Between the snide comments and rude implications, enough was enough! This was something that Casey couldn’t control, so why were her cousin and aunt putting her on the spot? She was beginning to lose her patience….
This was supposed to be her cousin’s big day, so why was she in the spotlight? Casey could feel her anger flare up and knew that if her aunt said it one more time she would storm off. She would rather lose her family than give up. What was supposed to be a beautiful day was turning into a nightmare...
A Blushing Bridesmaid
When Casey’s cousin Amy was planning her wedding, she was so excited. The girls were a couple of years apart and had grown up very close together. Casey had loved watching her baby cousin Amy meet the man of her dreams and was already eager to start planning her special day.
Out of the blue, Amy brought up an important question. Asking this favor of Casey would change Amy’s whole wedding experience. Casey was shocked and thought the question was completely unexpected. How far can a bride push one person to go?
A List Of Tasks
Normally brides will give their wedding party a long list of errands. It can include helping with decorations, buying their dresses, and sometimes even maintaining hair color. Brides are focused on capturing the perfect picture.
When they begin to focus on the wedding party aesthetics, brides can get very particular. Without meaning too, bridesmaids can do the wrong thing or ruin a memory with the wrong shoes or hair color. Amy wanted perfect pictures, but she wasn’t sure if Casey would support her vision.
An Unusual Request
Amy started off by reminding her cousin she loved her very much, but she wanted one small change for the day of her wedding. After taking a deep breath, Amy asked if Casey would make one small change for her big day.
Amy didn’t think she was being rude and even had a full solution prepared for what she wanted Casey to do. It was a really simple request, but it took Casey’s breath away. How could her cousin think she would go this far?
Will You Be Blind?
Casey had always worn glasses. She needed them to see and move around safely. Amy didn’t want Casey to wear glasses in her wedding pictures and asked if she would consider wearing contacts.
Casey had never worn contacts and had a very specific prescription. If she didn’t wear her glasses she would miss the entire ceremony and risk injuring herself walking. It was easy for Casey to fall when she couldn’t see anything! Casey was shocked and took a minute before responding to Amy’s wild request.
You Can’t Be Serious....
At first, Casey thought it was a joke. Amy was always being silly and the two girls were extremely close. When Amy didn’t join Casey in laughing, she realized her cousin was being serious.
Casey had never been a bridesmaid before, but heard horror stories from her friends about “bridezilla’s”. If she agreed to not wear her glasses and pay for contact lenses, what else would Amy put her through? She needed to put her foot down and stand up to her cousin, but could she handle the consequences?
How Can You Ask Me That?
Casey was also hurt because she only ever wore glasses. Was her cousin trying to tell her that she wasn’t pretty enough to be in the photos wearing her signature frames? She decided to stay calm and ask Casey for more information.
One of the other bridesmaids was buying contacts for the big day, and Amy thought she would tell Casey. She wanted to give her options and not feel obligated. Casey decided it was time to reveal her own compromise and see how Amy would react.
You Can Choose The Style
Casey was trying to be understanding. It was her cousins big day and she knew Amy wanted perfect pictures. She didn’t want to wear contacts but instead told Amy she could choose the style of glasses she would wear.
Casey had several colors and knew her glasses were unique! They represented a part of her personality she was proud of. Amy said that was fine, but she wasn’t entirely convinced. Why was her cousin being so tough and trying to ruin her photographs?
Picking The Perfect Pair
The cousins went to look at Casey’s collection of frames. Casey tried to buy glasses that helped express her emotions and style. After some deliberation, Amy settled for a beautiful pink pair.
Amy chose the glasses because she thought they would look great with the bridesmaid dresses. When Amy left Casey’s apartment that night, both girls felt calm and happy with the compromise. In the end, it would be a different family member that would ruin the experience for everyone.
A Whirlwind of Preparation
Before every wedding, there are a million and one tasks to do! The couple need to choose a venue, a caterer and also decide on decor and decorations. Amy and her fiance had their heart set on doing a beautiful outdoor ceremony.
As the big day got closer Casey couldn’t help but feel excited to celebrate her cousin's love. Nothing had been mentioned since about the glasses and she was convinced it was a thing of the past. Unfortunately, these lenses were about to ruin the day entirely.
Getting Ready For The Big Day!
The day of the wedding and the entire bridal party is getting ready together in the hotel suite. Everyone is doing their hair and makeup, while watching Amy transform into a beautiful bride. All of a sudden, Casey feels a tap on her shoulder.
When she looks to her left, she sees her Aunt, Amy’s mom, waiting to ask her an important question. As Casey’s aunts say four simple words, one thing becomes crystal clear. Casey is about to find herself in the middle of a family wide dispute.
Do You Need A Mirror?
Casey’s smile quickly becomes a frown as her aunt’s words echo in the room. Why would she need a mirror? Casey asks if her makeup or hair are ok but is quickly shocked by her aunt's response.
Casey’s aunt says she looks great, but a mirror would help her get her contacts in. Her aunt is more confused to still see Casey wearing glasses. Casey frowns and explains that Amy pre-approved these frames. Now it was her Aunt’s turn to steal the spotlight and risk her daughter's big day.
Aunt Un-Approved
Amy’s mom quickly narrows her eyes and explains, regardless of what Amy said - those glasses are coming off! Casey takes a step back in shock. How will she see? She didn’t bring any other glasses or contacts to the ceremony.
As soon as the words were out, Casey was hurt and also angry. Why was it such a big deal for her to wear glasses? She stood her ground and the two women began to yell. Amy ran over to find out what was happening, and realized she was too late….
The Big Day
Amy told her mom that she had already told Casey it was fine to wear glasses. Her mother was clearly ruffled and said she thought Casey would have put Amy’s happiness first. Casey was flustered, how could she put her cousin’s happiness over her own vision?
It was time to take group pictures and Casey was feeling uneasy. Her stomach was in knots and she knew this wasn’t the last time her aunt was going to say something. It only took a matter of minutes for disaster to strike.
Leave Me Out Of This
As the bridal party began lining up for group shots, Casey’s aunt once again said she wished Casey had worn contacts. It was the final straw. If Casey took off her glasses she would be squinting in the photos.
When she tried to ask the photographer for his professional opinion, he was quick to back away from family dramatics. He was happy to shoot the photographs when the family was ready, in whatever style they chose. Casey was incredibly frustrated but she was shocked by her Aunt’s logic.
You Don’t Need To See To Smile
While Casey was getting more irritated and Amy was begging her mother to leave it alone, Casey’s aunt said one final thought. “You don’t need to see to smile.” It was clear Casey’s family didn’t care how she felt or if she saw anything of her cousin's special day.
Casey had enough! She was done being spoken to like this and told her family that she would see them at the reception. Amy yelled after her but Casey could hear her mom telling her to let her walk away. How had this beautiful day turned into a terrible nightmare before her eyes?
Breaking The Ice
At the reception, Casey kept a respectful distance. She was done with being insulted and wanted to just enjoy the evening. While her aunt didn’t approach her for the rest of the night, Amy found her after dinner.
Privately the cousins talked about what happened, and Amy apologized on behalf of her mom. Casey was relieved that her relationship with her cousin wasn’t impacted, but she needed more validation. She knew exactly where to go for an unbiased audience, but she didn't know if she would accept the consequences.
Reddit Am I The A**H*le?
When Casey got home from the wedding, she immediately opened her laptop. It was time to ask the internet if she had been in the wrong. Popular forum website, Reddit, has a specific polling page that lets users weigh in on ethical debates.
Casey wanted to be truthful and spoke from the heart. When you turn to the world wide web, you never know what people will say. Casey thought she was prepared until one comment completely shook her world upside down.
AITA For Refusing To Take Off My Glasses?
The forum was simple. Users posted questions to the community saying “AITA….” and then voting and comments began from around the world. Casey wrote in her post, “ I reminded Amy that I don't wear contacts.
Since I have multiple pairs of frames she can pick which set I wear. I showed her all my options. She picks the neon pink ones because she likes how they look with my dress.”
Would The Community Be On Her Side?
Finally, she ended the post by saying, “My parents are on my side, but other people are saying I was stubborn for no reason and taking off my glasses wouldn't kill me. That might be the case but I wasn't comfortable doing it. "
"I'm not ashamed of my glasses and hate anyone trying to make me feel otherwise. Maybe my baby cousin's wedding wasn't the place to dig in my heels but I'm sick of the world acting like I'm ugly just for existing the way God made me. AITA?”
Responses Were Overwhelming
Immediately the Reddit community came forward to support Casey. They highlighted the fact that Casey and Amy had already worked out an agreement before the ceremony. A lot of the community pointed out that this meant Amy’s mom was overstepping.
It reeked of toxicity and also made Casey thankful she had stood up for herself. The community also pointed out an important health risk. When Casey had brought this up, she thought she was “being dramatic”. The Reddit community reminded her why her glasses are so important.
It Would Have Caused More Arguments
The members of Reddit also pointed out that without Casey’s glasses, her whole face would change. It would be squinty or unfocused and potentially ruin the photos. Plus, every time someone looked at the photos they would want to know what was wrong with Casey.
By keeping her glasses on Casey had been doing the safest option. She began to share with the Reddit audience just how severe her prescription was. How could a blood relative know this information and deem the glasses unnecessary?
Medically Necessary
Casey’s prescription had been a rollercoaster over the last ten years. She had finally gotten the prescription sorted out but had to wear the glasses weeks before the wedding so she didn’t suffer from headaches or any side effects.
While Casey and Amy will continue to be close cousins, the family has become completely divided over Amy’s mom’s reaction. After the wedding, the pictures were posted on Facebook and Casey’s relatives were not happy that she wasn’t in any pictures.
A Family Ripple Effect
While Casey and Amy got on good terms at the wedding, Casey still hasn’t spoken to her Aunt. Even worse, Amy posted her wedding album and relatives were quick to point out Casey’s absence.
Casey’s grandmother was especially disappointed that one of her granddaughters had been excluded. At this point, Casey can hold her head high and look clearly towards the future. Casey knows her beauty isn’t defined by anyone’s vision, except her own.