Weddings are special occasions. They demand a lot of hard work and planning beforehand. A lot of stress is also involved in the process, along with the bride and groom taking this massive step with each other. Ultimately, the rules of a wedding are appointed by the bride and groom.
Today’s Reddit story is about a bride who specifically told her guests that she was having a “child-free” wedding. But people still brought kids along. She, AltruisticHapa, shared her story on AITA (Am I the A**hole?), asking if she did the wrong thing by kicking the rowdy kids out. She wrote:
“This happened a few months ago, but it was recently brought up again. My husband and I made it clear to guests that our wedding was child-free. I mean, I have a cousin with 8 kids and a lot of our family/friends have 2-3 kids.”
“The kids are generally good, so the main issue was cost. Our venue charges age 2+ the same as adults, which is $250pp (including tax/tip). It would double the cost and our venue wasn’t big enough for all the kids.”
“We wrote this on the website and clarified with anyone who asked (and everyone asked). We got a lot of grief over this, so we felt a fair compromise was to:”
- “Extend the dinner the night before to include kids, and the restaurant was very nice about having close to 100 kids.”
- “Hire 5 babysitters for 25-30 kids on the wedding night for locals who couldn’t find a babysitter last-minute and for guests who traveled with their kids. My in-laws offered their home less than 30min away to host all the kids.”
“On the wedding day, 3 couples showed up with their kids, a total of 9 kids (2 + 3 + 4 kids). My husband was more upset than I was because these folks were on his side. Groomsmen offered to drive the kids to the house, but they refused and made a scene. My husband was called to handle it and he said fine, as long as (a) the kids don’t cause trouble and (b) the parents pay the per head for the kids, they can stay. The staff even quickly threw together a kids table.”
“I saw that unfolding and avoided it, and went about the day since it was a beautiful day and so much was happening. When the ceremony started, one kid started wailing and another skipped down the aisle in front of me. I played it cool, and the staff was on top of it. They escorted the mom and the 2 kids outside. The rest of the ceremony went smoothly.”
“During the reception, the same 2 kids were screaming and throwing food. Other guests and staff were trying to get them to sit. At one point, one kid went under my dress, which was so f***ing weird. I didn’t notice and almost tripped. My bridesmaids pointed out that the food they threw got on my dress and that’s when I had enough. I gave my husband ‘the look’ and he rounded up the kids, brought them to the parents, and asked them to leave for good.”
“After the event, and this is where we might be the a**holes, we sent a bill to the 3 couples with a letter saying we had a lovely time with them and reminding they agreed to pay for the uninvited kids. Two couples paid and were apologetic, and even said now they understood why we couldn’t include the kids. Of course, the couple with the 2 rowdy kids refused to pay because we asked them to leave before cake… seriously.”
“Instead of apologizing, we got a nasty call. All I said was they should be lucky I didn’t send the dry cleaning bill for the dress. My husband even said this concludes their friendship. This weekend, they wanted to visit and we said no thanks. They asked if we were still mad about them not paying and uh yeah, we are. AITA?”
The Responses
Reddit’s community supported this bride for what she did. For context, NTA means “Not the A**hole.” Here are some of the best comments:
s1m0n_s3z wrote:
“NTA. Stand your ground. You went above and beyond to accommodate guests with children, and they imposed.”
cmlobue commented:
“You could have kicked them all out immediately, but you tried to work with them despite the disrespect and disruptions. Go ahead and send a revised bill with dry cleaning costs (or hand it to them when they show up). NTA”
itsthelee chimed in:
“NTA”
“It was pretty darn clear what the restrictions were, and they proved the point on why you had those restrictions in place. Your husband is also right – if ‘friends’ willfully do something like that and refuse to square up after the fact, that sounds like they’re not very good friends at all. It’s on them to smooth it over.”
This post has over 600 comments at the time of writing this article, you can read them on Reddit here.
Our Take
NTA. This bride was very kind and courteous with everyone, even though people didn’t respect her choices. We hope this bride has a happy and joyous life ahead!
What’s Your Take?
What’s your take on this bride’s story? Share your take in the comments below.
Source: Reddit
More than generous and understanding. I would be embarrassed and horrified if my kid skipped down the aisle in front of the bride in her wedding ceremony. Or if they behaved like wild animals throwing food and being loud and obnoxious. No excuse for bad parenting. Why did they refuse the babysitting option. Or bring their kids? They are the a**holes.
It was your day, your walk down the isle. The parents of kids who were disruptive should have controlled their kids instead of letting them ruin your walk down the isle, and your special day. Congratulations and may you and your husband have many years of happiness.