January 29, 2025 at 1:49 am

Event Planner Hosts Her Family’s Events For Free, But Her Niece Is Ungrateful So She’s Cutting Her Access Off For Good

by Jayne Elliott

Source: Reddit/AITA/Shutterstock

Renting a venue for a party like a baby shower or holiday party can be expensive.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone in your family who owned an event venue and let you use it for free?

Wouldn’t it be even nicer if that family member were also an event planner and even planned the event for you?

In today’s story, an event planner who owns an even venue has always hosted her family’s events for free, but now she’s drawing the line.

One family member will have to pay.

Let’s see why she’s so upset with this family member.

AITA for not offering to host my niece’s shower?

I am the one in my family that hosts get togethers – holidays, graduation parties, showers, etc.

I am an event planner and own a small event hall, so it just makes sense plus I genuinely enjoy it.

My side of the family is huge, lots of siblings and kids.

I have always, ALWAYS offered up my event hall and planning for their use even though it comes at a cost for my business.

She has helped out her niece multiple times.

My niece (now 25f), we can call her Mary, has taken me up on that three times in the past – for her post-elopement party and two baby showers.

For each of those she gave me no directions, just said “do whatever you want.”

So I did, trying to keep her in mind.

Here’s how the baby shower went.

At her first baby shower she turned up 30 minutes late in raggedy sweats, stayed long enough to eat and gather up the presents, then left.

No thank-yous offered.

My brother and SIL (her parents) made excuses, saying the pregnancy was very rough. So we made allowances for that.

More excuses.

At her post-elopement dinner she again showed up late, stayed on her phone the whole time, ate and left.

Again, no thank yous.

When my mother commented on that, my brother said she was going through some newlywed stress as an excuse.

The niece doesn’t seem to enjoy the parties.

Her second baby shower started the same way.

When she asked me to gather up all the presents so she could leave, I suggested she stay and open them so everyone could enjoy seeing what was given.

She scoffed and said, “I don’t want to stay at these little parties any longer than I have to.”

So I gathered up the presents and decided not to offer my little parties to her in the future.

She’s serious about not hosting for Mary anymore.

Fast forward to her sister’s wedding shower.

We have a delightful time, even though Mary has done the usual eat-then-leave without offering to help or just be there for her sister.

My brother and I are loading up the presents when he mentions that Mary is expecting again and when can I host the shower.

I told him I wouldn’t be offering this time around and why.

He was taken aback and said that he was surprised I was letting that comment get under my skin but whatever, my choice.

Mary is furious!

The next day I get an irate call from Mary.

I remind her that she said she didn’t care for my parties so why does she want it anyway?

It turns out she got rid of all her baby supplies and needed a shower to get the presents.

I told her to post her registry online and I’m sure people would help her out.

She got angry and hung up.

She’s willing to host but not for free.

Then my brother calls.

He says I’m being childish.

I told him that if he wants the shower he can pay for it, and gave him the standard quote for that event cost.

He just sputtered and said they’d have someone else host.

The family is divided on this one. I still feel like I am not being unreasonable. AITA?

Her niece sounds very entitled and selfish. I wouldn’t want to host parties for her for free either.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

Most people only have 1 baby shower.

Source: Reddit/AITA

The niece is expecting too much.

Source: Reddit/AITA

She’s already gotten enough free gifts.

Source: Reddit/AITA

Her family clearly doesn’t appreciate how much work goes into these events.

Source: Reddit/AITA

This reader calls the niece a brat.

Source: Reddit/AITA

Nobody should have three baby showers!

It’s time someone put their foot down.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check this one out about a man who created a points system for his inheritance, and a family friend ends up getting almost all of it.