kelly didn't take the cancellation very well but I just can't do this. I said I will pay the remaining portion of the lease to avoid getting her and her kids kicked out but our relationship is over. I already removed my things to avoid dragging a painful break up.
    via u/Ok-Entrance37
  • 29
    I know I will never go back, but her words about not disowning me hurt me because despite feeling that I'm on the right, I feel like I failed her somehow. Like she feels that I gave up and that she feels my walking out was far worse. AITA??
    via u/Ok-Entrance37
  • 30
    Unremarkabledryerase "We are both working class" "She doesn't have a job" NTA
    via u/Unremarkabledryerase
  • 31
    Large_Effective_812 This there is nothing working class about this family they are world class moochers.
    via u/Large_Effective_812
  • 32
    Grandmapatty64 You can get past having a crappy family as long as you have united front. She wasn't willing to take your side therefore she wasn't willing to put you first as her partner. Why would you get married to her?
    via u/Grandmapatty64
  • 33
    Cartoonist First5298 She lied to his face, telling him he didn't hear what he clearly heard. This is much bigger than not taking his side. She's willing to actively lie to him to protect her family.
    via u/CartoonistFirst5298
  • 34
    Horror_Ad_2748 Even with the "wedding" costs, you're coming out ahead by not hitching your wagon to this unemployed loser and her boundary-free family. NTA.
    via u/Horror_Ad_2748
  • 35
    Comfortable-Focus123 NTA - Kelly always took her family's side when they behaved selfishly. She is too enmeshed with them, and you are better off away from that circus.
    via u/Comfortable-Focus12
  • 36
    Possible-Gap3692 The moment her family started putting in their two cents without offering so much as two cents, I would I have told them to bt out or pay up.
    via u/Possible-Gap3692
  • 37
    NTA BeetFarmHijinks You are so wise not to marry into this disaster. The issue isn't so much her family as the fact that she will not stand up for you with her family. That is the biggest problem. You cannot trust her.
    via u/BeetFarmHijinks

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boyfriend family drama entitled parents wedding drama toxic relationships girlfriend wedding mother in law love entitled family breakup red flag Reddit money dating
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