A bride has been defended after she refused to let her mother’s boyfriend walk her down the aisle.
In a recent post shared to the popular “Am I The A**hole?” Reddit forum, a woman opened up about her upcoming wedding plans. She noted that during the wedding planning process, her mother has hoped to include her partner in the event, such as by having him walk the bride “down the aisle.”
“My dad passed away when I was 10, and my mom started dating her boyfriend about six years ago,” the woman explained. “While he’s always been nice to me, I’ve never seen him as a father figure, he came into my life when I was already an adult, and we’re friendly but not particularly close.”
Instead, she said she planned to walk herself down the aisle, to “honor [her] independence” and her father’s memory. However, the bride’s mother was “really upset” by this idea and still pushed for her boyfriend to be a part of the nuptials.
“[My mother was] saying her boyfriend has ‘earned’ the spot by being there for me all these years. She even accused me of disrespecting her relationship and trying to ‘erase’ my dad, which couldn’t be further from the truth,” the post continued.
The bride explained that now her mother’s boyfriend is avoiding her, and her mother is calling her “selfish,” with claims that the bride is ruining the wedding. She also noted that some of her family is urging her to let her mother’s boyfriend walk her down the aisle, just to “keep the peace.” However, the Reddit user still wants to have the “final say” on what to do, since it’s her day.
The Reddit post has quickly gone viral, with more than 5,300 upvotes. In the comments, multiple people have come to the bride’s defense, saying she should be the one to decide who walks her down the aisle. Readers have also criticized the woman’s mother for getting upset about the situation.
“Your wedding, your rules. Mom’s BF came into your life when you were 18 years old. And while mom’s guy may have done some stand-up things for you, he didn’t raise you. You have a father. He passed away,” one wrote. “Honoring him in your own way on YOUR day should be respected. Nothing selfish about this on your part, mom and mom’s BF need to realize your wedding isn’t about them.”
“This is your wedding and, hopefully, your only one! It should be perfect according to your and your partner’s needs and desires. Not an area for point of contentions. Your mother is being manipulative and insulting,” another wrote.
“You don’t just get the final say, you get the beginning and middle say and every other variation. You pick who you want in your ceremony. Maybe mom should be thinking about having her own wedding instead of getting so demanding about yours,” a third responded.