Hello and welcome to your weekly dose of lifestyle news and features courtesy of The Independent. It's my last week covering while our resident trend-spotter, Ellie Muir, enjoys a much-needed break. And I had a break myself yesterday - hence this email sliding into your inboxes a day later than usual. Sorry to keep you waiting!
This week we're all about the nuptials. Yep, it's officially wedding season, and everyone seems to be talking about the proper etiquette.
First up: would you refuse to help your friends out if they didn't invite you to their big day? That's what one man decided to do, refusing to check up on a mate's pets and property over the summer after discovering he was the only one in their social circle who didn't make the cut.
Then there's the sticky business of whether having a crush on, or a previous relationship with, the groom should preclude you from getting an invitation. One bride shared online that she wouldn't let her five-year-old sister attend "unless she had therapy" because her younger sibling "starts crying and hitting me any time she sees me kiss" the groom-to-be. Another woman said she'd made the decision not to attend her sister's wedding after discovering that the future husband was her ex-fiancé.
The sensitive business of getting engaged has also ruffled feathers in some quarters. One man disinvited his own sister from the wedding after she completely ruined his proposal; another kicked his best man out of his reception after the latter proposed during the speeches, "hijacking" the special day.
And is it ever OK to abandon your friend's alcohol-free wedding to go out drinking at nearby bars instead? One woman certainly thought so...
In this week's newsletter you can expect:
