A recent incident involving a maid of honor's substantial wedding gift has sparked discussions about wedding gift etiquette and familial expectations. The unnamed maid of honor, who shared her experience on Reddit's "Wedding Shaming" forum, reported giving her sister $700 as a wedding gift, only to receive no acknowledgement or thank you note.
The maid of honor described her surprise at being asked to take on the role, given the distant relationship with her sister, who lives in a different state and rarely initiates contact. Despite this, she attended the engagement party with her partner, incurring significant travel expenses.
Tensions arose when the maid of honor accidentally left a small water stain on the bride's dress while attempting to help with preparations during the engagement party. According to the Reddit post, the bride "absolutely lost it" and screamed at her sister, claiming she had "ruined her day." The situation was resolved with quick dry cleaning, but the incident set a negative tone for the event.
The maid of honor listed more complaints from the bride, such as being upset about not bringing a gift to the engagement party and feeling uninterested in wedding preparations. Despite the maid of honor's desire to provide a generous wedding gift - a tradition in her culture for family members - these problems continued.
The maid of honor reported spending money on four flights and a specific bridesmaid's dress required by the bride. When seeking advice on an appropriate gift amount, she was told by her mother that $500 was insufficient due to her status as the older sister.
Despite her reservations and the bride's previous behavior, the maid of honor increased her gift to $700. However, she noted that while other guests received thank you messages or cards, she did not receive any acknowledgment for her contribution.
The Reddit post also highlighted other aspects of the wedding that raised eyebrows among commenters. The ceremony, largely funded by the parents, reportedly offered only a pizza lunch on a weekday afternoon, with guests responsible for the bus ride.
The incident has prompted discussions about maid of honor duties, bridesmaid expenses, and the importance of thank you notes after weddings. Many Reddit users expressed shock at the bride's behavior and the lack of appreciation for such a generous gift.
One commenter shared, "We were ecstatic to get $50-100 from our guests. Everyone got a thank you note." Another suggested the maid of honor should have disengaged earlier, stating, "You should have walked out when she started screaming about her engagement dress."