An upset student has begged JetBlue to refund the costs of an airfare after a bride-to-be asked her to ‘relinquish’ her role as a bridesmaid and return her outfit – a jumpsuit – for a newly appointed replacement to wear.
Courtney Duffy, an MBA student at Ivy League school Dartmouth College, shared an astonishing email on Twitter in which the bride asked her to give up the position because she is too busy with her studies to fulfill all the necessary duties.
The email has divided social media, with many branding the wife-to-be a ‘bridezilla’, while others defended her view that bridesmaids needed to dedicate a large amount of time to the role.
Courtney Duffy, an MBA student at Ivy League school Dartmouth College, tweeted JetBlue on Friday to say she had been ditched as a bridesmaid and no longer wanted flights to the wedding
Duffy shared an astonishing email, dated Thursday) in which the bride asked her to give up the position because she is too busy with her studies to fulfill all the necessary duties
Duffy tweeted on Friday to tell JetBlue that she had booked cross-country flights for the wedding but now wanted to avoid it ‘at all costs’.
‘SOS @JetBlue! Booked my X-C flights for a wedding, then was asked “to relinquish” my “duties as a bridesmaid” & mail my bridesmaid outfit X-C so another girl could fill in and wear it (Happy bday to me!) I am laughing & crying & must avoid this wedding at all costs. Pls help?’ she wrote.
The budget airline responded with an offer to help by paying for a ‘girls’ weekend’ to patch up the relationship.
‘Hey Courtney, we’ve been thinking. The jumpsuit may have been borrowed, but we’ll bring the (Jet)Blue. When you’re ready to patch things up, we’d like to help make your old friendship feel like new. A future girls’ weekend is on us!’ they wrote.
The bride, identified only as ‘Alex’, told Duffy (pictured) she could no longer be a bridesmaid because school was getting in the way of her ability to attend all the events
The email from the bride, dated Thursday, was shared in Duffy’s Twitter post.
The bride, identified only as ‘Alex’, told Duffy her request was ‘one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to ask anyone’.
‘I’m so glad you’ve booked flights! […] I’ve got a massive favor to ask you, though – and this is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to ask anyone – but I need to ask you to relinquish your duties as a bridesmaid,’ Alex writes.
The bride then explains that she had hoped for Duffy to be able to come to all the events, but the nature of her schedule meant that was impossible.
‘When I asked you, I was really hoping you could be part of this whole thing – the bachelorette trip, at least the weekend, prep and the full night of the event (a Sunday night flight means you won’t even be able to be there for the whole wedding)…
‘The whirlwind nature of what your travel has become just won’t work with the duties as a party member. I am so, so sorry!!’
The exchange has divided social media, with many branding the wife-to-be a ‘bridezilla’, while others defended her view that bridesmaids needed to dedicate a large amount of time to the role. Duffy is pictured in photos posted on Facebook
The budget airline responded with an offer to help by paying for a ‘girl’s weekend’ to patch up the relationship
Alex then asked Duffy to return her wedding outfit – a jumpsuit.
‘Please don’t feel you’re letting me down, I am asking you to do this,’ she writes.
‘And I know this is incredibly awkward, but [is there] a possibility that I might be able to have someone else step into the role and assume your duties.
‘Could you please mail the jumpsuit to me? I’ll Venmo you the postage and the cost of the jumpsuit – just let me know the total.’
Duffy’s tweet quickly racked up thousands of likes and prompted hundreds of comments. The bulk of comments were on the jilted bridesmaid’s side, but others claimed it was reasonable to expect her to dedicate a lot of time to the role.
Duffy’s quickly racked up thousands of likes and prompted hundreds of comments. The bulk of comments were on the jilted bridesmaid’s side
‘Brides need to stop treating their bridesmaids like unpaid interns. They’re not here to work for free. They want to celebrate with you and see you happy,’ tweeted Esther Rose.
‘What’s in a name, anyway,’ wrote: ‘I promise we’re totally cool” is slang for “I’m not mad at you, IDGAF if you’re mad at me and also if you try to talk to me about this I will unleash the righteous wrath of Bridezilla upon you and yours evermore mmk thnx.’
Meanwhile, Jessica Huseman called on JetBlue to shell out on a luxury holiday for Duffy, writing: ‘Please transfer this ticket to a beach location, and send the bride a picture of you swimming in the ocean in the jumpsuit.’
But others backed the bride, with Abby Atilano writing: ‘I think the only issue with this is that she should’ve called instead of emailed. But other than that the email was well worded and I honestly agree with what the bride is saying.’
However, others claimed it was reasonable to expect her to dedicate a lot of time to the role, while Jessica Huseman called on JetBlue to treat Duffy to a luxury getaway
And Ricki Spanish said: ‘I’m a woman. I don’t see how email is bad. At 18 my bff was supposed to room with me in college but changed her mind and wrote me a similar email. I wasn’t mad. I didn’t take it personal and nobody was being rude or mean.’
Plenty of others just focused on the unusual choice of a jumpsuit as wedding wear.
‘Your bridesmaid outfit was a JUMPSUIT? Girl, that is a bullet dodged,’ said Andi Zeisler.
Chip Faust tweeted: ‘Jumpsuit for a bridesmaid dress? You may be thankful you’ll never be photographed wearing it. I think you should plan a big party back here and pointedly don’t invite the bride and her unfortunate mate.’
And Andrew Muldoon added: ‘The fact that we find out in middle of email that it’s a jumpsuit takes this to an even higher level.’