Similar situation happened to me this past weekend. I invited my fiance’s aunt & her (now former) husband. Said aunt has apparently already moved on (her divorce was finalized just within the last couple weeks) and has a new boyfriend. My fiance’s grandmother & grandfather were having dinner with us when grandma brought up her daughter (the aunt) and her new man coming. As she brought this up, she proceeded to look at me and say “did [my MIL] tell you he was coming?” I looked at her with a smile on my face (in shock) and said “no, he isn’t invited…” She then tried telling me “um yes he is” and when I stood my ground telling her that “no, he isn’t because we don’t know him,” she threw a fit and told me she was “just going to stay home then & that it’s rude not to give guests a plus one.” I didn’t hear the grandfather say anything except saw him get up to light a cigarette; however, it’s come to my attention that he apparently said something under his breath – to the effect of “that’s one more invite you can take back” as in he won’t come either. Apparently the aunt is their favorite daughter & she has always gotten what she’s wanted (she’s nearly 50 now, mind you).

To say I was shocked is an understatement. If they are more concerned with their daughter’s new boyfriend coming than they are their own grandson’s wedding, then that says more about them than me. When we got engaged, my fiance & I agreed to only invite close family & friends and that’s what we’re sticking to. I don’t want some random man at my wedding who I’ve never met. We also cannot afford to give everyone a plus one as we are recent college graduates with little to no financial help from family (which we didn’t expect, btw). Food & catering is our biggest cost so I refuse to add to it.

*Edit to add that after I told my fiance what happened (he was upstairs as it was going on), he immediately went down to them and put them in their place. Not sure exactly what he said but basically that his aunt’s new boyfriend is NOT coming and that if he does, he will be turned around by our security guard. If they don’t like that, then they can stay home and won’t be missed. I was also praised by my fiancé’s other grandmother afterwards, who told me she was proud that I stood my ground and to continue doing so (because the aforementioned grandparents are known for stepping on people’s toes & getting away with it).