Emily Duprie
Weddings are beautiful events that can bring multitudes of people together for the simple act of love. However, weddings can also be filled with drama, Bridezillas, and terrible break-ups. When this turn of the wedding tables takes place, both the betrothed and the guest can be affected.
One former wedding guest went through quite a bit of drama with the former bride after her wedding was abruptly cancelled. Guest and Redditor (u/Relative_Attempt6316) decided to cancel the gift she had inquired about and confirmed for the bride-to-be, as one would in this type of situation.
To make matters even more messy, the bride and the original poster of the story on the “AITA?” subReddit are sister-in-laws. As it turns out, sis-in-law was still expecting her gift even after the wedding was called off, and when she reached out to OP wondering where it was, drama lit up throughout the entire family.
Read the original story below to determine who you think is in the wrong!
The former wedding guest asked Reddit: “AITA for canceling a wedding gift when the wedding was canceled?”
My husband’s sister was supposed to be married in September. I chose an item from the registry, but the exact item she had added had a weird detail (she had explicitly mentioned previously needing option A, but on the registry she accidentally listed option B) so I asked her to make sure I got what she needed. So, she knew exactly what I was planning to gift.
After going through the trouble of picking the perfect gift, OP’s sister-in-law’s wedding went South.
Sadly they have now broken up. The gift hadn’t shipped yet anyway, so I canceled it.
This past week she reached out to me about it. Since she knew I was purchasing it and we live far away, she was concerned that it had been delivered but someone had stolen it. When I explained that I had canceled it, she was pretty upset.
OP had to explain to the ex-bride that she had cancelled the wedding gift given that there wasn’t a wedding anymore.
My MIL has now reached out to us about it and feels that I was unkind to cancel the order. She feels that since my SIL is clearly going through a difficult time, and the holidays are approaching, it would’ve been more appropriate to let the gift reach her anyway.
OP’s mom argued that it was rude to not send the gift forward as a holiday present, but she had spent a hefty $700 on this unjustified wedding gift. Now OP is confused on if she did the right thing.
Obviously these are unfortunate circumstances, but this was a substantial gift ($700) and pretty well above the threshold of what I’d normally spend for a typical holiday gift. (Before it comes up, I’ll mention short and sweet that my husband is in the military and currently deployed, so that’s why he isn’t a big piece in this puzzle and I’m soloing this awkward adventure).
With her husband, and the brother of the bride deployed overseas, OP is having to deal with this awkward situation on her lonesome. For $700, I would have returned the gift and gotten a full refund as well. Not to mention, to ask someone for a gift so expensive is pretty bold of the bride. To ask for it after the wedding was called off is even bolder. Viewers discussed in the comment section who they deemed the “a-hole” in the situation. As you can guess, the bride took the cake (but obviously never cut it).
Redditors shared their opinions on the matter and determined that it was unfair to expect a wedding gift for a cancelled wedding.
