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Just Said Yes October 2022

i don’t want to invite my fiancé’s brother’s girlfriend, but don’t know what’s the best way to let his brother know.

Melanie, on December 28, 2021 at 2:28 PM Posted in Planning 0 12
So I am currently planning my wedding but my fiancé and I have been going back and forth over a little issue we have going on. I personally do not get along with my fiancé’s brother’s girlfriend. When my fiancé and I got engaged she never (even til this day) congratulated us. She’s been dating my fiancés brother for about 1 or 2 years I believe. Because they are both young, for the longest time my mother in law didn’t let them take trips on their own, so one time they asked if we wanted to go on a trip with them. We said yes thinking this would be a perfect time to form a friendship with her since she doesn’t really like going over to my mother in laws so she hasn’t even formed a strong bond with my in laws either. We agreed to drive out to SD so we can all take a trip. Throughout the entire trip not once did she bother to ask us anything to even get to know us. She basically treated the trip as if we weren’t there. They made their own plans for things and kind of left us to do our own things. Even after that trip both the brother and his girl never hit us up to hangout again or do anything together. A family member’s birthday came along and obviously all of my fiancés family was there (mind you the brother and his girl were never even invited to this party by the hosts, my fiancé was the one to invite them thinking they were already invited) so they arrive and greet everyone and she literally skips past my fiancé and I. I was already kind of holding a grudge against her for the way the whole SD trip turned out. So later that night when we are all about to leave she does the same, she says her goodbyes to everyone except my fiancé and I. To me, respect comes with having basic manners. They have been together for a while now and even til this day no one from my fiancé’s side of the family asks where she’s at in events, she’s usually not the one they ask about, they do ask about the brother though. She doesn’t make much communication with my in laws either but obviously my mother in law loves her because she makes her son happy. So after that birthday party I got mad at her being so rude and talked with my brother in law and told him the things about her that bothered me , he got so angry that I said we don’t like her personality and since my relationship with him has fallen downhill. She later messaged me after I talked to the brother and said she apologized because she tends to get nervous and quiet meeting her bf’s family. I told her first impressions always count and since the SD trip I’ve noticed she doesn’t care to get to know anyone in their family or even me. Then after she apologized she has the nerve to say “well you guys didn’t talk to me either or try to get to know me” yet we were the only ones asking about herself throughout the 5 hr drive there. So I didn’t accept her apology for saying that, which was so irrelevant. Fast forward to now, like I said it’s ruined the brother and my relationship and now my fiancé wants his brother as his best man for his wedding, problem is, my mother in law knows we don’t hangout, talk, or get along with the brother’s girlfriend and asked if we are inviting her. Which my fiancé told her we are not. She then said that the brother had talked with her in private and said if his girl isn’t invited he will not be attending the wedding. After more discussions with my fiancé we agreed we still don’t want her to be invited because we genuinely only want our closest loved ones, friends and family. And she hasn’t been any of those to us. Now we just need help figuring out the best way to sit down and express she isn’t invited.


Thanks for reading this far and for any advice in advance.

12 Comments

Latest activity by Michelle, on December 28, 2021 at 11:28 PM
  • M
    Just Said Yes October 2022
    Melanie ·
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    I should add my fiancé obviously wants his brother to attend, that is his best friend. However, I do feel the brother is making it a little complicated by saying he simply won’t attend if his girl isn’t invited. He knows there’s no friendship or relationship between us and his girlfriend. I don’t think it’s fair to make adjustments for a person who hasn’t even tried forming bonds with any of my fiancé’s family or myself. All of our guests are people we really want there, and she simply isn’t one of them.
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  • Janet
    Expert October 2018
    Janet ·
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    Not gonna lie, it sounds like you started the wedge and are now just being slightly petty. I would be interested to hear her version of the story, but that won't happen so here is my $0.02. Not everyone gets along, not everyone's personalities mesh together. It sounds like she just likes to keep to herself.

    1. Keep the peace, and invite your FBIL girlfriend, this is the proper thing to do. She will only be a guest at the rehearsal dinner (if you have one) and the wedding itself. That's it. I doubt you will notice her considering she doesn't make herself known. Also, your BIL will be spending a lot of time and money, and the absolute least you can do is invite his significant other. They are a unit.

    2. Don't invite her, and drive a bigger wedge into his and his brothers relationship, his brother has chosen his significant other, just like your future husband should chose you. If they get married, and they chose to not invite you, how would you feel?

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  • Allison
    Devoted May 2022
    Allison ·
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    I agree with this.

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  • Cece
    Rockstar October 2023
    Cece ·
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    I know this isn’t the answer you want to hear, but you need to invite the girlfriend. Couples are seen as a social unit and should be invited as such, whether you care for one of them or not. (The only exception would be something incredibly extreme, such as physical or sexual abuse, blatant racism, etc., which obviously has not happened in this case). This is your fiancé‘s brother (and as you said, his best friend). It would be incredibly unfair of you to prevent him coming to his own brothers wedding, simply because of some petty nonsense. Don’t think of inviting her as supporting her, think of it as supporting your fiancé‘s wishes that his brother attend. You will be so busy during your wedding, you probably won’t even see her the entire night. And even if you do, you do not need to engage with her. Be the bigger person, respect your fiancé and his brother, and invite the girlfriend…. And treat her exactly as she does when she sees you and events- as if she isn’t there.
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  • N
    NewEnglandSettler ·
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    Janet and Cece nailed it.
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  • W
    VIP September 2020
    Willow ·
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    I haven't seen anything that warrants not inviting the gf. Some people are shy and awkward. She hasn't done anything that's actually rude or offensive or disrespectful. It sounds like she didn't realize you perceived her to be snubbing you. She apologized, then you refused to accept the apology because she had the "nerve" to defend herself and tell her side of the story. At this point, you exacerbated the situation, that's on you, and now you're just making it worse. You're being very judgy about her not trying to bond with the family, when her bf has explained that she gets nervous. You've decided you don't like her, and she can't win with you.


    If she doesn't get to come, the brother won't come. Your future husband is close to his brother. I am astonished that you're even considering not inviting the gf. For someone who cares so much about family bonds, you seem hell bent on breaking a brotherly bond because a gf isn't chatty enough.
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  • Stacey
    Super May 2021
    Stacey ·
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    There’s a lot of petty crap here, and the only thing you’ll do by not inviting her is make the situation worse. She’s his girlfriend, but that doesn’t mean you have to like her, be friends with her, hang out together, etc. She should be invited because she is his partner, and the one of the most important people in his life. I can understand why he might decline if you exclude her. Be the bigger person.

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  • S
    Super September 2022
    Sarah ·
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    I agree with PP, you need to invite her. From what you’ve said she hasn’t been toxic or abusive, it just sounds like your personalities don’t match which is okay, you’re not going to get along with everyone.
    You say you’re only inviting your closest friends and family, does this mean other guests are not allowed to bring their significant others you don’t know or get along with? We are also inviting close friends and family, but there are still SOs we don’t know well that will also be there because they are a social unit.
    She will just keep to herself, you won’t even notice she’s there. Don’t make your fiancé’s relationship with his brother worse.
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  • Sarah
    Master September 2019
    Sarah ·
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    You already have your answer- you know his brother won’t attend without her and it’s important to your FH to have his brother there. You need to invite her. You trying to go to his brother with all this petty drama you’ve created in your mind is only going to make him double down and not attend. Also, his brother isn’t making anything complicated- he’s simply expressing how your actions of not inviting his girlfriend will have consequences. It’s a boundary he’s setting based on you excluding his long term partner and he’s allowed to do that.
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  • Charlotte
    Dedicated June 2022
    Charlotte ·
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    This sounds very very familiar. I knew two brothers who were best friends. Both in serious long-term relationships. The girlfriend and the fiance did not get along. The relationship between the brothers completely deteriorated. The younger brother ends up being at his wedding, but not as the best man. The girlfriend was not invited. The groom did not have a best man because he always envisioned his brother being by his side, but their relationship was basically destroyed.

    Sitting at the wedding I was uncomfortable and frankly devastated. The tension distracted from the union of the couple and people were aware of it. All of my friends talked about it, in fact we spent most dialogue before and after the wedding on how we wished the bride and groom had invited the girlfriend. The brothers have no relationship now. They will not even go to parties where the other is present. And they used to be best friends.

    My advice isn't what you want to hear. Be the bigger person. You and her have beef. It sounds like she wanted to try and work it out. Honestly, I'm surprised she apologized, and it seemed sincere. I get only wanting close friends and loved ones there, but seriously, it will DESTROY the relationship between your fiance and his brother. It is really not worth it.

    And if that's not enough, you will be the villain when people retell the story. It's one thing to not invite an S/O that you don't know, it's another to not invite the S/O of your future brother-in-law because you don't like her.

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  • needmorewine
    Expert May 2016
    needmorewine ·
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    Echoing everyone else. She hasn't done anything wrong, she is just different from you. She doesn't need to form strong bonds or be friends with you or the rest of the family if she isn't comfortable doing that. Your FBIL is right in refusing to attend the wedding if his GF isn't invited because you would be totally disrespecting him, his GF and their relationship by doing that. He is putting her first, ahead of people who want to treat her poorly, which is what a good partner does. You are on your way to completely destroying your FH's relationship with his brother for no reason other than petty nonsense because the GF doesn't behave the way you want her to.

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  • Michelle
    Rockstar December 2022
    Michelle ·
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    The girlfriend is a package deal. You can’t ask someone to celebrate your relationship and say theirs isn’t valid. Either invite them both together or don’t invite either. Many couples say they barely see or talk to any of their guests, even with small guest counts, so it’s pretty likely that you won’t even see or interact with her.


    What you are describing is a deliberate attempt to sabotage his relationship with his brother because he is made to pick either you or brother who is attached to the girlfriend whether you like her, have met her or whatever the case is. That’s not how relationships work.
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