Am I the A-Hole for Telling My Brother His Son Cannot Come to My Daughter’s Child-Free Wedding?

My daughter’s wedding is this Saturday, a formal event with a strict “no kids under 16” rule clearly on the invitations. My brother Tim begged for an exception for his 12-year-old autistic son, Alex, but I said no—rules are rules.

Then, days before the wedding, Tim sent me a text showing my daughter had invited Alex two months earlier without telling me. She wanted to avoid conflict and believed Alex would be fine.

I apologized to Tim and said Alex was welcome.

At the wedding, Alex stayed calm and even saved the day by politely stopping a drunk relative from causing a scene.

I realized protecting my daughter’s day didn’t mean being rigid but being open. I thanked Tim for raising such a remarkable boy, and we healed.