Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app
Continue in app Continue in browser

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here.

Woman Loses Best Friends After Bachelorette Date Dispute, Friendship Ends With Hurtful Messages
Upset woman with messy blonde hair, holding a phone, looking stressed. Friendship ends with hurtful messages, feeling emotional pain.

Woman Loses Best Friends After Bachelorette Date Dispute, Friendship Ends With Hurtful Messages

32

ADVERTISEMENT

Being a part of a bridal train is a dream of many. And yes, aesthetics and possibly dancing in with the bride at the wedding party are awesome, but everyone is expected to be available, emotionally supportive, financially prepared, and apparently capable of reading minds.

That tension sits at the center of this story, where a longtime friendship became strained after disagreements over a bachelorette trip and the expectations attached to being a maid of honor. It touches on a much bigger question: what happens when friends have completely different ideas about communication, support, obligations, and how much discomfort someone should tolerate for another person’s big day?

RELATED:

    Friendships can survive a lot, but sometimes throw a wedding into the mix, and friendship can be tested by everything humanly possible

    freepic.diller / Magnific (not the actual photo)

    The author had been best friends with two women for years, with one serving as her maid of honor and the other as a bridesmaid at her wedding

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    magnific / Magnific (not the actual photo)

    When one friend got engaged, she asked the author to be her maid of honor for the upcoming wedding

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    garetsvisual / Magnific (not the actual photo)

    Tension started when the bride chose a bachelorette date that clashed with the author’s PhD schedule and she suggested another option

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Jomkwan / Magnific (not the actual photo)

    The bride became upset and accused her of pushing too hard, leaving her to step back from planning the bachelorette party

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    katemangostar / Magnific

    She later discovered the bachelorette trip had been booked without anyone telling her the exact date, which made her feel left out of the planning

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    mediaphotos / Magnific (not the actual photo)

    Months later, the bride removed the author as maid of honor, saying she was not supportive enough and did not have enough time for the role

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    volodymyr-t / Magnific (not the actual photo)

    The author then decided to skip the wedding and end the friendship, later telling the bride’s other close friend that she did not expect her to take sides

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    sentenialapathy

    A month later, the other friend accused the author of using her ill mother to gain sympathy, so she blocked both friends and ended the friendships

    Being a maid of honor isn’t a standardized job with a universal checklist, as Bride Book affirms. Yes, the role requires helping with planning, coordinating other bridesmaids, organizing pre-wedding events, providing emotional support, and sometimes taking on significant logistical responsibilities. However, expectations vary from wedding to wedding, which makes communication especially important.

    Perhaps the problem is that people enter the same role with completely different assumptions. One person may think being maid of honor means helping wherever needed, while another expects frequent check-ins, proactive planning, and enthusiastic involvement in every wedding event. If you don’t discuss those expectations explicitly, it’s easy to interpret ordinary behavior as indifference or neglect.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Now, bring friendship dynamics into wedding planning, and you just might be unfortunately left with dissolved relationships in the end. We Thrive Together suggests that most conflicts in seasons like this often arise when friends have different wants, needs, values, or expectations of one another. And that’s precisely why a disagreement about a date can become much bigger than a scheduling problem.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Also, let’s count the things involved in a bachelorette trip. It may involve travel, accommodation, meals, activities, and other expenses on top of the costs already associated with being a bridesmaid. Once those expenses become significant, you can’t just ask them to “make it work”. It then becomes a question of whose constraints matter and how much sacrifice each member of the group is expected to make.

    lookstudio / Magnific (not the actual photo)

    Another layer that is easy to overlook when someone seems less available than expected is that people may be dealing with enormous pressures that aren’t visible to their friends. In this case, graduate school, family responsibilities, financial strain, caregiving, and serious illness can consume attention even when someone hasn’t explicitly announced that they’re struggling.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    However, communication is the most important thing in such situations. In fact, Connected Couples connects relationship quality with communication patterns, and a large meta-analysis found that negative communication behaviors were significantly associated with poorer later relationship outcomes and greater dissolution risk.

    Interestingly, friendships can end in much quieter ways than romantic relationships. Alone Rangers, on friendship dissolution, identify several possible paths, including completely ending the friendship, gradually distancing from someone, or limiting the parts of the relationship that remain active.

    That matters because long friendships can accumulate expectations and old grievances without anyone formally renegotiating the relationship. Two people who were once inseparable can eventually have different ideas about how much contact they should have, what they owe each other, and what support looks like. Sometimes a major life event doesn’t create those differences so much as expose them.

    What do you think about this situation? Can a friendship survive when two people have completely different ideas about what being a supportive friend means? We would love to know your thoughts!

    The author shared the conversation, still in disbelief that someone she once called her best friend would say such hurtful words to her

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    sentenialapathy / Reddit

    sentenialapathy / Reddit

    sentenialapathy / Reddit

    sentenialapathy / Reddit

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    sentenialapathy / Reddit

    sentenialapathy / Reddit

    sentenialapathy / Reddit

    sentenialapathy / Reddit

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    sentenialapathy / Reddit

    sentenialapathy / Reddit

    sentenialapathy / Reddit

    sentenialapathy / Reddit

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    sentenialapathy / Reddit

    sentenialapathy / Reddit

    sentenialapathy / Reddit

    Netizens felt eh friendship was questionable, and were critical of the two friends’ communication style, arguing that they appeared to overcomplicate a relatively ordinary disagreement

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    Poll Question

    Total votes ·

    Thanks! Check out the results:

    Total votes ·
    Share on Facebook
    Ifeoluwa Adesina

    Ifeoluwa Adesina

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    I'm a writer and bookworm (eyes glued to an e-book, more accurately) who happens to have a suspiciously deep knowledge about pop culture. When I'm not writing, I can most likely be found taking yet another online quiz to find out which soda matches my personality.

    Read less »
    Ifeoluwa Adesina

    Ifeoluwa Adesina

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    I'm a writer and bookworm (eyes glued to an e-book, more accurately) who happens to have a suspiciously deep knowledge about pop culture. When I'm not writing, I can most likely be found taking yet another online quiz to find out which soda matches my personality.

    Monika Pašukonytė

    Monika Pašukonytė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Read more »

    I am a visual editor here. In my free time I enjoy the vibrant worlds of art galleries, exhibitions, and soulful concerts. Yet, amidst life's hustle and bustle, I find solace in nature's embrace, cherishing tranquil moments with beloved friends. Deep within, I hold a dream close - to embark on a global journey in an RV, accompanied by my faithful canine companion. Together, we'll wander through diverse cultures, weaving precious memories under the starry night sky, fulfilling the wanderlust that stirs my soul.

    Read less »

    Monika Pašukonytė

    Monika Pašukonytė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    I am a visual editor here. In my free time I enjoy the vibrant worlds of art galleries, exhibitions, and soulful concerts. Yet, amidst life's hustle and bustle, I find solace in nature's embrace, cherishing tranquil moments with beloved friends. Deep within, I hold a dream close - to embark on a global journey in an RV, accompanied by my faithful canine companion. Together, we'll wander through diverse cultures, weaving precious memories under the starry night sky, fulfilling the wanderlust that stirs my soul.

    What do you think ?
    VNES101
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I find that if a person has a completely terrible and unfounded opinion of you, it’s usually a reflection of themselves and their experiences and therefore not my problem. I have a sister who always thought I was trying to ruin her life. Once a month I was “jealous of her” or trying to sabotage her. I couldn’t give a fat rat's azz about that girl lol. So I just went no contact. You’ll always be the villain in someone’s story.

    sweet emotion
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It sounds like the Z person wants the V person all to herself. So when V (do I even have these letter people straight?) would get upset about something the OP did, Z would talk it up into utter disrespect and avoidance on OP's part. To be honest, if I was confronted by two persons with that kind of sixth grade mentality, I would have laughed in their faces and washed my hands of them.

    Marno C.
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Weddings are continuations. You are getting married like millions of others. Congratulations, but understand you are not being installed as the new royal monarch of a mid-level European power. If you think that, there are some peasants with pitchforks who'd like a word.

    Load More Comments
    VNES101
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I find that if a person has a completely terrible and unfounded opinion of you, it’s usually a reflection of themselves and their experiences and therefore not my problem. I have a sister who always thought I was trying to ruin her life. Once a month I was “jealous of her” or trying to sabotage her. I couldn’t give a fat rat's azz about that girl lol. So I just went no contact. You’ll always be the villain in someone’s story.

    sweet emotion
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It sounds like the Z person wants the V person all to herself. So when V (do I even have these letter people straight?) would get upset about something the OP did, Z would talk it up into utter disrespect and avoidance on OP's part. To be honest, if I was confronted by two persons with that kind of sixth grade mentality, I would have laughed in their faces and washed my hands of them.

    ADVERTISEMENT
    Marno C.
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Weddings are continuations. You are getting married like millions of others. Congratulations, but understand you are not being installed as the new royal monarch of a mid-level European power. If you think that, there are some peasants with pitchforks who'd like a word.

    Load More Comments
    Related on Bored Panda
    Popular on Bored Panda
    Trending on Bored Panda
    Also on Bored Panda
    ADVERTISEMENT