Bride Locks Horns With In-Laws Over Her Refusal To Apologize For ‘Mistreating’ Surprise Guests They Invited To Her Wedding

When you sneak ten extras into a wedding, there’s bound to be some chaos

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• June 3, 2024

Our story today features a couple who finally tied the knot after a year of careful planning in what could only be described as the perfect ceremony. Everything ran smoothly, even with the delightful chaos of children in the church.

Photos were timely, no one got aggressively drunk, and even the potential disaster of an uninvited emotional support goat was avoided (trust me, it could happen). It was blissfully perfect.…well, almost.

The only hiccup was courtesy of our narrator’s (Original Poster’s) in-laws. They took it upon themselves to invite not one, not two, but ten extra guests without informing the bride or groom.

Worse still, these guests weren't long-lost relatives or even acquaintances of the couple, just random friends of the in-laws. 

OP didn't even notice the extras during the ceremony; the reception was where the plot thickened. With no seating arrangements for the surprise guests, the groomsmen had to scramble to find a folding table and chairs to accommodate them.

While there was enough food (thanks to the buffet), the guests were assigned to tables by number. Since the uninvited guests didn't have one, they ended up eating picked-over remains.

Her in-laws were mortified by how their friends were treated and demanded OP deliver a personal apology. OP agreed on the condition she was going to make it clear that the guests hadn’t actually been invited—if they wanted a different excuse, they were going to have to spin one themselves.

Needless to say, this didn't sit well with the in-laws, but OP’s husband stood firmly by her side. Was she the a**hole for refusing to cave in?

Story in detail

OP’s wedding went smoothly. However, the extra guests invited by their in-laws without prior knowledge posed an issue.

At OP’s wedding reception, the uninvited guests received poor treatment as a result of improper planning .

OP’s ILs were upset their friends were treated badly and requested an apology be given to them. Though OP’s husband has her back, she feels she should have handled the matter better.

We gathered some interesting comments for your viewing pleasure:

“Who goes to a wedding without an official invitation”.

“They did not receive an actual invite. Is this their first day on earth?”

“Who invites a bunch of extras to a wedding then gets upset they had no food or place to sit?”.

“You were indeed extremely gracious and polite not telling them they must be completely mad.”

“If anything I would apologize to the friends for their not having a table to sit at (initially) and having to go last to the buffet but that is because neither you or spouse were aware that they had been invited by in-laws and you hadn’t anticipated any additional guests.”

“NTA. Your IL's were well out of order for doing that.”

“NTA, and why on Earth would people just show up at a reception without having received the formal invite?“

“OP don’t apologise to the ILs. Your ILs owe you an apology - demand it - and they also owe you a big thank you for being so gracious and not kicking the extras out of your wedding.”

Redditors rang it loud that OP owed no one an apology. The responsibility of managing uninvited guests wasn’t her problem and they applauded her husband for backing her up. 

One thing was clear: OP and her husband were a team, ready to face whatever life – or in-laws – threw their way. In the end, it was a wedding to remember: perfect, with just a hint of drama to keep things interesting.  

Do you agree with the commenters? Share your thoughts with us.

Jesse