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A woman has been defended for her decision to take an emergency phone call while at her best friend’s wedding, where guests weren’t allowed to use their phones.

In a recent post shared to the popular “Am I The A**hole?” Reddit forum, a woman asked if she was in the wrong for being on her phone during the nuptials. She specified that her best friend since childhood had “an unplugged wedding,” meaning that guests couldn’t to be on their phone at all during the event.

She acknowledged that she “totally respected” the idea, before noting that the “entire morning of [the] wedding was beautiful, and the ceremony was unforgettable”. However, the Reddit user also explained that when the reception started, she received a phone call from her sister, which she didn’t answer. After getting “around 70 calls” from her sister, she decided to answer the phone, which was when she discovered there was a family emergency.

“It got to the point where I had to answer. My best friend is usually understanding so I thought she would be okay with this,” she wrote. “My sister told me my mom was in an accident. (She’s okay btw, only a concussion) Someone saw me on the phone and told my best friend.”

According to the social media user, when she told her best friend she had to leave, the bride “yelled at [her] for being on [her] phone”. When she explained the situation to her friend, she had an unkind reaction, which prompted the Reddit poster to officially leave the wedding.

“She told me that wasn’t an excuse and I could have waited ‘till after the wedding. I left immediately, not only because of her stupidity, but because I also had to go to the hospital,” the woman wrote. “She texted me and [cursed] me out, telling me that it wasn’t that hard to not be on my phone.”

She went on to claim that a few of her friends and the bride’s husband have also “called [her] names”. She noted that while her family has defended her in the situation, she still wants to make things right with the bride.

“My family is saying I’m not a**hole but I can’t help but feel bad, I also don’t think this is worth losing a lifelong friendship,” she wrote. “She was like a sister to me.”

The woman later edited the post to add that aside from what happened at the wedding, this wasn’t the first time her best friend has treated her poorly. She also expressed how she’ll eventually reach out to the bride.

“She isn’t very considerate when it comes to medical issues if you can’t tell. Her honeymoon ends on Sunday, so I’ll message her then. I’ll definitely be removing the best part in best friend from now on,” she concluded.

The Reddit post has quickly gone viral, with more than 6,300 upvotes as of 1 February. In the comments, many people went on to defend the Reddit poster, noting that she should have been able to use her phone during the reception given the circumstances. They also criticised the bride for her reaction to the situation, while giving the Reddit poster advice on how to handle it.

“You were right to answer your sister’s calls about your mom’s accident, that’s definitely an emergency situation. It’s a bummer that your friend didn’t understand and got upset, even after you explained it,”  one wrote. “Maybe give it a little time for everyone to cool off, then try having a talk with her about what happened. It’s hard when a long-time friendship hits a bump like this, but honest talks can sometimes clear the air.”

“Your mom was in an accident, you went to the hospital. Your friend is not the centre of the universe. And you didn’t disrupt her wedding from what you describe,” another wrote. “You want to save the friendship you say, ‘So you’re sorry you had to leave/handle a family emergency, but it was necessary.’ That’s it. And maybe downgrade your friendship a little, your [best friend] lacks empathy and is self-involved.”

“Why do brides think that every edict must be followed despite extenuating circumstances? (I used to be a wedding photographer... this drama moment doesn’t surprise me at all),” a third wrote. “You were right to answer your sister. No one calls that much unless there is an emergency.”

Some people also criticised the bride’s idea of not allowing guests to use their phones at all during the wedding day.

“I understand an unplugged ceremony so there aren’t stray cell phones in the photographers shots, but an entire wedding day with no phone usage is aggressive,” one wrote. “Your mom was in the HOSPITAL. Also who the hell is the narc who saw you on your phone and immediately ran to tell the bride like it’s the second grade?”

“You said the ceremony was unforgettable and noticed the calls at the reception. Which means you didn’t answer or even look at your phone during the ceremony. Therefore [not the a**hole],” another agreed. “An unplugged ceremony yes… an entire wedding no. There are probably a bunch of parents who left kids at home with a relative or babysitter - what if a kid had an emergency… would she flip out?”

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