A man has been applauded for refusing to allow his sister to have her wedding at their family’s property after she tried to book the venue at the last minute.
In a recent post shared on the popular “Am I The A**hole?” Reddit forum, Reddit user u/Throwrasistaplz asked if he was in the wrong for not letting his sibling get married at the space. In the post, he explained that, at the age of 14, his mother sent him to live with his grandparents, who were the owners of the property.
“My grandparents owned an amazing property in the mountains that has an amazing view. We also have some horses and other critters,” he wrote. “They were also quite wealthy as well.”
The Reddit user noted that when his grandparents passed away about four years ago, they passed the property down to him because they thought he’d “appreciate and respect it more”. He also claimed that his mother and sister got “money and other assets” from his grandparents that “valued more than the property”.
He described how he’s made use of the space over the last four years, writing: “I turned part of the property into a venue for mainly weddings (grandparents knew of this idea and thought it was a good one). We are busy and usually booked about eight months out.”
He then explained that, when his sister got engaged about a year and a half ago, she asked to use the property for her wedding. In response, he told her that she could use it but had to know the date as soon as possible, in order to make sure that the venue wasn’t booked.
The Reddit user noted that while he “never got” a wedding date, despite how many times he followed up with his sister, he later received an invitation for the event. He then revealed that the invite listed the family property as the wedding’s venue.
“Two weeks ago I got the wedding invitation, stating the property is the location and the date. Which is in September of this year,” he wrote. “I immediately called her to say that we are booked for that date and can’t accommodate her.”
He claimed that his mother and other family members got upset about the venue being booked, and started “calling and writing reviews for [his] business”.
He said that he proceeded to contact his sister about the situation and explained that she should have gotten back to him about her wedding date before sending the invite. However, according to the Reddit user, his sibling then accused him of “ruining” her day.
“I asked them to stop and call my sister, telling her that literally all she had to do was tell me when she knew her date so I could block it and I would take care of everything else,” he wrote. “She went off on how I am ruining HER day. It is OUR family’s property. How she already sent out the invitations and couldn’t go back now. I should just tell the other couple to cancel (they have been on the books for over a year now, and I actually like them). Family is more important.”
The man explained that after his “last big blow-up” with his sister, he started communicating with them “strictly through the business’” phone and email lines. He also claimed that although he recommended “other dates around the same time,” his sibling still told him that he’s “being resentful and an a**hole”.
The Reddit post has quickly gone viral, with more than 20,600 upvotes. In the comments, many users have defended the OP [original poster], while criticising his sister for sending out invitations without confirming the date with the venue.
“Your sister is a giant a**hole for expecting you to cancel another couple’s date for…what?” one person claimed. “Selfish family? She needed to tell you the date and didn’t, that’s on her.”
“Who [the f***] sends out invitations for a date before even contacting the venue?” another asked. “It is really as simple as sending an invite for a date without even asking the venue. I just don’t understand how people can be so consumed in their own weddings.”
AITA for not letting my sister use "the family property" for her upcoming wedding?
by u/Throwrasistaplz in AmItheAsshole
Multiple people also encouraged the man to seek legal advice regarding the situation and condemned his family for allegedly writing bad reviews about his business. They also encouraged him to hire security for the other couple’s wedding.
“I would suggest getting a lawyer involved before your family causes harm to your business. Send them all cease and desist letters. This is YOUR property and business, do not allow them to discredit it just because they are not getting their way,” one person wrote. “I’d also put a PSA out that her wedding will not be at your venue. That way a bunch of people don’t show up and ruin this other lovely couple’s wedding by causing a scene.”
“Not only a PSA, but hire security and get a guest list from the reserved couple to make sure only their guests are allowed entrance,” another agreed. “Tell the family that any guests or wannabe hosts, including family, will be removed from the property.”
In a follow-up edit to his post, the Reddit user said that he’s going to reach out to the other couple who’s getting married on that September date, in order to explain his situation with his family. He also said that he’s having a sit-down conversation with his mother and sister and a meeting with a lawyer about the issue.
The Independent has contacted u/Throwrasistaplz for comment.
