Bride’s Wedding Venue Dreams Shattered by Grandparents’ 1 Demand

One bride’s dream of tying the knot in her family barn is facing a major setback — and it all comes down to her grandparents.

In a post on Reddit’s “Wedding Drama” forum, the mother of the bride shared that her daughter is experiencing “wedding heartbreak” because her grandparents refuse to attend the ceremony unless one specific condition is met.

“Grandma will not listen. I am heartbroken for my daughter as she is in tears,” the mother wrote.

Both of the mother’s daughters are set to marry next year, and each has imagined celebrating their big day at the family barn, which holds a “special place in their hearts” since they grew up just across from it.

Initially, the grandparents gave their blessing — but with an ultimatum.

“Grandparents would not attend if her children (our girl’s aunts and uncles) were not invited to the ceremony also,” the brides’ mother explained.

The barn is modest in size, so the number of guests it can accommodate safely is limited.

Because one daughter’s fiancé has a large family, the couple cannot expand their guest list to include both sets of aunts and uncles plus their children. While these relatives are invited to the reception, there simply isn’t enough room for them to join the ceremony as well.

“For one daughter that would add about 10 more people from her side to the already 30, but then would have to invite fiancé’s aunts and uncles to be fair, which would add another 40 people,” the mother said. “So the guest list for ceremony would go from 30 people to 80. Eighty people is not feasible.”

Fellow Reddit users suggested moving the ceremony outside the barn to accommodate everyone, but the mother pointed out the practical limitations. “Unfortunately, the barn is built on a hill and there truly is no flat land that isn’t crops, hence having the ceremony in the barn. Safest place for the aging grandparents,” she explained.

Some Redditors argued that the grandparents should have input since they’re “donating” the venue, while others felt it was unreasonable for them to “dictate the guest list using the barn as leverage.”

Many commenters emphasized that the grandmother’s demand is physically impossible.

“The sad part is everyone is invited to the reception. But the barn is too small to invite everyone to the ceremony. Grandma is just being controlling,” one person commented. Another added, “That’s what gets me. The space is physically too small for the guests grandma wants. It’s literally not possible. Why are people acting like it’s reasonable? It’s completely insane.”