Parents Refuse To Drop £11K On BIL’s Child-Free Wedding, Choose To Stay Home With Their Kids Instead

It’s funny how weddings, which are supposed to be joyous occasions, can spark so much unnecessary drama. Especially when it comes to inviting close family or just ending up disappointed because someone bailed, it can all be a big hassle for everyone.

This wedding also saw a lot of drama after the bridal couple announced that it’s child-free. The groom’s brother planned to attend it, but his wife couldn’t as she had to look after their two kids. However, they were extremely shocked by the backlash they faced because of this decision. Here’s how it went down…

More info: Mumsnet

It’s funny how families are mostly the root of any drama that happens during weddings

Young flower girl in white dress walking down wedding aisle, highlighting child-free wedding plans and travel costs.

Image credits: Kawê Rodrigues / Pexels (not the actual photo)

The poster’s brother-in-law is getting married in a different country, so they planned to turn it into a family vacation with their two kids

Text excerpt from a story about a couple reconsidering attending brother-in-law's wedding due to child-free policy.

Text about BIL and SIL's wedding plans after an 8 hour flight, focusing on child-free ceremony and related costs.

Couple cancels plans to attend child-free wedding after planning £11k trip and 8-hour travel with kids.

Text discussing a couple willing to travel and spend £11k on BIL's wedding but canceling due to child-free wedding rules.

Image credits: CordlessHoover

Bride and groom exiting church during wedding ceremony, surrounded by guests celebrating with flowers and confetti.

Image credits: Mark Zamora / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

However, they were suddenly informed that it’s going to be child-free, so the poster decided to stay back, but this offended her in-laws

Text on a white background discussing shock over child-free weddings and cousins being the only children in the family.

Text excerpt discussing couple’s logistical challenges attending BIL's wedding after child-free policy announcement.

Text excerpt about a couple discussing travel and expenses for brother-in-law's wedding and its child-free policy.

Text discussing a couple willing to travel 8 hours and spend £11k on their BIL's wedding but canceling due to child-free policy.

Image credits: CordlessHoover

Man on phone with laptop nearby while young boy writes in notebook on kitchen table, planning wedding travel and budget concerns.

Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

Her mother-in-law called her husband and said he was “stingy,” and this made things worse, as it sparked an argument between the couple

Text message conversation about a couple willing to travel 8 hours and spend £11k on sibling-in-law's child-free wedding.

Text excerpt discussing family conflict after couple cancels plans for a child-free wedding despite travel and expense commitment.

Text excerpt about couple canceling child-free BIL wedding after planning to travel 8 hours and spend £11k on event.

Text expressing doubt after willing to spend money and travel time for BIL's wedding, canceled due to child-free policy.

Image credits: CordlessHoover

Couple sitting on floor reviewing documents, discussing wedding plans and expenses before canceling due to child-free policy.

Image credits: wayhomestudio / Freepik (not the actual photo)

Soon, they learned that she was the one who was causing all the trouble, as the poster’s husband spoke with his brother, who understood their situation

Text discussing a couple debating attending a child-free wedding after traveling eight hours and spending £11k.

Text excerpt discussing financial instability and reluctance to spend on holidays given current circumstances.

Couple cancels plans after traveling 8 hours and spending £11k on brother-in-law's child-free wedding.

Image credits: CordlessHoover

The poster is upset with her in-laws for creating unnecessary drama, and also feels that their relationship won’t be the same with the bridal couple

For those who enjoy soap operas, this story will surely wind you up, considering all the drama it has. It all started when the original poster’s (OP) brother-in-law decided to get married. To travel to the country where they live takes eight hours, so OP and her husband planned to make a family vacation out of it with their two kids, and would have to pay £11,000 for the whole trip.

Imagine being willing to spend that much money and suddenly getting a call that the wedding is child-free. Of course, they were disheartened as all of them could no longer go, as in the UK, a nanny can cost anywhere between £10-£16 per hour. OP felt that it would be too much; besides, they weren’t comfortable leaving their 1-year-old and 3-year-old with a stranger for so long.

Alas, the couple decided that only the groom’s brother would travel there for the long weekend, while the poster would stay back with the kids. That didn’t go down so well with his brother and mom, as they soon received a long call from her. Apparently, she was under the impression that she was involved in all this, even when OP’s husband assured her that she wasn’t.

The poster tells us that her mother-in-law is an attention-seeker, so that’s hardly surprising. Experts claim, “Attention-seeking behavior that happens frequently may be manipulative or passive-aggressive and can push people away, strain relationships, or ruin them altogether.” That’s exactly what happened here as she called OP’s husband “stingy” and it got under his skin, leaving him confused.

Two children dressed for a wedding during a ceremony, highlighting family attendance at a child-free wedding event.

Image credits: EyeEm / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The poster gave us an update that her husband was really disturbed by this, so she had a long chat with him to comfort him. However, this is where the twist in the tale comes in because she also told us that it was her mother-in-law who was pulling the strings! Apparently, her brother-in-law understood that they both couldn’t come, but it was his mother who wanted to brew up trouble.

In fact, this also sparked a heated discussion between the poster and her husband as she tried to tell him how she felt hurt because of the in-laws’ dramatic behavior. However, he snapped at her that he was “sick of talking about it.” Now, we all know that couples may fight because of each other’s families, but almost 75% report having problems with an in-law.

That’s why experts always warn that couples should be a team and together set up clear boundaries against their in-laws. Netizens also said that in the end, OP and her husband get to decide who goes to the wedding, no matter what his problematic family has to say. Another issue that arose is that if the man goes to the event, he also has to pay an additional $650 for staying at the venue.

Seems like this wedding is almost emotionally and financially draining the couple dry. The last time the poster commented, she mentioned that, as it was too much of a headache, they had pressed pause on discussing it. Since there’s still a lot of time before the event, they are going to figure things out later. Honestly, all these theatrics would drive anyone crazy, right?

What would you do if you were in the poster’s shoes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

After the poster’s updates, netizens felt that her in-laws had no sense of boundaries and were demanding something very unfair from the couple

Couple cancels plans to travel 8 hours and spend £11k on brother-in-law’s wedding due to child-free policy.

Text post discussing a couple willing to travel 8 hours and spend £11k on brother-in-law's child-free wedding.

Text post about a couple willing to travel 8 hours and spend £11k on brother-in-law's wedding, then canceling over it being child-free.

Text post discussing a couple canceling plans to spend £11k on a brother-in-law’s child-free wedding.

Comment about couple canceling plans to travel 8 hours and spend £11k on a sibling-in-law's child-free wedding.

Text message discussing willingness to pay for travel costs to attend a brother-in-law’s wedding.

Comment about a couple willing to travel long hours and spend thousands on a child-free wedding, expressing disbelief at expectations for guests.

Couple cancels plans after £11k wedding invitation 8 hours away with child-free guest policy causing dispute.

Couple cancels plans after spending £11k and traveling 8 hours for brother-in-law's child-free wedding.

Comment expressing frustration over brother-in-law’s wedding demands and the couple canceling plans due to child-free policy.

Text excerpt discussing a couple's dilemma over traveling and spending £11k on a child-free wedding for their brother-in-law.

Text conversation about couple willing to travel long hours and spend £11k on BIL's child-free wedding plans.

Comment discussing a couple willing to travel 8 hours and spend £11k on brother-in-law's child-free wedding plans.

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