Dad And His Fiancée Exclude His Daughter From The Wedding After She Already Bought Clothes For It

Nov 06, 2023

Living with a stepfamily can be adventurous and provide a learning opportunity. Stepfamilies are getting increasingly common. Hence, many myths and stigmas that were once associated with such no longer exist. It gets better when both partners take the time to build a solid relationship with the other person’s kids, and genuine affection develops between all the parties involved.  

One of the misconceptions/ fears that used to exist about having a stepfamily was the belief that the Cinderella effect, where a stepparent is more likely to abuse or harm their stepkids compared to their biological kids, would come into play. Other than the Disney-coined phenomenon, there are sometimes valid fears that stepparents and their stepkids won’t get along. 

Although this situation typically resolves over time once there is genuine affection between the parties involved, there are instances where the stepfamilies continue to have difficulty long after marriage. As with every other instance where people have to relate to each other, challenges will arise. The kids may perceive it as an upheaval from their usual way of life. Sometimes, children can also see the new family as interlopers. 

However, in the case of the original poster of this story, who turned to Reddit for their opinion, she was ready and happy to welcome her new stepmom. She also believed that the stepmom felt the same toward her. However, she got a rude awakening two weeks before her dad’s wedding to the stepmom. The Redditor was asked not to attend the wedding, although she had already prepared her outfit for the event. She then posted the reason her dad and stepmom gave for excluding her online, but it made them angry, so she turned to the community on Aug. 15, 2023, to ask if she was wrong. Keep reading for the details. 

A Redditor with the username light_blue000 asked Reddit for advice on Aug. 15, 2023, as she wanted to know if she had made a wrong move. The then 18-year-old said she had a good relationship with her dad. Thus, she was happy when he started dating a woman named Anna.

“Anna and I always got along when my dad proposed I was happy Anna seemed like she would be a great stepmom,” the original poster (OP) explained. 

Some weeks before the wedding, after OP had purchased her dress and shoes, her dad and Anna asked to talk to her. They explained that they had decided on a child-free wedding that would exclude everyone under the age of 18. 

Since OP’s 18th birthday was just going to be two days after the wedding, she assumed she would be allowed to attend, but Anna wanted to “stay true to the child-free rule” even if it meant that her stepdaughter would not be able to attend the nuptials.

OP didn’t talk to either of the two after that. To make up for the hurt she felt, her mom took her on a birthday vacation, after which she posted pictures from her trip online. She also alluded to not being allowed at her dad’s wedding. 

“Finally an adult I’m so glad my dad and Anna didn’t allow me at their wedding since I was under 18 I feel more mature since yesterday,” OP wrote on her Facebook page. 

“The family was freaking out asking if that was true and bashing my dad and Anna. I later got a bunch of texts from my dad and Anna calling me immature and a selfish brat and that’s why I was too immature to be at a wedding,” she continued. 

Some friends also thought that OP was selfish and petty. 

Redditors assured OP she did nothing wrong and that her dad and Anna were the villains in the story. Most also thought that Anna was jealous of OP’s relationship with her dad and wanted to sabotage it. 

“Let’s not pretend the date wasn’t handpicked to allow for a “no under 18 rule” also. There’s a reason they didn’t just do it the following weekend lol,” a user commented. 

Another Redittor wrote, “The no children was made for you. I’m sorry but let that sink in. She made that rule to keep you out. You now know where you stand in their marriage…you don’t. I’m so sorry. NTA. I personally think it was EPIC. Harsh but epic. They deserved more than that. I would even update it with pictures of their texts.”

“NTA,” a third Redditor determined. “What kind of man doesn’t have his own child at his wedding? Anyway, they made the choice, if they believe it was the right choice they should have no issue about it being publicly known. Plus, people might well assume you weren’t there because you disapproved of his new wife or chose a vacation instead. Ensuring people know WHY you weren’t there saves your own reputation.”

“NTA banning the 17 year and 363 day old daughter of the groom from a wedding because its child free is a decision. A decision to exclude. To not invite. To make unwelcome. Not just in their wedding but on their lives,” another Redditor opined. 

Some Redditors also agreed that OP’s dad and Anna lied, which was why they are being piled upon. 

“They lied about why you weren’t there. That’s why people are bashing them,” someone suggested. 

What do you think of OP’s situation? Did she handle things well, or did she go overboard? Let us know — and be sure to pass this on to friends and family.