Absent father wants "retribution" for not raising his daughters and insists on walking engaged daughter down the aisle, she refuses to let him, and chooses her mom to walk her instead: 'You're punishing me forever'

Author image for Briana Viser
Briana Viser • Writer and Editor
Aug 29, 2025 2:00 PM EDT

Weddings can really turn what should be a convivial, celebratory day into a day of drama and disaster overnight. It only takes one grudge, one memory, and one family member to make the day about an old strife that was left unfinished. 

A 27-year-old woman is getting married to the love of her life. Everything seems perfect, except her negligent father is causing waves to crash around her. Her parents divorced when she was 10, and after the divorce, she had a distant relationship with her father. She saw him for events, or birthdays, but he wasn't really around, and she feels as though she was raised solely by her mother. Now that she's older and getting married, her absent dad has expressed interest in being around for her wedding, and walking her down the aisle. It's as if the last 17 years didn't happen at all, and he's trying to brush it under the rug. She refuses to let him walk her down the aisle, and she chooses her mom to do it instead. 

I couldn't imagine refusing to let my dad walk me down the aisle, but he wasn't an absent father at all, so I would never have to come to that decision. Enjoy the full story below. 

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • 01
    Woman walking down aisle at wedding
    via Neustockimages / Canva
  • 02
    1 (27F) am getting married next spring. For context, my parents divorced when I was 10. My mom raised me and my younger sister
    via u/Careful-Soil-2888
  • 03
    pretty much on her own. My dad was in and out of the picture, some birthdays, a few holidays, but he was never consistent and
    via u/Careful-Soil-2888
  • 04
    definitely not the one who raised me. Now that I'm getting married, my dad suddenly wants to play super involved father. He's been
    via u/Careful-Soil-2888
  • 05
    telling everyone how excited he is to walk me down the aisle, how he's always dreamed of this moment. Meanwhile, my mom is
    via u/Careful-Soil-2888
  • 06
    the one who worked two jobs, got me through college, and has always been there. So I told my dad that I'm not comfortable with
    via u/Careful-Soil-2888
  • 07
    him walking me down the aisle. Instead, I want my mom to do it. He got extremely upset and said I was punishing him forever for his
    via u/Careful-Soil-2888
  • 08
    Wedding aisle
    via Soulseeker from Pexels / Canva
  • 09
    mistakes and that I'd regret humiliating him in front of the whole family. He even tried to get my fiance on his side, but my
    via u/Careful-Soil-2888
  • 10
    fiance said it's my call. Now some relatives are saying I should just let him do it to keep the peace,
    via u/Careful-Soil-2888
  • 11
    and that it's only symbolic anyway. But to me it isn't symbolic, it's about who's actually been there for me.
    via u/Careful-Soil-2888
  • 12
    So, Reddit... AITA for refusing to let my dad walk me down the aisle?
    via u/Careful-Soil-2888
  • 13
    destro23 18h ago . I should just let him do it to keep the peace What peace? It seems like all he has done is disturb your
    via u/destro23
  • 14
    Wedding rings
    via Canva AI Studio with AI / Canva
  • 15
    peace since your wedding announcement. Now, they want you to do something you are not comfortable with on your wedding day? Peace disturbed yet again.
    via u/destro23
  • 16
    NTA - You are not punishing him, you are showing him the consequences of his actions.
    via u/destro23
  • 17
    DaniCapsFan ⚫ 18h ago Your mom was there for you; your father wasn't. And how is it "a mistake" to not
    via u/DaniCapsFan

  • The protagonist has every right to choose her mom over her dad at her wedding. If he wanted respect in her life, then he should have showed up in it with love and care. Instead he chose to be completely absent and withhold his parenting. 

  • 18
    contact your children for years? He made a choice to be hands-off. Now he's dealing with the consequences. NTA
    via u/DaniCapsFan
  • 19
    Level-Woodpecke... 18h ago • Even symbolically, it seems wrong to let him walk you down the aisle.... NTA
    via u/Level-Woodpecker-456
  • 20
    petalsofrose1956 • 18h ago I think he actually threaten her by saying she will be sorry she humiliate him.
    via u/petalsofrose1956

Tags

family drama drama toxic siblings family feud relationships wedding lol love family engagement reddit thread red flag Reddit funny dating Father
Scroll Down For The Next Article