'I refuse to pay for son's wedding because step-dad will walk him down aisle'

Weddings are meant to be joyous occasions, where a couple's loved ones all come together to celebrate their love. In many ceremonies, those closest to the happy couple will be involved in the big day.

One of the biggest honours is being asked to walk someone down the aisle, but one father was left fuming after being asked to share that role with his son's step-dad. Although he believes the other man has treated his son well, the dad was incensed about the situation.

As he is on a better financial footing than his ex, the father was happy to pay for the wedding when asked by his son 'Karter'. But when the former soldier was told he and 'Steven' would both walk 23-year-old Karter down the aisle, he hit the roof.

He was so irate and the request that he delivered an ultimatum to his son - either he would accompany Karter solo to the front of the ceremony or he would pull funding. His bold move has sparked a fierce debate online, The Mirror reports.

Sharing his side of the story on Reddit, the father wrote: "I was still serving in the army when my oldest son 'Karter' was 5 - 10 years old. Me and his mum were divorced by then but I always made every effort to be a good dad and spend time with him while on leave.

"When I left the Army I spent every moment I could with my boy. We still have a good relationship. Now my ex remarried pretty quickly to a nice guy 'Steven' - who of course treats Karter well and I'm not knocking that even though we don't get along - but I'm his actual dad."

He added: "Karter's getting married to his fiance 'Clark' (25M) at the end of next month. My ex and Steven are kinda strapped for cash and Clark's family isn't exactly wealthy so they asked me if I'd foot the bill. I agreed because, of course, I'd do anything for my boy."

Speaking about the revelation that caused the family drama, the dad added: "[I] found out yesterday that Karter wants both me and Steven to walk him down the aisle. That honestly really p****d me off.

"I'm Karter's actual dad and I'm paying for everything and I've always been there for him. It hurt a lot that he'd want some step-parent to walk him down the aisle."

This sparked a "huge fight" between the father and son. The dad continued: "I told him that I wouldn't pay for the wedding if Steven walks him down the aisle. My ex is p****d and thinks I'm being selfish but, my dad thinks I should push harder."

After asking Reddit users for their opinions on the matter, the father soon found himself roundly criticised for his ultimatum. One person said: "It's not about you. It's about your kid. Who loves BOTH his dads who have been there the majority of his life."

Another added: "If Karter said ONLY the step-dad will be walking him down the aisle that's another thing. But he wants BOTH his father figures to walk him down the aisle and that's perfectly reasonable."

A third, mocking the father, said: "'Look, I will lay down my life for this kid, walk through fire, jump into a vat of lemon juice after 1000 paper cuts, but another man walking on his other side? Unreasonable'."

Some Redditors did feel some sympathy for the father, however. One user replied: "Right or wrong I can certainly empathise with the original poster feeling some kind of way about this whole thing."

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletter.