When you invite family members to your wedding, you usually expect them to show up. However, you also have to keep in mind that even when they RSVP to say they'll attend, emergencies and unforeseen circumstances can happen which can, unfortunately, change their availability in an instant.
That's exactly what happened to one man's sister, as she had to bail on his wedding at the last minute because her cat had sadly passed away. The woman had told her brother in advance that her cat was sick and that if things take "a turn for the worse" she wouldn't be able to attend his wedding - but he was still furious when she cancelled.
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The man claimed his sister was the only member of his family invited to see him tie the knot with his husband as many of his family members are "very homophobic", so he was devastated when she couldn't make it either.
But instead of being understanding of his sister's emotional state, the groom "lost his temper" with her, and said that her absence at his wedding became a talking point among the other guests, which he claims took "attention off me and my husband".
In a Reddit post, he said: "My wedding was last weekend, most of my family were not invited because they are very homophobic and I've had to cut most of them out over this. The only person that was invited from my immediate family was my older sister, who has always been very supportive. She helped with a lot of the planning process leading up to the wedding.
"The issue came just a week before the wedding when one of her senior cats suddenly got ill. She's had this cat for about 19 years and treats the thing like it's her child. She gave me a heads up that if the cat takes a turn for the worse she wouldn't be able to attend the wedding. I kind of brushed it off since the cat has had health problems before and it worked out fine.
"But the morning of the wedding I got a call from my sister crying that she just had to put her cat down and she wouldn't be able to attend. I'll admit that I definitely lost my temper with her and asked her if she's really going to put her cat dying over her only brother getting married. That she's going to leave me without family at my own wedding and hung up.
"She didn't show up and that was quickly noticed by everyone at the wedding, taking attention off me and my husband. We have not spoken since our last call and we've never gone so long without speaking before."
Commenters on the Reddit post were sympathetic toward the groom's sister, and told the man that if she had attended the wedding then she'd have been in tears throughout the ceremony - which still would have had people paying attention to her instead of to the newlyweds.
One person said: "Would you rather have her on the front row bawling her eyes out? She's in grief for a pet she has had for 19 years! Have a little compassion!"
While another added: "It sucks that she couldn't go and I understand that you were upset. But, first, she gave you a heads up that this might happen. Then the day off she calls you in tears because she just lost her cat, whom she's loved and cared for for 19 years.
"I couldn't imagine being her now. She's supported you when nobody else did, it's not like she didn't go because she didn't want to. I'm just so shocked by your inability to support the one family member that's been with you this whole time."
And a third wrote: "She just lost her dear cat. She's in shambles. Even if you don't get why she loves the cat so much, you should understand the consequences of her love, one of which is mourning after it passed away. Not only that, you yelled at her in her most vulnerable moment.
"She helped with the planning process and was clearly supportive. It's not her fault she couldn't attend, and personally, I'd rather someone not attend than attend and be crying or emotional or in a bad mood the whole time anyway."
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