Woman Says She Doesn’t Want Her Partner’s Sibling at Their Wedding: ‘She Comes with a Lot of Drama’

A bride-to-be has turned to the U.K. forum Mumsnet for advice, admitting she’s unsure about inviting her fiancé’s siblings to their wedding because she fears one of his sisters could create tension on the big day.

The woman, who is an only child, explained that she and her fiancé have been together for years, already share two children, and are now planning to marry next year. They’ve booked what she describes as the “perfect” venue, which seats about 20 guests for a meal. However, with eight spots already filled by parents and their partners, space is limited.

“Now DP [dear partner] has brought up his sibling… I won’t lie, she comes with a lot of drama,” the bride-to-be wrote. “She doesn’t get on with both step-parents and it WILL be an atmosphere, unfortunately.”

She added that if his sister attends with her children, new partner, and potentially his two children — whom the bride-to-be has never met — it would take up more than a quarter of the guest list, leaving little room for close friends.

Because many of her friends and family live far away, she said it would be “upsetting” not to include them in favor of her fiancé’s sibling and her extended family. Expanding to a larger venue, she explained, would cause a “huge” increase in cost.

The woman also noted that her fiancé has two other siblings who are “very, very unlikely to come for other reasons,” meaning they wouldn’t be the only ones left out. “Would it be unreasonable to keep it parents only under the circumstances?” she asked. “It will definitely reduce stress and any drama.”

She added that limiting the guest list to parents would also allow more quality time with people they genuinely want to celebrate with, without navigating family politics.

Responses to her post were mixed. Some advised inviting all siblings to avoid long-term fallout but setting limits on partners and children. One commenter said: “I’d invite her OP [original poster]. Leaving out a sibling is a big deal IMO [in my opinion]. You don’t need to invite her partner or his kids, though.”

Another agreed that excluding siblings might harm family relationships: “I think it does end dh [dear husband] and siblings’ relationship if you don’t invite siblings to your wedding. So if dh wants to invite, you should. Ideally, she won’t come. If she does, find a way to fit four more in without losing some of the friends. Definitely don’t invite her new partner’s children, that’s too much at a small wedding. The only reason to include them is to make it easier for her to come.”

Others supported the idea of keeping the wedding limited to parents to avoid unnecessary conflict. One commenter wrote: “You don’t need that kind of stress on your wedding day. If you think there will be drama, then invite parents and their partners only. Promise to do something for the wider family when you’re next in your home country.