My niece is having her wedding this fall and she's allowed her single buddies to bring casual dates, but not some of her cousins. I find this appallingly rude and I'm beginning to feel like the only reason we were invited was because we're fairly wealthy (relatively speaking) and are known to give generous gifts for graduations, weddings, baby showers, etc.
However, we have spent close to $10K on transportation & hotels, gifts, and miscellaneous costs on this same family for another wedding & baby shower/christening within the past year alone. We are incredibly insulted that our adult children, both in serious relationships, are not allowed to bring a guest to this latest wedding, all so the bride and groom can have more of their buddies and friends to party with.
My husband (it's his brother's daughter) says we have to go, mostly for his parents' sake (they're quite elderly and will not be with us for long). He says our adult children should go, too, but they're both adamantly refusing (they're adults, after all, and it's certainly their choice).
I say, screw 'em if they're that rude. Enough is enough. It's expensive enough to fly from the west coast to New York, and then to pay for a hotel for two nights, rent a car, and write a big fat check to the bride and groom (who've been shacking up for a couple of years anyway). No reason to do it for a bride and groom who obviously just want to have a big drunken party for their buddies paid for by relatives they clearly don't give a darn about.
Isn't it rude as all heck for the bride & groom to treat their relatives like second class guests or, worse, spectators at their wedding? What are my kids supposed to do? Stand around and watch everyone else have fun and dance and enjoy the night while they have no one to talk to or dance with?