Weddings should be about celebrating the couple that is tying the knot, but the moment in which the groom stands up to give his speech is also traditionally a chance for him to heap praise on those close to him.
But one dad on Reddit claims he has been left feeling "hurt and devastated" after his own son chose not to include him in his wedding speech and instead chose to focus on his mum and stepdad - because his biological dad wasn't "physically involved" for most of his childhood.
Sharing his story anonymously, the man explained he paid for his son's wedding venue despite their strained relationship and expected to get thanked in his son's speech, but was stunned to have been left out completely.
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He said: "I have a 23-year-old son named Justin who got married two weeks ago. I wasn't physically involved in Justin's childhood because his mum and I got separated, and I had to travel a lot for work. His stepdad was more available than I was.
"During his teenage years, Justin started having fights with me saying stuff like I prioritised work over him, that I'm a distant parent and was never there for the hard times. I provided for him financially, but he claimed that 'it's only because the law made me' which isn't true at all and I strongly believe his stepdad was feeding lies into him.
"In the past three years, Justin started coming around and I met his then-girlfriend, now wife. When I heard that they were getting married, I decided to offer to pay for the venue, and Justin seemed very appreciative of it."
The dad said he attended the wedding with his wife but ended up walking out of the venue after his son's speech because he was so disappointed at not being mentioned.
He added: "My wife and I attended the wedding and all went well until Justin started giving a speech. He kept talking about his mum and stepdad, and nowhere did he mention me, not even with a single word of recognition.
"I was hurt and devastated. I couldn't help but feel this way, I tried acting normal and keeping my composure, but I felt so heavy I decided to leave the wedding early. I went home and broke down but then I calmed down.
"Justin called asking why I left so early, I said I felt sick but he kept pushing until I told him that I got upset that he didn't mention me or recognise me in his speech. He said that I was being ridiculous to get upset over that. I asked him to respect how I felt, but he argued he wasn't going to lie to make me happy.
"I asked what he meant because as far as I know, part of his wedding was paid for by me. He said I was unbelievable, then hung up. I called again and we fought on the phone after I told him that I felt unappreciated and disrespected, he said he owed me exactly nothing then hung up."
But commenters on the Reddit post were largely on the son's side, as they insisted the dad shouldn't be mentioned in the speech if he didn't play a part in raising his son.
One person said: "You did prioritise work over your kid and your son grew up without you. Paying for part of his wedding does not mean you suddenly are a great dad who is always there for him and deserves the same respect and recognition as the parents who were actually there for him."
As another added: "You’re lucky you even got invited. He’s right, he owes you nothing."
While someone else tried to see both sides, stating: "I understand your son not including you in his speech, but you can't control how that makes you feel. You felt hurt and I commend you for not making a big deal about it, maybe because you understood too. Even when asked about it you tried not to make an issue of it."
What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.
