Okay, there is no real question here. I just had to vent, and see if anyone else had this experience because it is blowing my mind!
First, a few months ago my MOH had wanted a "plus one" on her invite so she could bring her good friend. I am very much an acquantance with this person, and this request made me uncomfortable. My FI and I decided then that our criteria for plus ones was that they were living together, sleeping together and/or facebook relationship status. My MOH's friend obviously didn't pass that test. Thank goodness we made some ground rules, because this has come up again!
We got an email from FI's sister (a bridesmaid) this week saying that her 3 coworkers had decided they wanted to come to the ceremony. (Don't ask me why anyone would want to sit in on a ceremony of two people they'd never met.) They also decided they could go have a dinner the three of them, then come back to join the reception, and promise not the eat any food. I don't know which bothered me more - that a group of randos were planning out their attendance to my wedding, or that my FSIL thought this was even okay to ask! We ended up referring to our previous rule for the reception, but said that if they wanted to sit in on the ceremony, they could knock themselves out. (Again, why would they want to? It boggles the mind.)
Then today, not 24 hours after FSIL's bizarre request, my ringbearer's mom texts me. Her husband is going on a business trip around that time and not sure if he'll be back in time for the wedding. So she decided she'd bring her friend (another stranger) as her date if he can't come. "Is that cool?" Then she plays the card that one of her ex boyfriends might be at the wedding, and that makes her uncomfortable, so it would be nice to have her friend there. I just let her know that we've already told others that we can't accomodate such guests, I promised to be thoughtful about the seating arrangement, and told her she'd probably have bonded with the other bridal party and have many friends to chat with. What I really wanted to say is "No, I don't know your friend and I will not pay her to eat. Also, you're an adult and I won't be bothered with your ex drama."
I wish I could feel more sympathetic and inclusive, but this is getting ridiculous!
