Bride Demands Sister Attend Her Destination Wedding Even Though It Means She Won't Be Able To Afford Christmas Gifts For Her Kids
While she tried her hardest to justify attending her sister's wedding, she also didn't want to be put in a financial foxhole by the costs.
popovartem.com | Shutterstock A woman admitted that she's dealing with a bit of a family dilemma after her sister insisted that she attend her wedding, despite the costly fees it would take for her to travel all the way there, especially with Christmas right around the corner.
Posting to the subreddit r/AITA, she claimed that while she would be more than happy to attend her sister's wedding, there are a few factors that could prevent that from happening.
A bride demanded that her sister attend her destination wedding even though it meant she couldn't afford Christmas gifts for her kids.
"My sister and I are about 13 years apart. She was around 4 or 5 when I moved out of our parent's house on my own. We've never really had a close relationship because of our age difference but she's my sister and I love her regardless," she began in her Reddit post.
She explained that since her sister has become an adult, the two still haven't managed to form a close bond with each other or her sister with her kids.
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The sisters do not have a close relationship due to a significant age gap.
Her sister doesn't invite them to anything, doesn't call her back, and doesn't text her. She's become more of a distant relative, which to her is understandable considering their age gap and the fact that they're in completely different places in their lives.
However, a year ago, she got engaged to her boyfriend, who she said seemed like a nice guy.
The two decided that they wanted to get married on a cruise ship for New Year's Eve and everyone invited had to book rooms on the cruise. When her sister first announced the wedding, she was determined to make it work and attend.
"Your baby sister only gets married once after all. I didn't immediately RSVP as I was still trying to figure out if I'd fly, drive, or both. Trying to figure out the most cost-effective way to get my family to and from the wedding. It's a good 24-hour drive so would need [to be] broken into at least 2 days each way," she continued.
The bride-to-be told her mom that she was 'upset' that no one on her side of the family had RSVP'd to the wedding yet.
Eventually, her mom called her to relay what her sister had said, and she ended up telling her mom she would be attending the wedding aboard the cruise ship.
The main reason she hadn't RSVP'd was logistics. She works two jobs, and she would need to take two days off to drive to the ceremony, a day off for the wedding, and then at least two days off to drive back home.
She can't really afford to miss that many days from work, and in order to make this work for her sister, her kids won't be able to get a proper Christmas with gifts.
The sister would have to use her Christmas savings to afford to go to the destination wedding.
All the money she saved for Christmas would have to be put toward gas, food for the trip, and other travel expenses.
She admitted that they won't have money to do anything fun or to buy Christmas presents.
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"It would strictly be drive 24 hours to the wedding, watch [the] wedding, [and] drive back. My sister asked my nephew to be part of the wedding as a ring bearer. My kids have been an afterthought. No one has asked them to be any part of the wedding at all," she added.
Truthfully, she shouldn't have to spend her last dime to attend her sister's wedding if it would put her and her family in a financial foxhole that they can't get out of, especially around this time of year.
Her kids deserve to have a Christmas, and if they aren't even part of the wedding, then it just feels a bit unfair.
Christmas is already an expensive time of year and adding the costs of attending a destination wedding on top of that can feel both overwhelming and worrisome. The National Retail Federation estimates the per-person spending on everything from gifts to decorations is a whopping $902 this year. For someone already working two jobs and struggling financially, adding a destination wedding to the mix seems like an impossibility.
It's clear that she's trying her hardest to attend her sister's wedding, but at the end of the day, she has to put herself and her family first, along with their finances.
It's definitely a difficult decision, but it comes down to making the best financial choice without having to put herself into any more debt.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.