I thought getting older meant less drama, not more expensive ways to ask your friends for things.
By @sashawelp · Family
My nephew (28) just asked me to be a groomsman. He didn't call me, he sent me a $150 "groomsman proposal box" filled with a whiskey bottle, a monogrammed glass, and a tactical knife.
The full story
Back in my day, if you wanted your buddy to be in your wedding, you called him. Maybe took him out for a beer. Now, apparently, it requires a whole gift basket. My nephew, who's a good kid but very much of this new generation, sent me this big fancy box in the mail. I open it up and it's got a nice bottle of bourbon, a heavy glass with my initial on it, some beard oil (I've been clean-shaven for 20 years), and a tactical folding knife that looks like it could survive the apocalypse. There was a card inside that said "Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Be my Groomsman." I just had to laugh. The whole thing probably cost more than the wedding gift I was planning to buy them. I called him up and said "you know you could've just asked, right?" and he got all serious explaining that this is 'the experience' now. I guess I'm just old-fashioned, but it feels so… extra. It's a sweet gesture, I suppose, but it also feels like pressure to say yes, and an unnecessary expense for these kids who are trying to save for a house. My wife thinks it's cute and I'm just being a grump.
How people voted
- Totally Cooked — 32% (24 votes)
- It’s Complicated — 37% (28 votes)
- You’re Fine — 31% (23 votes)
Readers are split: “It’s Complicated” leads with 37% — 75 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@maraok2 — Free whiskey and a knife is not a problem.
@willsorta — My wife's friend sent out 'bridesmaid proposal' invoices for the bachelorette party a year in advance.
@nopenope — It's a little over the top, but his heart is in the right place! Just enjoy the gesture for what it is.
@ashmaybe — A man's word is his bond, you don't need a gift box to prove it.
@noelok — use the tactical knife to open all the wedding gifts
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