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Tips for judgeypants removal

DH and I are invited to a vow renewal that the couple is calling their "real wedding." I was hurt when we first found out that they had lied about already being married. By that point, we had booked the trip for their destination "wedding." Of course I'm happy for the couple, plus it's unfair to them that someone attending would be unhappy with their plans, so I decided to focus on the positives of a neat vacation, cool party, and great people.

I had reached some zen, but that has started to unravel in the last couple weeks. Every time we hear from them or go out for drinks together, it's all about the "wedding," despite our attempts at changing the subject. Every time we get more information on the event, something new gets my hackles up - asking all of the guests to help with the set-up or tear-down, to bring food and drink, and to wear a certain item, for example. I'm a fairly easy-going person most of the time and have been pretty unfazed by weird and rude stuff at other weddings, but something here upsets me. I'm not sure if it's residual hurt from the lies of a few months back, resentment that I was kind of tricked into attending this event, a feeling like this disrespects the validity of our courthouse wedding, or if I'm just an oversensitive jerk who cares more about the money and time she's spending on this trip than her friends' happiness.

I don't like being all negative judgeypants, but I'm not sure how to get back in a positive place with this event. I'm hoping that someone here has some words of wisdom. How do you get out of judgeypants mode when your friends and family are the ones setting it off?

Re: Tips for judgeypants removal

  • itzMSitzMS member
    2500 Comments 500 Love Its 5 Answers First Anniversary
    DH and I are invited to a vow renewal that the couple is calling their "real wedding." I was hurt when we first found out that they had lied about already being married. By that point, we had booked the trip for their destination "wedding." Of course I'm happy for the couple, plus it's unfair to them that someone attending would be unhappy with their plans, so I decided to focus on the positives of a neat vacation, cool party, and great people.

    I had reached some zen, but that has started to unravel in the last couple weeks. Every time we hear from them or go out for drinks together, it's all about the "wedding," despite our attempts at changing the subject. Every time we get more information on the event, something new gets my hackles up - asking all of the guests to help with the set-up or tear-down, to bring food and drink, and to wear a certain item, for example. I'm a fairly easy-going person most of the time and have been pretty unfazed by weird and rude stuff at other weddings, but something here upsets me. I'm not sure if it's residual hurt from the lies of a few months back, resentment that I was kind of tricked into attending this event, a feeling like this disrespects the validity of our courthouse wedding, or if I'm just an oversensitive jerk who cares more about the money and time she's spending on this trip than her friends' happiness.

    I don't like being all negative judgeypants, but I'm not sure how to get back in a positive place with this event. I'm hoping that someone here has some words of wisdom. How do you get out of judgeypants mode when your friends and family are the ones setting it off?

    I don't think you need to remove your judgeypants. I've attended weddings and PPDs with my judgeypants on. I just hold my judgement until afterwards when DH & I are alone. Then we judge the shit out of it.

    I did judge a PPD out loud once at the reception (the "bride" was wearing a poofy white gown and veil)...ooooh boy did I get side-eyed by every other lady at the table. Best to keep it to yourself :-)

  • Can you not hang out with them for awhile, until this blows over?
  • <3@Peledreamsofrain

    My husband and I would show up at that party late (after the fake vows) and leave early. We'd treat the rest of the time as our personal vacation and do our own thing. 
                       
  • I was recently, unknowingly a bridesmaid in a PPD. The couple told us two weeks after the "wedding" that they had been married for months. They lied.

    Be civil. But you are free to hold onto those judgeypants in my opinion.
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  • AddieL73 said:

    I wear my judgy pants silently in public and then come here to vent. Everybody wins. 

    Yep. These kind ladies let me rage over the PPD I was in so I could be more appropriate to the couple in person. Win win.

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  • <3@Peledreamsofrain

    My husband and I would show up at that party late (after the fake vows) and leave early. We'd treat the rest of the time as our personal vacation and do our own thing. 
    Yup, this.  I would seriously spend as little time as possible at this "wedding," and then find some cool things to do on the vacation I spent money on.

    But yeah, who am I kidding?  I have judgeypants on a lot, so oh well.

    SaveSave
  • Thanks, everyone. I've been feeling pretty guilty about all of this, and it's nice to hear that I'm not completely overreacting.

    I think that the idea to focus on the vacation is a very good one. I've kind of been trying to do this. We haven't been spending much time with the couple lately, easy since they're busy planning. DH may not understand why this upsets me, but saying no to helping - amidst repeated mass-message and in-person requests - was his idea. We're also thinking about transferring some of our hotel nights to a nearish hotel with different sights, which means we won't be around the entire expected time, either.

    It would be nice to vent, but I'd be too afraid that the "bride" is on here and realize someone's talking about her. I definitely don't want the couple to know how I feel about this entire thing because I value our friendship. (Liatris2010, I may well say something like what you posted, though, if they keep pushing that button. What you wrote is very fair, and I doubt they're thinking at all about how their words come across.)
  • rajahmdrajahmd member
    500 Love Its 1000 Comments Third Anniversary First Answer
    edited August 2013
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