I was invited to my sister's wedding, but because I DAed I was *instructed* to stay by myself in a corner. I'm not kidding! I was literally pointed to a corner!
Yeah, right! I'll let the other JWs decide on their own whether or not they want to talk to me, and many did! My dad had "warned" me that many there did not know I was DAed, so I ventured out to find these people. They were also the ones who were smart enough not to get baptized. We all had a great time chatting before and after the wedding.
After most everyone left to meet up at the reception the photographer started taking to post-wedding pics where they have different groups from the family pose for photographs. They were very careful to *name* everyone who was to be in each photograph, and of course by sheer coincidence they always seemed to forget me. Basically they did not want any photographs of their son and brother. Now, there was one photograph where they messed up and said something like "now all the guys", so I stepped into the group and the photo was taken. I have to wonder if they decided it was a "keeper" or not.
Lets go back in time a bit... before everyone went to the reception. I kept asking around where the reception was and *everyone* would answer "I don't know" or "I'm not sure" or some other answer that resulted in my not being told where it was. It was quite amazing! Here we had well over 100 people going to the same reception but NONE of them seemed to know where it was! One finally slipped up and told me, so I was able to find the reception.
Once I arrived an elder from my old congregation stepped up with a big grin and asked how I was doing. I smiled and said I was great. After we exchanged a few pleasantries he promptly sped off and made a B-Line for my dad (also a life-long elder) and started talking while a few other elders gathered around and joined in. While this was going on I placed my wedding gift on the gift table and started on my way to find a seat. That's when my dad and another elder suddenly blocked my path and *instructed* me to leave.
I looked at my dad and said "Dad, they've got you" while touching my head with my finger and turned around and walked out.
I passed my little sister on the way out the door and she asked where I was going. I just said "I've got to leave". She asked why and I said, looking back at my dad: "I've just got to leave."
Apparently it is ok for me to show up for the wedding and leave an expensive gift, but after that I must leave. I suspect they used the rule about not eating with fornicators, adulterers, etc... none of which I was guilty of.
That is my experience with a JW wedding.
