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Moms and Maids

Wedding is over, how to address the MIA bridesmaid?

Let’s make a long story short as possible.

My wedding was a couple weeks ago and it was wonderful. I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m actually happier my maid went MIA because it all worked out for the better.

In this whole stream of wedding planning I have not been rude to any vendor, family member or friend who was helping me (husband excluded. Sorry about the couple stressed out fights I started babe). My wedding planner even said that my wedding and both families were such a joy to work with that we have restored his faith in weddings.

This is the classis case of a MIA bridesmaid. Same story as everyone else: asked about a year in advance, but she won’t buy a dress. I gave her multiple outs to easily say she couldn’t come and made it clear my feelings would not be hurt, but she kept insisting she was definitely going to be there.  The story ends with her not returning any calls, texts, emails, Facebook messages, ect including ones just trying to be a friend and not to talk about the wedding. About a month out I replaced her with my three future SILs and we added my brother to the groomsmen. I stopped trying to contact her. And everything in the wedding worked out swimmingly.

By contrast my MOH had to back out 4 months before because her brother decided to get married (rather quickly) in Italy the same week as me. Bad luck I know. She felt terrible but let me know as soon as she knew of the conflict, and I whole-heartedly supported her going to his wedding. It looks like she had a blast in Europe and I can’t wait for her to get home.

Here we are a couple weeks post wedding and now I am conflicted over the following options/feelings to manage this MIA friendship…

Option 1: She is probably (hopefully) very embarrassed by her behavior. It’s not worth your friendship. Try to contact her and let her know you don’t hate her.

Option 2: It’s still not worth my friendship, but for my sake I need to let her know how I feel about her behavior but also that it’s not the end of our friendship (essentially accepting an apology that has not been made).

Option 3: She lives in another state (not our home state), and we have no intention of ever moving back there. It would be very easy to just lose touch, and if she still wants a friendship she will contact me.

Option 4: I kind of don’t care at all about this friendship anymore. What she did was totally unacceptable. She could have had the decency to act like an adult and just tell me she could not come, after all I gave her plenty of chances to bow out with no bad feelings. I want to tell her that her behavior was unacceptable and leave it at that. She can apologize if she chooses. This of course only serves my emotional needs, but it is also the most appealing option. Why should I accept her apology and extend the olive branch of friendship before she apologizes?

Ladies, what would you do? What would you want a bride to do if you were the MIA maid?


Re: Wedding is over, how to address the MIA bridesmaid?

  • I wonder how she felt when you replaced her a month out (if she knew). I don't think I'd have shown up either.

    Your long "Option 4" paragraph seems like that's how you really want to go. I'm sorry your friend flaked out for whatever reason. That had to be very frustrating. But, holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. You don't "need" to let her know she disappointed you. I am sure she is well aware. You want to so you can get whatever emotional satisfaction you think will come from it. I don't get why you think you need to "accept an apology that hasnt been offered." That sounds very entitled to me.
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  • Let’s make a long story short as possible.

    My wedding was a couple weeks ago and it was wonderful. I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m actually happier my maid went MIA because it all worked out for the better.

    In this whole stream of wedding planning I have not been rude to any vendor, family member or friend who was helping me (husband excluded. Sorry about the couple stressed out fights I started babe). My wedding planner even said that my wedding and both families were such a joy to work with that we have restored his faith in weddings.

    This is the classis case of a MIA bridesmaid. Same story as everyone else: asked about a year in advance, but she won’t buy a dress. I gave her multiple outs to easily say she couldn’t come and made it clear my feelings would not be hurt, but she kept insisting she was definitely going to be there.  The story ends with her not returning any calls, texts, emails, Facebook messages, ect including ones just trying to be a friend and not to talk about the wedding. About a month out I replaced her with my three future SILs and we added my brother to the groomsmen. I stopped trying to contact her. And everything in the wedding worked out swimmingly.

    By contrast my MOH had to back out 4 months before because her brother decided to get married (rather quickly) in Italy the same week as me. Bad luck I know. She felt terrible but let me know as soon as she knew of the conflict, and I whole-heartedly supported her going to his wedding. It looks like she had a blast in Europe and I can’t wait for her to get home.

    Here we are a couple weeks post wedding and now I am conflicted over the following options/feelings to manage this MIA friendship…

    Option 1: She is probably (hopefully) very embarrassed by her behavior. It’s not worth your friendship. Try to contact her and let her know you don’t hate her.

    Option 2: It’s still not worth my friendship, but for my sake I need to let her know how I feel about her behavior but also that it’s not the end of our friendship (essentially accepting an apology that has not been made).

    Option 3: She lives in another state (not our home state), and we have no intention of ever moving back there. It would be very easy to just lose touch, and if she still wants a friendship she will contact me.

    Option 4: I kind of don’t care at all about this friendship anymore. What she did was totally unacceptable. She could have had the decency to act like an adult and just tell me she could not come, after all I gave her plenty of chances to bow out with no bad feelings. I want to tell her that her behavior was unacceptable and leave it at that. She can apologize if she chooses. This of course only serves my emotional needs, but it is also the most appealing option. Why should I accept her apology and extend the olive branch of friendship before she apologizes?

    Ladies, what would you do? What would you want a bride to do if you were the MIA maid?


    When was the last time you even talked to your friend?  You mention all these times you tried to contact her, but not the last time that you actually spoke with each other.  That will help me advise you on what to do.

    But as PP said, you REPLACED her 1 month out.  How do you think that made her feel when she probably saw pics on FB and there are new people in the WP?  Also, did you send her an invitation to the wedding? 
  • edited July 2013
    I don't like it that you replaced her, either. But I have to be honest, I'd be very hurt that my friend said she was going to stand up for me and then didn't show or call. If I was absolutely certain that nothing had happened to my friend, I'd probably go with option #3. I'd wait for her to contact me. If she did that, I'd make an effort to repair the friendship. Since you no longer care about the friendship, let it go. There's nothing to gain in confronting her. I can almost guarantee you, it will make you feel worse after the initial, short lived satisfaction you'll receive from giving her a piece of your mind. 

    Megan - You should consider making a new account with a screen name other than your real name or email address. 
                       
  • KJirasKJiras member
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    I think the time to have talked to her would have been a month prior to the wedding, by phone or in person, after a long stretch of her not responding that would make you even consider "replacing" her.  I just think if you get to that point you've got to pull out all the stops to get in touch with the girl. Before the wedding did you ever call and just tell her you were concerned you hadn't heard from her, and were worried you had done something or that she was avoiding you for a particular reason? 

    Even if I was absolutely positive I hadn't been acting like a bride-zilla if one of my best friends dropped off the face of the planet and had not been returning any type of communication I think I'd have to ask if I had unknowingly did something to upset her. I imagine you sent her an invite right, did she RSVP at all? 

    I do think this got a bit crazier when you replaced her with family members a month before the wedding...maybe she thought she was then off the hook, no longer invited, etc. and she no longer felt responsible for contacting you. Had you left it alone I find it really hard to believe she would have been able to just simply never call again or show up on the wedding day. But, I don't know all the details so I could be totally wrong :)

    I say leave it alone, you both kind of hurt each other here.

  • I don't like it that you replaced her, either. But I have to be honest, I'd be very hurt that my friend said she was going to stand up for me and then didn't show or call. If I was absolutely certain that nothing had happened to my friend, I'd probably go with option #3. I'd wait for her to contact me. If she did that, I'd make an effort to repair the friendship. Since you no longer care about the friendship, let it go. There's nothing to gain in confronting her. I can almost guarantee you, it will make you feel worse after the initial, short lived satisfaction you'll receive from giving her a piece of your mind. 


    Megan - You should consider making a new account with a screen name other than your real name or email address. 
    I agree with @MairePoppy. You shouldn't have replaced her, but I know there are a lot of misconceptions out there (at least among my friends) that it is a normal thing to do. You seem otherwise reasonable, so maybe if you'd gotten on TK earlier you would have known not to do that.

    Now, this is assuming you never actually kicked her out; that you invited her, kept her in on the group emails, etc. and she still didn't show. If you made any move of kicking her out, I would say to reach out to her and apologize.
  • Not to be morbid but do you know if she's even ok? Is she posting on social media or do you have mutual friends that have seen her, etc?
    You know for sure that she just ditched the wedding and wasn't actually incapacitated in someway? (sorry if you covered this. it's late and my blision is vurring)
  • I agree with Maire. I'd be upset,too, b/c it's shitty behavior. But I would just let it go. It will profit you nothing to confront her with your feelings. I mean, it's pretty much a given that you're upset; nobody needs told that. 


    What did you think would happen if you walked up to a group of internet strangers and told them to get shoehorned by their lady doc?~StageManager14
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  • cbrown828 said:
    I wonder how she felt when you replaced her a month out (if she knew). I don't think I'd have shown up either.

    Your long "Option 4" paragraph seems like that's how you really want to go. I'm sorry your friend flaked out for whatever reason. That had to be very frustrating. But, holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. You don't "need" to let her know she disappointed you. I am sure she is well aware. You want to so you can get whatever emotional satisfaction you think will come from it. I don't get why you think you need to "accept an apology that hasnt been offered." That sounds very entitled to me.
    bolded=brillant!  never heard that before but will be using that in the future
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  • You lost me at your email address.



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  • @Bmorebride6 Thanks! I actually read @AddieL73 share that somewhere once and I thought it fit here. I have always heard a different version, that it's like throwing a hot coal and expecting to burn someone else, but I like this analogy better.
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  • It WAS me. I am so flattered you remembered!
    What did you think would happen if you walked up to a group of internet strangers and told them to get shoehorned by their lady doc?~StageManager14
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  • it stuck with me!
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  • I'm confused as to why you want to do anything at all? I mean, she dropped the ball by being MIA and you acted like a butthurt douche by replacing her. You both made mistakes and it could be a friendship ender. I think you are waiting around for her to apologize to you and its not going to happen. I think you should both apologize, but really it seems like the friendship is caput. So I am not sure why you want to put more energy into it. 

    Also, do you know that she is physically ok? Do you know if something is going on in her life that could cause her to be MIA? I mean, your post is all about you with no consideration for her as a person or friend. Just all about how she let you down and stuff. Its not very attractive. So, you are obsessed with letting her know how she did you wrong. She's not affording you the opportunity and you are upset about that. 

    Let it go. You had a good wedding. 
    ~* Matron of Honor *~

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  • Something similar happened to me.  I wanted by BFF/roommate to be my MOH.  She accepted. About 2 months later I moved out to save money (moved in with FI's parents) and her boyfriend moved in.  After that point, communication was difficult.  I didn't get texts back and she never answers her phone anyway, so that wasn't going to magically start happening.  

    I sent out a email/text message asking when a good day to go bridesmaid dress shopping would be. All the girls answered but her.  After those girls told me a good day, I then scheduled a day with the bridal salon and emailed/texted all of the girls again notifying them of the date/time.  Everyone got back to me except her.  So, one of my bridesmaids texted all the girls to remind them.  She literally got 4 reminders.  She didn't show up to the salon.  I texted her:  Missed you today!  Nothing back....

    No communication.  Then I texted her to see if she could start paying for the satellite (which I had been paying for even though not living there).  She answered back saying she couldn't since she had all the other bills.  I said okay, I'll just have to get it cancelled then because I can no longer afford it.  She didn't say anything.  A month later, I cancelled it.  She texted me asking if I had cancelled it WHILE I was on the phone cancelling it.  I said yes...she deleted me from Facebook.  End of story.

    So, I haven't heard from her since then...that was in June.  I somehow feel less stressed.  (She tended to be very negative).  I do miss her, but in the end....she made the choice.  Not having money to buy a dress was not even an issue since I would have paid for it.  She knew this.  

    It makes me sad, but I do feel stress free going into my wedding.
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  • Megan,
    I'm actually going to voice an opinion different than the majority represented here.... these types of situations are very nuanced, but based upon your description of the events, it seems as though you spent at least a month trying to get any response from her, to no avail.
    With a million details and moving parts on your mind as you plan the wedding, I do not blame you for wanting a firm RSVP from your bridesmaids. Of all the things you should have to stress about, you should't be making her favors and planning the photographs while wondering if she's even going to be there.
    Also, it was selfish for her to put you in that situation.

    Because you (to the best of my understanding) spent a reasonable amount of time trying to get a response from her, you had reasonable desires to settle the matter one way or the other, and her behavior was inappropriate, I'd say you acted okay. The only thing I would say is that it probably would have been nice for you to email her when you made the switch, saying something like "I'm so sorry but I really need to be able to pin down details, I don't think this is working out, if you can still make it to the wedding, great, I would love to see you, I can pay for the dress, etc."

    But ultimately, you should not have to bend over backward to accommodate someone who shows no regard for you or even common courtesy.
  • I know this was several days ago and you recieved good advice already, but I'd let it go. If she ever comes to you with an apology or an explanation, great, but I wouldn't concern myself with her another minute longer.  We had a guest behave so appallingly and without remorse at my wedding that our friendship is effectively over--it's too bad, but relationships change.  I know you want to stay on good terms, but she doesn't.  Go on and have a happy marriage. :)
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