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How Not to Congratulate Your Ex on Her Wedding Day

2 years ago
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Lizzie Skurnick
Lizzie Skurnick
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On Saturday, CBS legal correspondent and Politics Daily contributor Andrew Cohen wrote a heartfelt tribute to the love that got away on the occasion of her wedding to someone else. I've never had an ex sing my virtues on a massively trafficked Web site, but as someone who's been dating for almost two decades, I've noticed when you date long enough, communications from male exes start to fall into charmingly distinct categories.
There's the old "how's our breakup going?" e-mail (usually sent fewer than 24 hours after the event in question), and its sister apologia, a slightly more-thought-out unburdening that can arrive anywhere from two weeks to decades post-termination. (Once, I got a note from someone who'd had a crush on me in 7th grade, apologizing for the emotional harm he'd done at the time.)
There's the tarmac text ("They're thinking of their deaths," one friend opines) and the perennial tenuous pretext, which uses any excuse -- "I saw someone who looked like you in Panera!" -- to restore communications.
Facebook, Twitter, and other forms of Internet stalking have rendered many of these communications moot. (Though I will miss that old midnight land-line call from someone whose name I barely remember!) It's hard to object to someone who simply communes with your virtual proxy. The worst Internet crimes -- like, say, breaking up with someone by changing your Facebook status -- seem happily confined to the young. (Like!)
But that all may be changing. Andrew Cohen's, "On Her Wedding Day, Saying the Things Left Unsaid," seems to indicate the start of a new and highly risky technology-enabled post-break-up recapitulation ritual that I'd like to nip in the bud if I can.
A brief bit of Mars/Venus wisdom: One of the great frustrations, for women, is how often displays of post-parting passion have nothing to do with us at all. (Check out Jezebel's "Crap Email From a Dude" feature for some stunning examples.) It's already annoying that someone who reserved the right to be numbingly uncommunicative during the relationship is now such a freakin' Chatty Cathy. But once you realize all this impressive agony you've left behind (scorched earth, my friend! Barren promontories!) doesn't actually have anything to do with you, it makes it hard to hand over your hanky -- especially when you're trying to hold on to your bouquet.
STILL. I'd like to think Andrew Cohen meant well. Yes, publishing an unauthorized account of one's regard for a past love on a Web site is ill-advised. Yes, publishing, on her wedding day, a rundown that frames the lady's virtues almost entirely by how well she treated you falls somewhere between inconsiderate and catastrophically narcissistic. (But much better than that man I dated for three weeks who broke into my neighbor's yard, climbed up the fire escape, then banged on the window until I let him in. Of course, then I had the advantage of being able to call the police.) I've also enjoyed a bunch of very nice communications from exes, and feel qualified to present a definitive "Don't" guide here for any gentleman who really wants to make his ex know how appreciated she was. (And yes. Avoid fire escapes.)
Rule 1: Mention at least one fact about her.
A kinder colleague than I suggested that his column was the equivalent of Dustin Hoffman, in "The Graduate," running into the church to yell, "Elaine!" I humbly submit that his wedding day appreciation is in fact the equivalent of Andrew Cohen running into the church and yelling, "Andrew!" Not only does he attest to the woman's character only through her behavior toward Andrew ("I want to thank her for all those times she stuck up for me -- with her friends, with her family, with her work colleagues"), it is a veritable mine-field of the personal pronoun. Is there no room or call for one concrete fact about this woman at all? Is she an awesome dancer? Does she like persimmon? Can she climb Half Dome in less than a day? Seriously, even those "A Diamond is Forever" ads make a stab at explaining how cool the lady in question is for some other reason than how she treats you.
Reading through this virtual toast, I was reminded of the Ray Bradbury story, "I Sing the Body Electric", in which a family orders a robot grandmother to take care of them. She's perfectly calibrated to their every need, down to adjusting her robot face to look a little more like who she's baking cookies for at the moment. Gentleman -- if you really are with a person who expresses their selfhood primarily in enhancing the idea of how awesome you are, check that she's a lady and not a robot.
Rule 2. Wedding.
Yes, this rule is just called "Wedding." Do you want to know why? Well, first, because if there's anything you want to do that involves anything to do with your ex's wedding, or even the word "wedding" at all, I can advise you immediately that you should almost definitely not do it.
Why? Well, there's a lot of things we don't do at weddings. If we're a female guest, we don't wear white, for instance. If we're the best man, we don't make jokes about the STD the groom caught that one time. If we're the maid of honor, we don't stagger up the aisle drunk and puke in the gladiolas because we slept with the best man last night. We send gifts within the year, we get out on the dance floor, and we save our massive fight and breakup for the car and do you know why? Because a wedding is about celebrating another couple WHO IS NOT YOU. So remember: Wedding.
Rule 3. Don't make digs at single women.
This is really just my personal objection but hello -- "She did not give in or sell out or become one of those poor women of a certain age in New York who have put their careers ahead of their lives" -- what was that? In the trade, I believe this is called a neg, and it is exactly as successful as anything called a "neg" should be. Is this something you dropped as a hard sell on her? It's not surprising, then, that it's not you she's marrying. And if it's you projecting -- and ding ding ding on that, my dear sir -- why don't you get busy marrying yourself and stop worrying about the single women who aren't marrying you? We want you to know how our hair smells, and we are legion.
Rule 4. Don't suggest it's OK for your ex to move on.
Yoo-hoo, sir. It is YOU writing the big Internet column on your ex's wedding day -- on which she is, you know, marrying another dude. I guess it's possible she does need "worldly absolution from any guilt or sadness she felt between the time she said no to [you] and the time she said yes to him." It is true, as you say, that "No one ought to have to carry that with them into a marriage." But here's the thing. SHE'S GETTING MARRIED. I know you'd like to think she's staggering up the aisle consumed by guilt and sadness, but honestly, there's a dim possibility she might just be looking forward to her life with the man she's marrying. (At HER WEDDING.)
Rule 5. If you're giving her a gift, give her a gift.
"The present I humbly send her today is this column . . ." Nice try, cheapo. You know what a present is? A present is a gift you give someone to carry them into their future, not a big detour into the past. It's about something someone has said they'd like, not something you yourself need. And the great thing about weddings and presents is people actually put what they'd like for a present in something called a registry. I'm sure your ex has one.
It's probably on the Internet.
Filed Under: Woman Up
Tagged: breakup, breakup advice, BreakUpAdvice, BreakUps, lost love, the one who got away, Wedding day
More articles from Lizzie Skurnick »

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64 Comments

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annacht

AMEN!I think the young bride made the right choice. Unfortunately, Andrew's post seems self-serving. He still doesn't get it.

August 07 2010 at 11:54 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
casagrandemilano

Andrew and several commenters here accuse Lizzie of being bitter. I know we'll probably never get there, but maybe one day even a few cultures in the world will realize that women are not somehow "losing" at life or incredibly unhappy for not having a lifelong commitment to a man. I'm an attractive 27 year old, so I feel comfortable making this statement now, but know I will get only looks of sympathy if I voice it in 10 years. Now let's all go back to feeling sorry for that clearly miserable spinster Jennifer Aniston.

August 05 2010 at 5:07 PM Report abuse +3 rate up rate down Reply
frawleym3

Love this response to Andrew's lame article. He is very self absorbed. I wonder what the bride thought of him and thought of this article. Obviously she dumped him!

August 03 2010 at 10:40 PM Report abuse +3 rate up rate down Reply
allykat204

Andrew deserved to be called on his egocentric stuff. He wants her to think about him on her wedding day? What planet was he on? Maybe he will realize life is not all about him and, then, finally, get a life.

August 01 2010 at 4:43 PM Report abuse +3 rate up rate down Reply
a9192939495

Why was this column written? It seems like you just seized an opportunity to dig at the mannerisms of men. Interesting how one errant comment about women "who have put their careers ahead of their lives" jarred you so badly that you dedicated a full paragraph in response. Bitter much?

July 31 2010 at 1:42 PM Report abuse -7 rate up rate down Reply
xaliqen

Creating these artificial genderized categories is problematic, because it encourages prejudicial tendencies and, even, outright sexism. Frankly, I'm tired of the assumption I'll do something because I'm "a man." What a bunch of ridiculous nonsense.

July 31 2010 at 1:34 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
wserrino

Lizzy - I LOVED your response although I felt bad for Andrew. I would like to see what you would say about the book/movie Eat, Pray, Love. Same kind of emotional trip in my estimation. Your commentary on that would be hilarious!!!
Please do it!

July 30 2010 at 9:09 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
Toby

Hilarious. Basically the dude poisoned the wedding well and whether it was entirely intentional or just oafish it was nauseatingly narcissistic and cringe-inducing.

July 30 2010 at 11:07 AM Report abuse +7 rate up rate down Reply
Sheilaa

Hi Lizzie,
Thank you for seeing this "dude" and his missive for what they are! And thank you for sharing it with us.

July 29 2010 at 8:39 PM Report abuse +6 rate up rate down Reply
magdielms

lizzie, im not sure if you will ever get to read this humble opinnion on your take of what your coworker, just endure, the dude is not only greatfull for ever meeting this woman but knows that his best chance of being truly happy is gone, its probably a little to much to ask of someone that has been dating for as long as you have to give him a break since apparently you have lost more than he has at least he can look back and remenber what real love felt like, while you just seem to move on from one to another with no regrets and no sense of gratitude for the moments shared.maybe the two of you are very different from oneanothr hes looking for (love) you for the (moment),

July 29 2010 at 8:07 PM Report abuse -6 rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to magdielms's comment
bastardface

As a guy who is in a similar position, who had the love of his life marry another, I have to say I thought what that guy did smack of a little desperation; he can't quite deal with the fact that is lonely and is probably going to stay that way for awhile. Unlike Mr. Cohen, I had the dignity to not pour my heart out either in public or over the internet. I told her the only thing that could be said; congratulations and good luck in all your future endeavors. I did it with taste and more importantly, brevity. No need to make things awkward. You are going to have a dark night of the soul. the least you can do is have a shred of dignity for yourself.

July 30 2010 at 11:54 PM Report abuse +7 rate up rate down Reply
frawleym3

It was a young woman's wedding day, and this guy wrote a creepy, self-centered column in a well read newspaper. He just had to have attention on her day. He is a self-absorbed jerk and he deserved Lizzie's response!

August 03 2010 at 10:46 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply

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