Teen claps back at sister's 'gift request' after being left out of her 'childfree' wedding

A post shared by Reddit user u/victim-of-the-moon00 has sparked debate over age-based exclusion from family events and the etiquette of gift-giving. The screenshots show a text exchange between the user and her older half-sister, who is getting married. Although the user, 19, was not invited to the wedding due to a "childfree" policy, she still received a link to the gift registry.

The conversation began with the bride sending over her wedding registry. When asked why it was sent despite the lack of an invitation, she replied, "You're my sister." She went on to say, "It's super common for people who cannot make it to [the wedding] get a small gift." The 19-year-old pushed back, pointing out she wasn't unable to attend — she was deliberately excluded. The bride explained that the event was "childfree," and since her sister was under 21, she didn't qualify. When reminded that the wedding would be alcohol-free, she said, "We've been over this," and claimed her sister's reaction showed she wasn't mature enough to attend adult events or "exist in adult spaces."

The younger sister declined to purchase a gift, citing her status as a college student and saying, "Begging for expensive crap from a broke college student is cringe as hell." The exchange ended with a sarcastic response: "Fart noises." While she smartly dealt with the situation, a 2011 study by Smit found that emerging adults often view participation in family rituals as essential to their sense of belonging and personal identity. Being left out — especially on the basis of arbitrary criteria like age — can undermine their emotional well‑being and long‑term connection to family. 

The post drew widespread support from other Reddit users, many of whom sided with the younger sibling. u/therealstabitha wrote, "It's customary if you can't make it, not if you aren't invited at all. Your sister is delusional." Others questioned the logic behind the childfree justification. "You’re having a dry wedding had me LOL. This is one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen. Older teens aren’t children regarding being invited to a wedding, and mine was child-free," wrote u/Slow-Olive-4117. u/tigerlily47 suggested, "OP mark everything on the registry as purchased over the next few weeks if you can so no one buys anything, lol."

u/Hadasfromhades commented, "She is beyond delusional!!! Children don’t bring gifts, though, their parents do, right? So by her own logic, you are not supposed to. Insanity." Some praised the younger sibling's boundaries. "I absolutely love your response. You actually seem super aware and mature to be able to set your boundaries and enforce them. Good for you," said u/butterbeansateight. u/blondewithchrome added, "I would direct her to your parent(s) for the gift registry since you are a child and you assume your parents are invited to the adult-only function and can provide a gift. Eye roll." u/No_Today_4903 asked, "Oh my god. Just out of curiosity, how old is your sister? It seems like she’s not even mature enough to get married. I’m going to laugh when you say she’s like 21."