Wedding Invitations & Paper

Would you ask, and if so, wording?

So, I feel like a bit of a chicken here. We are wrapping up getting together our invites and planning to send out next week. One of my little sisters is studying abroad in Europe right now. I have her address, but I realized when I went to address her envelope that I wasn't sure if she had a boyfriend anymore. As background, she did have a boyfriend over the holidays when I last saw her. However, I noticed on fb that she and the boy are at least not public (no dramatic "so and so is now single" thing, just not a public status anymore). She is that age where the fb status is pretty much everything. If they have broken up it's very recent, like, within the past week to ten days. And it isn't exactly a surprise since she's 20 years old and they are super super long distance.

I have texted and emailed with her since the relationship status disappeared and she hasn't said anything. But, she is 12 years my junior, so while we have a good relationship she is not the sister who whispers secrets in my ears, I'm a little more like an authority figure who's funner than her parents to hang out with, if that makes any sense. If we saw each other in person, I think she'd mention the break-up, but I hate to reach out for the specific purpose of saying, hey, did you and Joe break-up? Because wedding invites. That seems kind of rough to inflict on a young girl going through a break-up, I know she really liked the guy a lot and told us she was very serious about him. 

I considered "Hey, sis, do you want me to include anyone on your invitation?" or "Is there anyone you would want to bring to the wedding"? Or, just being really chicken and putting "and Guest" on her invite. 

Thoughts? Suggestions on how to broach? 
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Re: Would you ask, and if so, wording?

  • Why are you making this more complicated then it needs to be?

    Just call her and ask.






    What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
  • "Hi sis! I'm addressing my wedding invites right now. Are you still with George?"

    Seriously. It's fewer characters than a tweet. WITH proper spelling, grammar and punctuation. BOOM!
    *********************************************************************************

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  • lyndausvi said:
    Why are you making this more complicated then it needs to be?

    Just call her and ask.
    I guess since I am in regular contact with her I feel like she would have told me if she wanted to tell me or wanted to discuss. I can text (using imessage, ie, web based) and email, but her phone is not set-up to work for calling while she is in Spain. (At least that is my understanding from her and my step-mother, I have taken them at their word). 

    It feels kind of bridezilla ish to be like, hey did you break up with your boyfriend? I need to know for the purpose of my wedding guest list. 

    I'm sure I'm over thinking it but in my experience she's pretty sensitive to stuff like this and I would just wait until she is ready to bring it up. 
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  • I mean, if it was my sister I would just ask out of curiosity/care more than because I'm getting married. Not knowing the general status of my sisters' relationships would be weird for me.

    You know your sister best, though, so I don't think we can help you if you're afraid to ask.

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  • I went through this with my cousin- same scenario- she's on FB and Instagram all the time. All of a sudden mention of a bf just dropped off and hs pictures were gone etc. I was going back and forth on it and finally emailed her dad (my uncle) and he confirmed their breakup. Is there any other family member you could ask that would know for sure? I understand the idea that you don't want to come off as only caring as it relates to you, but I do think you just need to acknowledge that while there is a practical reason for you needing the answer to the question, but you do also want to know because you care about her and what is going on in her life. Just make sure to word it thoughtfully and you will be fine. Good luck!
  • "I was working on our address list for the wedding invites last week.  I popped over to your FB page to ensure I had the correct spelling for Joe's last name where I noticed that you aren't 'FB official.'  Did you guys break up?  I know it's difficult to talk on the phone, but I'm always here for you if you're going through a tough time.  Sending you hugs across the miles."
    Viola.  You get your answer, and help your little sis through a potential rough patch all in one.  It's not about the guest list.  It's about your sister being far away from most of her friends & family and possibly dealing with a sad breakup. 
    If they're together, there's your answer.  If they've split, ask her if she's met anyone new that she'd like to bring.
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  • So I finally worked up the courage to ask, and apparently they are still together and she wants to bring him if he can make it. Again, I know I am being crazy, but I tend to be overly sensitive to making other people feel awkward. They probably wouldn't even feel awkward, but I guess I think they will. 
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