Do you know what an open secret, or the secret of Polichinelle, is? In ancient French theater, there was a character called Polichinelle who would secretly tell the audience things they knew anyway. Since then, this expression has been used to describe someone’s secrets, supposedly forbidden to tell anyone, but they still become public knowledge.
Well, it’s entirely possible that the cousin of the user u/FaultOne2738 , the narrator of our story today, also thought her idea to elope with her fiancé in Vegas at the end of February was an open secret among her relatives. However, it turned out that wasn’t the case — and now the entire family is divided into two warring camps. Here’s how it happened.
More info: Reddit
“What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” people say—but this time, two similar events in one family are about to happen in Vegas
Bride in wedding dress sitting outdoors covering her face, upset about wedding date ownership dispute with cousin.
The author of the post has a brother who recently announced his wedding in Vegas for February 28th, nearly causing a fit from their cousin
Woman frustrated over cousin booking same wedding date causing family conflict and ownership dispute
Text excerpt about a cousin’s wedding date conflict causing a family war over ownership of the date.
Woman upset over cousin booking the same wedding date, causing a family conflict about ownership and secrecy.
Three people reviewing a wedding invitation at a decorated table, depicting wedding date ownership conflict.
The thing is that this lady planned to elope with her partner the same day in the same city, but they kept these plans a secret
Text excerpt discussing a family conflict over wedding date ownership and private elopement details causing a family war.
Text excerpt about a wedding date dispute causing family conflict after cousin books the same date.
Text snippet showing family conflict over wedding date causing multi-generational contention and secret elopement adjustment demands.
Woman upset over wedding date dispute talking to cousin on a couch, illustrating family war over ownership claim.
So now this cousin becomes incredibly dramatic, accusing the author’s brother and his fiancée of “stealing her day”
Woman claims ownership over wedding date causing family feud after cousin books the same day, sparking a family war.
Text excerpt describing a family conflict over wedding date ownership, highlighting claims and emotional tension.
The author tried to reason with her, but this only made matters worse as the avalanche of accusations covered her as well
So, the original poster (OP) says that, when a couple of days ago, her brother “Leo” and his fiancée “Sarah” announced they were planning a big wedding on February 28th in Vegas and had already booked the venue, everyone in the family, except one person, was thrilled and happy. That one person was the author’s cousin, “Monica.”
It turned out she and her boyfriend were also secretly planning an elopement in Vegas. And guess what date? That’s right, also February 28th. And now Monica is upset with Leo and Sarah for “stealing her day.” The fact that no one else knew about her plans and it was just a coincidence didn’t bother her at all.
Nor does Monica care that her wedding will be without guests, while Leo and Sarah have invited numerous relatives, and the newlyweds-to-be have already made a hefty deposit that can no longer be refunded. For some reason, clear only to herself, the woman decided that February 28th was hers alone and that everyone else should give in.
When the OP tried to reason with her, explaining that it would be easier to reschedule the elopement, she instantly became her personal enemy number one. Furthermore, Monica accused Leo and Sarah of somehow getting wind of her plans and deliberately choosing that day for their wedding to spite her. Now the entire family is deeply divided, and the author decided to vent online, seeking support.
Couple celebrating wedding day under floral arch by the water, highlighting ownership clash over wedding date conflict.
Yes, coinciding events, although quite rare, do occur in wedding planning practice, as experts note. After all, there are situations where a misunderstanding happens, and two couples choose the same day. But still, this is no reason to cause a major family scandal, as this post at Loverly says. “Just promise them that you’ll make it to their big day, even if you can’t make it to the smaller celebrations,” the source advises.
Statistics indicate that up to 30K couples across the USA may celebrate their weddings on specific, very popular dates . From this perspective, it’s quite strange, by the way, that the author’s cousin chose February 28th—after all, so-called “palindrome weddings” are usually very popular , and February 26, 2026, is precisely that, not February 28.
In any case, experts advise trying to find common ground between the two couples and, even if rescheduling one of the weddings isn’t possible (obviously, rescheduling the elopement is way easier), at least trying to stay on good terms. “A heart-to-heart chat gives you the chance to hear the other person out and clear up misunderstandings,” this article at Glam says wisely.
Most commenters claimed that the author’s cousin was just unreasonable and urged her and her brother to just not care about the scandal
Reddit conversation about family conflict over wedding date ownership and cousin booking the same date causing dispute.
Screenshot of an online discussion about a lady claiming ownership over a wedding date causing a family conflict.
Screenshot of an online discussion about a family war sparked by a lady claiming ownership over a wedding date never shared.
Text conversation discussing a family conflict over wedding date ownership and plans despite overlapping dates booked.
Text conversation about a wedding date dispute causing a family war between cousins booking the same date.
Screenshot of an online discussion about a family war over wedding date ownership between cousins.
Woman looking upset during family dispute over wedding date ownership, sparking conflict with cousin over shared plans.
Discussion about a cousin booking the same wedding date, sparking a family conflict over date ownership claims.
Screenshot of an online comment discussing a family dispute over ownership of a wedding date and sharing it with a cousin.
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