I really need some advice. There are two situations that are greatly affecting my guest list right now and I NEED to get my invitations out (for my wedding that is less than 6 weeks away)!!
Situation One:
My dad's family has been very UNsupportive of my new relationship. All they've done is gossip about me getting remarried... and there's no reason to! They're such gossips, that I didn't tell them why I got divorced (my ex was/is a sex addict... Tiger Woods level). All I did was tell them that there was a "Biblical reason" for the divorce. My dad's father was even acting buddy buddy with my ex the last time he was in town and kept bragging to my dad about how great my ex was doing. Nice, granddaddy. That side of the family seems to have a holier than thou attitude with me over EVERYTHING and now that I'm divorced (Gasp! God forbid!), that attitude has grown. None of them have even TRIED to speak with me AT ALL since I started dating FI a year ago. The ONLY contact we've had was a very recent Facebook message from one of my aunts about a Memorial Day thing they were inviting me to ("and we'd love to meet your FI if he's in town").
Anyway, I'm getting married in my parents' back yard and if I invite my dad's side of the family (it's VERY large and they all live in town), I won't be able to invite my friends. To me, it's more important that I have people there who care about me and are supportive. I, personally, would rather not invite my dad's side of the family. My dad TOLD me NOT to invite them. He said they don't need to be there and I should be surrounded by people who actually seem to care. But, today, my mom told me that I might need to rethink things, but that they'll "be okay with whatever decision I make". I think she's afraid that his family will really give us a hard time about not being invited (which they most certainly will).
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Situation 2:
I have a cousin that I was very close to... I was there when her marriage fell apart (her ex is in prison) and she was there when my marriage fell apart (exploded, more like). We helped each other through those times and became very close. Although we were both very busy, we'd try to get together on occasion and I considered her someone I could really lean on. When I got engaged, she was a natural choice for a bridesmaid. You can imagine my surprise when she said that she'd have to "think about it".
The next time we talked, she said that she could be a bridesmaid or do whatever else I'd need done for the wedding. Then, the next time we talked, she told me that she'd do it "if I really wanted her to". Well, how was I supposed to respond to that?! Now, she's been MIA. She met a guy after I got engaged and they just got married a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't invited to her wedding. I've texted her to ask for her address and she hasn't responded. I don't even know if I can still count on her COMING! I need to get my invitations out, and I know you're not supposed to send them in "shifts", but how long am I supposed to wait on her to respond with her address??
I hate the drama that comes along with weddings sometimes.