Is it rude to decline an invite to be ‘best man’ at a destination wedding?

Is it rude to decline an invite to be ‘best man’ at a destination wedding?

The COVID-19 pandemic silenced wedding ceremony bells for 1000’s of Us residents around the past number of yrs.

Now, with wedding bells ultimately ringing again, the costs affiliated with the unique day after yet again have some invitees weighing their options — and even declining to show up at.

A Reddit person sought information soon after he was questioned to be most effective man at his friend’s marriage … in Italy. 

The Reddit person took to the “Am I the A—hole” (AITA) subreddit web page on Feb. 1 inquiring if he was in the incorrect for not seeking to pay out countless numbers of pounds to be in and show up at his friend’s wedding. 

“I notify him I’d be a lot more than delighted to, then he hits me with this a single: It’s a destination wedding ceremony in Italy and none of the expenses are protected,” the person wrote.

He went on to describe that he, as finest guy, would have to spend for his flight, train, lodge, foods and a boat tour, all on his have.

In total, the Redditor thinks it would have price tag around $2,000 — anything he reported he wasn’t inclined to invest, as he has a wife and two younger kids at dwelling. 

Way of living and etiquette pro Elaine Swann shared feelings with Fox Information Electronic about the condition — indicating it is flawlessly Ok to tell the groom “no.”

“If the costs were not disclosed up front, then it is perfectly fine for an particular person to rescind the involvement in the wedding day,” she mentioned. 


A Reddit user wanted to know if he was in the wrong for declining an offer to be the best man at his friend's wedding due to the high travel cost.
A Reddit person wished to know if he was in the incorrect for declining an provide to be the greatest person at his friend’s marriage because of to the significant travel charge.
Getty Pictures/iStockphoto

Swann reported people in comparable scenarios need to not truly feel stress to say “yes,” as it could lead to resentment in the future. 

“Be sincere and inform the person, ‘This just is not a great in shape for me and my family members budget ideal now’ — and go away it at that,” she said.  

Swann, the founder of the Swann School of Protocol in California, reported this discussion should really be verbal — both by cellular phone or in man or woman. 

A person girl who lives in the Washington, D.C., area explained she’s encountered this predicament as she, too, had to drop a destination wedding ceremony invitation.

“It was tricky to say ‘no’ because it was a loved ones member’s marriage ceremony,” she advised Fox News Digital.

“Luckily,” she continued, “the family was extra than understanding, and envisioned to get a honest sum of ‘no’s’ to their invitation. But the couple prioritized the lovely destination over the sizing of the wedding day — and I felt it was their appropriate to do so.”

A woman in the New York region also exposed that she was compelled to drop attending a near family members member’s wedding due to the fact the journey charges linked with the desired destination website had been too prohibitive.

“I truly wanted to be there. It broke my coronary heart not to go to,” she claimed. 

“But with two younger kids in the home at that time, plus keeping down a total-time occupation, there was no way I could find the money for the journey, lodge and other expenditures involved — not to point out the time.”

She included, “I felt badly about my conclusion to overlook the wedding ceremony, but I had to make peace with it simply because that was my circumstance at the time.”

She also explained, “If persons pick to have desired destination weddings, they have to comprehend that not everyone in their near circles will be in a position to get there to celebrate with them.”

Redditors had diverse viewpoints on the publish — with many believing that if an individual couldn’t afford to pay for to attend the wedding, then they simply just necessary to bow out. 

“It appears like you have your priorities proper to me,” just one consumer responded to the original Reddit poster who was asked to be most effective person. 

Other people blamed the man’s frustration on the bride and groom — boasting they could not have anticipated all of their invited friends to travel to their location wedding. 

“The issue is that the mate decided to have an high priced spot wedding day — but he does not get to come to a decision who will accept the invitation,” a different consumer wrote.