Man Skips Friend's Wedding On New Year's Eve Due To No Alcohol, Criticised

A man has come under fire for refusing to attend his friend's wedding because alcohol would not be served. The wedding took place on December 31, 2023. 

In a recent post on Reddit, a user who goes by the handle u/SoberNewYearsWedding, asked if he was wrong to "decline" to attend the wedding on New Year's Eve. He said at the beginning of the post that even though his friend is getting married to a lady he's "not in love with," the groom nonetheless "loves her." "My buddy (33M) is getting married to a girl that our friend group is not in love with.  He loves her though so we support him," he wrote.

The Reddit user mentioned that the wedding was on New Year's Eve, something he and his friends had "known for months." However, he claimed that they didn't find out about the alcohol rule until much later. He wrote, "We have known for months this was a new years eve wedding.  I RSVP'd yes months ago with my wife.  Several friends and I operated under the assumption that there would be booze at the wedding, especially considering it is on New Years Eve.  Well I found out yesterday that it is a dry wedding, turns out it is because of his Fiance and her family."

AITA for last minute declining to go to a friends wedding that is dry on new years eve
byu/SoberNewYearsWedding inAmItheAsshole

He added that he changed his mind about going to the wedding when he received the confirmation from the groom. "I asked my wife if she knew this and said no and was pissed.  I texted the groom buddy and asked.  He confirmed this.  I told him this is something you should have told us a long time ago.  I told him that Wife and I wouldn't be going.  We want to spend the night drinking," he added.

He stated that he messaged his friends about the same and the "group chat went off" and several other people declined to go to the wedding. He added, "This is not how a bunch of us expected to spend New Years Eve. Really the only ones that didn't back out are the 4 members of our 12 person group that are in the wedding. "

The Reddit user mentioned that the groom contacted him and expressed his displeasure following that group chat exchange. According to him, the groom said that he is "now overspending on catering" since around 20 people who had been scheduled to attend the wedding "last minute" opted not to go. "Groom buddy reached out to me and went off.  Pretty much he is now overspending on catering, he is having 20ish less guests show up than planned and this is all last minute. I've been called an as***** among other things for "leading the charge" in people not going to the wedding.  AITA?

Since being shared, his post has gone viral and amassed over seven thousand upvotes.

"If drinking means more to you than a friendship, you might need to evaluate a few things," said a user.

"Clearly, OP and these other so-called friends of the groom care more about getting drunk than they care about the groom. It's just too much of a sacrifice for them to be sober for a few hours on one of dozens of New Years Eves they'll enjoy in their lives to be with a friend on his wedding day," added a person.

Another said, "I missed the age at first. OP is 32 and acting like this? Wow. Alcohol is not more important than a friend's wedding. I thought maybe a 22 year old would think something like this but a 32 year old!? OP, YTA."

"I love drinking but I'm shocked that people can't spend a few hours sober and value alcohol more than their friends. And what does not liking the bride have to do with it? I went to a new years eve wedding a few years ago. Close friends. They asked everyone to stay sober until the reception, including arriving sober to the ceremony. We love our friends so we were all fine with their request. OP you - like many in our alcohol obsessed society - are an alcoholic. If you can't spend a few hours without alcohol and prioritise it ahead of your relationships, you have a problem," remarked a person.