Internet Backs Bride Who Wants Stepfather to Walk Her Down the Aisle

The internet has come to the defense of a bride who shared in a now-viral post that she wants her stepfather to walk her down the aisle on her wedding day.

Posting to Reddit's "Am I The A**hole" forum on Sunday under the username u/Choice-Platypus-2478, the bride explained that the decision caused a major rift in her family.

So far, the post has received more than 9,200 upvotes and over 1,000 comments from Redditors who said that the bride has every right to forgo tradition and ask her stepfather to give her away, an opinion with which some bridal experts would agree.

At the beginning of her post, the bride explained that her parents divorced when she was only 10 months old.

"My bio dad was not a big part of my childhood. He was always cold with me compared to my siblings and kept trying to prove that I wasn't his kid," she wrote.

"On the flip side, I have a great relationship with my stepdad. He's been more of a father to me than my bio dad my entire life," the bride continued.

Though the bride "reconciled" with her biological father a few years ago, she still wants her stepfather to be the one to give her away. When she mentioned this to her sister while wedding planning, however, her sister got upset.

"She was pissed. Started ranting about how I'm ungrateful and a bad daughter to my bio dad. She left in a huff," the bride recalled

A few hours later, the bride also received a call from her biological father who said that he would not attend the wedding if he couldn't walk her down the aisle. But this didn't change the bride's mind.

"I told him that I'd rather not have him be there than not have my stepdad walk me," she said.

When it comes to wedding planning, Martha Stewart Weddings said it's perfectly acceptable for a bride and groom to "buck" tradition.

"Don't worry about what things are 'supposed' to look at a wedding; instead, plan the day that makes the most sense for you and your families," the magazine advised. "If you want your dad, stepdad, and mom to all walk you down the aisle, then go for it.

"Just make sure everyone is aware of your plans well ahead of time," the magazine added.

Of course, if a couple has done their part to communicate clearly with their families how the day will go, but certain family members refuse to cooperate, "it may be time to cut ties," the magazine said.

"[Y]ou are in charge of selecting the type of people you want surrounding you on the big day," Martha Stewart Weddings reminded its readers. "If an invitation has already been extended, you might say something like, 'It seems like this wedding is bringing up a lot of unpleasant emotions for you. If you'd rather not attend, I completely understand.'"

Many Redditors backed u/Choice-Platypus-2478's desire to be given away by her stepfather and encouraged her not to worry about how other family members' opinions.

"NTA [not the a**hole]. It's your wedding. You get to generally make these big choices. If your dad is upset you two aren't close enough that you want him to give you away perhaps he needs to reflect on why that may be," wrote u/gdex86.

"Any man who would choose to not attend his daughter's wedding because he's not the one walking her down the aisle has proven that he is unworthy to walk her down the aisle," added u/DinaFelice. "NTA. You made the right decision. Anyone who chooses not to attend your wedding over this is someone you don't need at your wedding."