Wedding Party

Hate to do it but I think a groomsman has to go...

I know it's not ideal to boot someone from the wedding party once they have been asked but certain events have caused me to think about replacing one of my groomsmen.

First of all he is my former brother in law. My sister and him have been divorced almost over a year now. When they first divorced it was very amicable and there was no fighting. However since then he has become very distant, doesn't see their children, has said some very horrible things about my sister to people we are all friends with, plays messages she leaves for him to friends to make fun of her, and the last straw was the last 2 incidents. My father had to be taken to the hospital a few weeks ago and my sister needed to get ahold of him to watch their kids. when she called him he said he was working and couldn't. Come to find out he was with his new girlfriend and not working at all. Then this last weekend he was supposed to watch the kids so my fiance and sister could go try on dresses and get fitted. He never showed up to get the kids, so they had to cancel. Everyone in the family is upset, and doesn't want him to be there. My sister said she wishes I would kindly ask him to step down because this is a family event and he obviously doesn't care about our family or lately his own kids. As much as I hate to say it I agree. I think his lack of concern for me, my sister, my family, and his own kids is enough! Should I boot him, talk to him, or leave this between my sister and him to work out??? I am so lost on this one.....

Re: Hate to do it but I think a groomsman has to go...

  • Usually, I would say suck it up because you already asked him, but:

    If he was only asked because he was your BIL, and you don't care to preserve any sort of friendship with him, then I think its ok to kick him out.

    However, this will only further strain the relationship between him and your family and may make him have even LESS to do with them and his kids. Your sister is obviously more important to you than they guy she used to be married to, so do what you think is right for your family situation.
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  • Are you even friends with this guy? If so, why are you friends with him?

    Since he is your GM, you should be the one to talk to him about the wedding, not your sister. He and your sister clearly have other issues to resolve (custody), rather than who is in a wedding party. It seems as if he has hurt your family deeply and I do think it is fine to talk to him about stepping down as GM. Be aware that if you ask him to step down, you are severing your relationship with him, which to be honest, doesn't seem to be such a big loss.
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  • Are you the groom? High five!  Never see the groom posting on here (except to trash us for telling his FI what she doesn't want to hear).

    I would say just think about the long-range implications of your decision before you make it.  It sounds like there's more going on here beyond the wedding, so I'd address that first and think about the wedding only as a tertiary matter.
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  • First of all, if you wind up booting him, DON'T replace him. Just go on with who you have left. It would be very rude to the new guy to say, "Hey, we didn't want you in it from the beginning, but now that we have an open slot I guess you can join." And if it's only because you wanted even numbers, then you could've easily had uneven numbers and welcomed him in. To say "We have room for you now" is an insult.

    Anyway, back to the issue at hand:

    If this guy is still going to be around your family (which I'm guessing he is, since he and your sister have children together?), realize that kicking him out would possibly make things very awkward and might start family fights. And while I agree that he sounds like a d0uchebag, he's really done nothing to YOU to warrant being kicked out of the wedding. This is all between him and your sister.

    However, if everyone in your family supports your sister in this one, then maybe they wouldn't care if he was upset and distanced himself from the family because of it. And if you don't kick him out, then that might make your sister mad, and I don't think it's right to take his side over your sister's.

    Another thing - if he flakes out on getting his tux/suit, then he will have removed himself from your wedding and you didn't have to lift a finger. So there's always that option.

    My gut says that, because your sister wants him out, I think you should support her and do it. But I'm interested in what everyone else has to say about this one.
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  • Well he used to be a good friend of mine as he was married to my sister and has been in my life for 20 years...However blood is thicker than water...I will only ever have one sister.....There is no other issues to resolve. The only issue is that he was invited to a wedding that involves mostly my family. I took allot of heat at the beginning for asking him to be a groomsman but like I said at the beginning things were amicable between my sister and him. Not to mention I was close to him. But now that  has all  changed. He lack of respects for my sister and my niece and nephew is in my eyes a lack of respect for me as well. They are after all family! What would Iook like to have him in my wedding, with everyone knowing how disrespectful he's been. If I have to cut ties with him then that may be something I need to do. I just want to know I am making the right decision.
  • Sounds like it might be.  Good luck!
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  • I'm conflicted on this one.  It sounds like he was probably still your BIL when you asked him, and did not remain friends with him after the separation.  If you've cut contact with a WP member and ended the friendship, I think that's an indication that they're no longer in the wedding.  Not to mention the issues he has with your sister.  In that case, just don't give him the tux rental information and see if he says anything

    At the same time, I feel like he probably isn't reliable enough to show up to the wedding anyhow, and if he's told he's no longer in the wedding, he's skeevy enough that he may try to use that against your sister somehow.  Or against you, with your nieces and nephews.

    I think my vote is going to be to let him and your sister try to move towards civility on their own and get a good custody agreement in place.  Decide where to go from there.

    Your sister needs to find a go-to sitter since obviously your former BIL doesn't care about his fatherly responsibilities.
  • I just read your followup post.  My opinion in those matters is always to end the friendship, then it will follow that he is removed from the WP rather than the other way around.  So cut ties with him on the basis that you don't agree with the things he's doing and don't make it a wedding related issue.
  • Well I wanted to explain to him that what he is doing to my sister, and my niece and nephew is something that I cannot agree with or condone....I would never have someone invited to my wedding who I didn't respect regardless of it they were family or not. Given the happiness that this day should be for us I just think I would be doing a big disservice to my family by having him there at this point. The situation is uncomfortable and I don't want that to show on the faces of my bridal party or my family. The way I see it is he is being very disrespectful, so why should I in return encourage his behavior by keeping him in my wedding. Because of this, his actions outside the wedding is actually affecting it, so it does in a sense become a wedding issue. I wish it wasn't!
  • You can still separate it from the wedding if you choose to.

    Use this as an 'I never want to see you again' friendship ender: "Well I wanted to explain to him that what he is doing to my sister, and my niece and nephew is something that I cannot agree with or condone."

    If he asks whether that means he's out of the wedding, say yes and leave it at that.
  • I think all the regs are probably in agreement on this one, that you are totally justified in cutting ties with him, based on the way he treats your sister and her kids. This cutting of ties would signify the end of the GM role as well. I think we are just suggesting that you address the manner with him first as you no longer want to be friends with him, and then talk about the GM part.
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  • I think this one is really your sister's call, and she wants him out.  However, I would sit on the decision for a bit.  Your bio says the wedding isn't until August, and usually tuxes don't have to be ordered until 2-3 months before the wedding.  I would wait until it gets closer to the deadline, then talk it over with your sister and see where the issue stands.  There's still time for them to work something out and be on civil terms, or to have a major blowout that severs all ties and makes the point moot.

    But remember that kicking him out may make it much more difficult, if not impossible, for him to reconcile with your sister.  If there's any chance of that happening, I think you owe it to your sister and her kids to wait it out.
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  • You need to listen to your sister at this point.  If it is going to make your family uncomfortable then he needs to go.  Plus if he is there a fight could happen and ruin your day.  Not worth it.
  • aerinpegadrak, I think I am in agreement with you....I think I will wait it out a bit...even talk to him and say "if the conditions dont change between THE BOTH OF YOU I may need to make a decision I would otherwise not want to make. Tux's have already been ordered, and we are already sized....We chose to be ahead of the game, rather than the other way around. I would pay his deposit if it came to it. I must say that being a male, maybe I just dont understand this etiquette too much but I dont see how anyone could think that me cutting ties with him should have anything to do with him being a father to his kids. I'm sure he will have something to say about it, but then again all he's done the last few months is talk anyway....But given the fact that like you said we have till August I will give it a little bit more time, but I will admit I am running out of patience!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks guys for posting your opinions!!!!!!!
  • The effect on the kids would be indirect- just making a divorce that is no longer civil harder for your sister, which can be harder for the kids as well.  In addition, it's possible that the kids will hear about you in a negative light from him.  Good call on waiting, hopefully he and your sister can work something out.
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