A bride has revealed how she refused to wear the wedding dress her stepsister made for her big day, leaving her father furious.
The unnamed woman, believed to be from the US, used Reddit’s infamous Am I The A**hole thread to unravel the family feud.
The 25-year-old revealed she tied the knot with her now 27-year-old husband two weeks ago – with her choice of clothing causing a bitter division in the family.
Her stepsister had offered to handmake the bride’s ensemble, but what she delivered was the “wrong color, the wrong style and three sizes too big.”
A bride has caused a stir online after revealing how her 21-year-old stepsister’s determination to make her a wedding dress sparked a bitter family feud
In the post, shared over the weekend, the bride explained: ‘My now husband and I paid for most of the wedding, but my dad covered a few costs for us.
‘My father’s friend ‘Stella’ has a 21-year-old daughter ‘Zoey’ who is finishing her fashion studies.
‘She wants to get into the wedding dress industry after graduation. When I started planning my wedding, she offered to design and make my dress.”
The woman continued, “Me I was hesitant at first because I was excited about picking out my own dress. I agreed because I didn’t know Zoey well (my father had only been dating her mother for two years) and I thought this would be a great opportunity to bond.
“I’d also seen some of her work (she’d made a few ball gowns in college), and she seemed really good.
‘We met a few times to discuss our ideas. During those conversations I realized that our styles were drastically different, but we still managed to agree on a design. I gave Zoey my measurements and asked her to keep me informed.”
But the relationship started to turn sour as Zoey continually refused to share updates.
‘Every time I asked her how she was doing, she said she would send me pictures of her progress when she got home (she never did). “It took longer than expected to finish the dress, and I only got it a month before my wedding,” the exasperated bride served.
The 25-year-old revealed she tied the knot with her now 27-year-old husband two weeks ago – with her choice of clothing causing a bitter division in the family (stock image)
‘It looked nothing like the design we agreed on. It was the wrong color, the wrong style, everything. It looked exactly like the type of dress Zoey would want to wear, but I knew I would never wear something like that. I really didn’t like that dress.
‘When I tried it on I found it was also about three sizes too big. Even though I knew I could probably get it altered, I really didn’t want to wear that dress on my wedding day.”
The woman, whose wedding was fast approaching, said she contacted Zoey to express her thoughts on the creation.
“I called Zoey and told her I wouldn’t wear the dress. I said it looked beautiful, but not the style we agreed on, and I thought it would be best for me to find another dress.
‘I offered to pay her for her work (she made the dress for free), but she refused and hung up.
‘I went to a bridal shop with my bridesmaid and we found a beautiful dress that didn’t need much adjustment. It looked exactly like what I wanted,” she revealed.
Then the day of the ceremony arrived and the bride walked down the aisle in the dress she had bought from the store.
‘Zoey looked on the verge of tears during the ceremony, and Stella gave me dirty looks during the reception. When I approached them a while later, they were both curt with me.
“My dad, Stella and Zoey left less than an hour after the reception.”
She continued, “My Dad and Stella called me the next day and told me how I had treated Zoey.
‘This was her first time making a wedding dress and she loved seeing me wear it. They said it was insulting of me not to wear the dress she had put so much effort into.
‘I tried to explain why I hadn’t worn the dress, but they both insisted that the dress was beautiful and that I could have sucked it.’
The woman concluded, “My husband and my younger sister (not Zoey) are on my side. I’ve been feeling guilty about this since I decided not to wear the dress. Am I the hole?’
Her post was quickly flooded with many mixed reactions, as most users agreed that she wasn’t wrong – calling her Not The A**hole (NTA)
She provided more context in the comments as she shared, “I don’t think she did this to get attention. I think she got carried away and made the dress she wanted, instead of the dress we agreed on.
‘Afterwards I regret that I agreed to this. I think, apart from the reasons I mentioned, I felt a bit pressured by the fact that there were parts of my wedding that my father paid for.”
She added: ‘If she had delivered the finished dress sooner, I might have had more time for adjustments.
‘They know what I asked. They know I don’t lie. They don’t care. The dress can be adjusted to fit me. The size was a disadvantage, but not a problem. If I actually wanted to wear the dress, I would have altered it.’
Her post was quickly flooded with many mixed reactions, as most users agreed that she wasn’t wrong to call her Not The A**hole (NTA).
One person wrote: ‘NTA. The fun part about being a designer, especially a bridal designer, is listening to the bride and what kind of dress they see themselves as.
“You probably didn’t get any progress photos because she knew this was her style, not yours.”
“It was your day and your wishes should have been honored. She never prepared you for it not being at all the way you wanted it to be.
“She made your day all about her. Your father should have had your back.”
One person wrote: ‘NTA. The great thing about being a designer, especially a bridal designer, is listening to the bride and what kind of dress they see themselves as.”
Another commented: ‘NTA! You were as honest as you could be in rejecting the dress.
“You were generous to go along with it, as long as you did. If Zoey can’t satisfy a customer, she doesn’t know what she’s doing. I’m sorry your father didn’t stand up for you.’
A third person added: “NTA. If Zoey wants to launch a career as a designer of custom dresses, she must learn to work with clients. Such as listening to their needs and implementing what has been agreed.’
Someone else agreed: “Zoey thought you were going to be her pet project because her parents made her feel like the world would have to bend to her every whim.
‘She can sulk all she wants. And tell your father that if he continues like this, you will cut off contact with him for a while.
“You’re newlyweds, go enjoy marital bliss and let Zoey be a child. You don’t have to suck it up on your wedding day.
“They tried to make it about Zoey, but you wouldn’t let it happen. Too bad she doesn’t learn her lesson. She sounds like a brat.”
While many commented on the bride’s clothing situation, many users criticized the father’s behavior on his daughter’s wedding day
But other readers were more focused on her father’s behavior at the wedding.
One person wrote: ‘Your dad is the asshole here for leaving your wedding. Sorry OP.”
Another added: “Your father leaving his own daughter’s wedding early because the adult daughter of the woman he has been dating for two years got upset is crazy.”
A third person commented, “It’s so crazy to me how people treat their stepkids better than their real kids!
“It was your big day and your dad didn’t care.
“NTA and I would be very careful about your interactions with them from now on as I doubt your feelings will be taken into account from now on.”