Dad Refuses to Pay For Daughter’s Wedding Because She Doesn’t Want Him to Walk Her Down the Aisle: ‘It’s Selfish'

A man's daughter told him she didn't want him to walk her down the aisle on her wedding day, leaving him hurt and disappointed. The parent retaliated by choosing not to pay for her wedding and contacted social media users, hoping to validate his decision.

Taking to Reddit, a 48-year-old father shared the dilemma he was in with his daughter regarding her wedding. The man learned his 19-year-old daughter didn't want him to walk her down the aisle, so he retaliated.

The man's detailed account on Reddit of what happened between him and his daughter grabbed the attention of many users, garnering over 12,000 upvotes and more than 6,300 comments. A debate ensued over whether the man did the right thing.

Some people slammed the father after reading his post in the AITA subreddit, while others understood his feelings and supported him. After reading the comments, the man edited his post to clarify the misunderstandings.

At the end of his post, the father revealed what he did to solve the conflict between him and his daughter and how things stood between them.

Why Did the Man's Daughter Refuse to Have Him Walk Her Down the Aisle?

The man began his post by proudly sharing that he had raised his daughter to be an "independent thinker." However, he was offended when she expressed her desire to extinguish his role of walking her down the aisle on her big day.

After getting engaged, the girl told her parents she wanted to walk down the aisle alone. The father says, "She argues that her mother and I don't 'own' her. Therefore we have no right to 'give her away.'" The man was upset upon learning what his daughter thought about her parents and explained:

"I feel hurt by this because we never treated her like an object or piece of property. Instead, we've tried our best to provide her with a wonderful life."

Before posting about his conflict on Reddit, the man with the username Live_Appointment4219 calmly talked to his daughter, trying to make her understand why he disagreed with her decision. However, she did not rethink her decision. She was sure about walking down the aisle alone.

Due to her decision, the parent chose not to pay for her special day. He reasoned that he respected his daughter's choices but felt she completely disregarded his and his wife's feelings. However, because he was unsure of his decision, Live_Appointment4219 shared his story on Reddit, asking netizens if he did the right thing. According to him, what bothered him the most was:

"She's had every opportunity in life so far, and to exclude us from this day is a spit in the face."

He saw her choice as rejecting everything her parents had done, sacrificed, and given her — which he saw as selfish. However, the man clarified that the disagreement between him and his daughter wasn't so significant that it would ruin their relationship. He said he would attend her wedding regardless of her decision and never kick her out of his life because of this issue.

Live_Appointment4219 also came up with a solution, which was to give his daughter money equal to the sum he spent on his other daughter's wedding. He believed that was a fair decision since giving her money would allow her to spend it however she wanted.

How Did People React to the Man's Decision?

When social media users learned about the father's story, they expressed their feelings regarding his decision. Some people shared their experiences, while others applauded the man for deciding not to pay for his daughter's wedding.

"She will regret this decision later in life," a netizen commented. The same person added: "Parents don't own their children, but we do guide them through the various stages of growth and change."

"She wants it her way, then you have your money! Let her be grown and pay her way," another Facebook user advised, adding that she and her husband paid for their wedding. After sharing her experience, she told Live_Appointment4219 not to feel bad about his decision. Meanwhile, a different netizen said:

"I wouldn't pay as well! Good for you, Dad. Tough love!"

"My parents paid for my college, so I wanted to pay for my own wedding," a Facebook user also said. "I was proud and honored to have my Dad walk me down the aisle." A mother also concluded that the daughter was "taking it pretty literally."

She recalled her experience of walking her son down the aisle last year, saying she wasn't "giving him away" but "escorting him to his new bride." Ultimately, the man's Reddit post reminded people about their experiences walking down the aisle and managing wedding expenses.

Did you enjoy reading this story? Click here to read another one about a man who walked his wife, daughter, and granddaughter down the aisle in the same wedding dress.