AITA for not letting my friend’s kid attend my “no children” wedding, even though they’re like family?
A Reddit user is preparing for her upcoming wedding and has set a strict “no children” policy for the event to maintain a specific atmosphere. However, this decision has upset one of her closest friends, whose 6-year-old child is like family and even calls her “aunt.”
The friend assumed her child would be the exception and feels hurt by the policy. Despite the pushback, the user feels it’s best to keep the rule consistent for all guests, but now she’s questioning if she’s being too rigid. Read the full story below.
‘ AITA for not letting my friend’s kid attend my “no children” wedding, even though they’re like family?’
My wedding is coming up, and my partner and I decided on a strict “no children” policy for the event. We want a certain atmosphere, and honestly, weddings can be long and boring for kids. One of my closest friends has a 6-year-old who I’m very close to—they even call me “aunt.”
She assumed her kid would be the exception and was hurt when I told her it wasn’t possible. She says I’m being unreasonable, but I want to keep things consistent for everyone. AITA for standing by my rule?
Here’s what Redditors had to say:
Thunder-chicken300 − No, your wedding & you have the complete say as to how you want it. Besides no child that age will last an hour, you’re doing the parents a favor. I was best man at my closest friend’s wedding. A strict Catholic wedding. During the vows some inconsiderate parent would not leave with their crying child & the Groom stopped the priest, turned & yelled “SHUT THAT DAMN KID UP” . It all could have been avoided.
MustangTheLionheart − NTA – Your friend assumed incorrectly even though there was no reason for them to think “no children” didn’t mean her child. We all know what happens when people assume so hopefully your friend still has enough time to find a sitter if they still want to come to the wedding. Main thing is to be polite and understanding if your friend says they can’t come as a result.
Humble_Pen_7216 − Edit to change to YTA. You claimed to want a child free event but then made exceptions. You clearly *don’t* value the friend very much. Original comment less judgement: Why would your friend assume their kid would be an exception? That’s kind of ridiculous. A child free wedding is *child free* – not child free except.
WhizGidget − YTA. You made an exception for other kids. Were these older kids? Were they family or not close? Granted, it’s your wedding and your rules, but if you’re making exceptions and excluding a kid that is as close family, then I stand by my ruling.
Open_Error_5596 − NTA. But just as it’s your decision to not want kids, it’s their decision to not want to attend without their kids.
justloriinky − Why did you make an exception for other people’s kids? I think it’s interesting that you only mention that you made exceptions in your recap and not in your actual post.
PaperGardenias − YTA BECAUSE THIS WHOLE POST IS FAKE.
Mandajolene123 − YTA. You state you say no because you want to be consistent but in your explanation on why you might be TA you state you made an exception for other friends’ kids and ask if it’s wrong to enforce the rule inconsistently. You can’t even keep your story consistent.
hadesarrow3 − From the explanation NOT INCLUDED in the original post: “I set a ‘no children rule for my wedding but *made an exception* for other friends’ kids.” How is this being consistent??? Why isn’t this in the main post, it’s almost certainly the reason she’s upset!?. YTA
Edit: Oh, and also you accidentally voted for yourself because you forgot you weren’t on your OTHER fake account? Yeah, this whole story reeks. I don’t know if you’re karma farming or just delusional.
Outrageous_Fox_3544 − Why is there always some entitle adult thinking their kid can bypass the rules. This happened to me as well, cause a riff and hard feelings. I have gone to several weddings, and my kid needed a sitter. My advice to all, grow up and let the wedding couple make their own bloody decisions and respect it.
Do you think the user should make an exception for her friend’s child, or is it fair to keep the “no children” policy consistent for everyone? How would you handle a situation like this? Share your thoughts below!
