Wedding Etiquette Forum

Not sure if I responded the right way...

My boyfriend of four years proposed yesterday morning (!) and of course we were super excited to tell our family. Naturally, since he proposed at 7 AM, we had to wait. We both agreed to call our respective families around noon or so. I did, but I didn't realize that he didn't (he got caught up at work and didn't have the time, as I found out later).He called his parents that night, around 8 PM (when his dad gets off work) and thought that his brother and sister-in-law would be sleeping by the time we got done with his parents, so he made plans to call them today instead.Here's the thing: I posted on Facebook that afternoon that we were engaged, and his sister-in-law saw it before my fiance had a chance to call. So she called my fiance's mom and told her what she saw on Facebook (thankfully, after we had told his parents), and was upset that not only had we not called, but we hadn't asked the brother to be the best man yet (as my fiance was for him when he got married). I think she should calm down and that it's not as big a deal as she's making it out to be.My fiance thinks that I shouldn't have said anything on Facebook until we had told everyone (in my defense, I thought that he had). I think the sister-in-law is overreacting (the brothers are not very close). My fiance thinks I'm underreacting, because it's "family". So now I'm confused and upset and I don't know what to do and I've only been engaged a day.

Re: Not sure if I responded the right way...

  • I hate when people post stuff like that on fb before telling everyone important.  It's not fair that his parents found out that way.  You should have asked before you said anything imo.
  • This is a mountain out of a mole-hill.  SIL is overreacting. 
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  • First of all - Congratulations. Second of all - This is why Facebook sucks. I think everyone just needs to take a deep breath and get the hell over it. What's done is done. Now everyone should just BE HAPPY for you guys and leave the other BS out of it.
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  • Sorry, but family should NEVER find out important news like this over FB.  You really should have waited to post that until later.But, what's done is done.
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  • What's done is done, but FWIW your fiance is right. You shouldn't have posted on FB until you were absolutely certain that everyone that would rather hear in person had heard. I'd hate to have to find out big news about my family and closest friends via FB.
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  • Congrats!Call FMIL and FFIL and FSIL and laugh and explain what happened and apologize.  Just say that you were so excited you forgot to double check that he'd called them.  They will get over it.
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  • I think everyone is overreacting, but I also think you shouldn't have put it on Facebook until you knew for sure that his family knew.  Just another downfall of Facebook.  Someone's feelings are bound to get hurt.
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  • Sounds like a simple misunderstanding. Apologize for the FB post b/c you wouldn't have done it had you known that FSIL didn't know yet. And the best man thing is ridiculous btw. But don't worry about that, that's your FI's job to deal with them.
  • you can apologize and move on.I waited two weeks for the whole facebook thing because his parents were away on a cruise. But I do think you jumped the gun a bit early.
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  • Sorry, but family should NEVER find out important news like this over FB. You really should have waited to post that until later.  But, what's done is done.Agreed.
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  • Call FSIL directly and apologize for the misunderstanding. Tell her you thought he'd already told, and that you were so excited about getting engaged you couldn't wait to tell everyone... Make that part quick. Then launch into how you're so happy that her DH will be FI's best man, and how you had so much fun at their wedding. And so on, and so on...
  • Why is she upset that you haven't declared your wedding party ONE DAY after getting engaged?  That doesn't seem logical to me.  I understand the whole finding out on FB versus being told directly unhappiness, but anything beyond that is a little much.
  • Yes, definitely apologize but that's the best you can do.
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  • I think she's overreacting.  It was a misunderstanding.  Just apologize and it's over with.Congratulations btw!
  • Ditto PPs.  You should have waited, but everyone is overreacting.  And this:  not only had we not called, but we hadn't asked the brother to be the best man yet is BS.  Seriously.  You've only been engaged for a day, and it's a rather large assumption for FSIL to make that FBIL will be best man.  It's his choice, WHEN you decide on a wedding party.  Which isn't your first priority
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  • *It's FI's choice
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  • SIL is Overreacting.  But say sorry, explain about your FI mistake & that you thought they were asleep.Don't even get into the WP stuff, until you & FI have had time to think.

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  • I hate facebook. I've been engaged over a month and I still haven't changed my status. We wanted to tell most people in person and it took a while.I think it's understandable that you were excited and wanted to get it out there, but it was a mistake. When your friends and family find out life changing news through FB, it seems way to casual and like they weren't important enough to tell. Even if you didn't realize they hadn't been told. Because you should have checked. Sorry.
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  • Wait, I thought I read that her FI called his parents already but didn't call his brother because they might be sleeping already. So, his parents already know before it was posted on FB.Ah, I misunderstood.  Still, while she may be overreacting I can understand where she's coming from.  That's not how I would like to find out my BIL was engaged. 
  • I understand it was an honest mistake, but yes, it was a mistake. You should have confirmed with your FH that everyone knew before making it public. I don't blame FSIL -- I would be really hurt if I read important family news on Facebook before I'd been told. If she's a reasonable person, I think an apology can go a long way here--explain the misunderstanding and acknowledge that was a shitty way to find out. Do it over the phone and do it soon. That's the kind of silly thing that can lead to strained relations for a long time if it's not handled right away.
  • Congratulations!  Yes, there's a lot of over-reaction here.  And you probably should have waited a little while to post on FB, but it's done.  FMIL is upset FI hasn't asked his brother to be BM yet?  That's a little premature - you should wait a while to start asking people to be in your WP.
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  • Your SIL is overreacting but I agree with your FI; you should have waited.  But, what is done is done so apologies all around and time to get over it.  I get irked to when I find important things out about my friends and family over facebook.
  • You were excited, its ok....your FSIL is over reacting....I think it would have been more of an issue if your In laws hadn't been told..but like you said they already knew.
  • apologize to the family and move onfacebook is vastly overrated!
  • It's not like a week had gone by - it was less then 24 hours.  Tell FSIL to get over it and not to ruin your engagement high.CONGRATS.
  • I don't generally post here, but this one caught my attention.Yes, FSIL is overreacting but at the same time I can see why she's upset.My cousin passed away a few months ago from a motorcycle accident, and I found out on Facebook!Someone felt the need to immediately create a "group" in his memory and I happened to come across it before any family informed me.Personal information (whether good or bad) shouldn't be shared on the internet before family know because it'll just lead to problems.Hopefully your FSIL can laugh it off and understand the mix up.
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  • Thanks for the reassuring and helpful advice, everyone! I think I was mostly surprised by the voracity of the complaint, and how quickly things escaladed. We're going to call her together when we get off of work tonight to talk about the FB thing and hopefully she'll laugh it off. I don't know what's going to come of the BM thing, but that's FI's responsibility :)
  • You should have told immediate family members before you posted it on Facebook. They should accept your apologies and get over it.
  • and how quickly things escaladedHehe! I'm not a grammar or spelling nazi, but this one cracked me up.  For future reference it's escalated.  Escalades are something completely different.
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