Democracy Dies in Darkness

Carolyn Hax: A groom with cold feet is reluctant to walk away

The jitters have turned to dread, but calling off the wedding makes him “the bad guy, for all time.”

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(Illustration by Nick Galifianakis for The Washington Post)
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Carolyn Hax is away. The following first appeared March 18, 2012.

Hi, Carolyn: In two months, I’m due to be married. I’ve been with my fiancée for five years.

What readers are saying

The comments overwhelmingly criticize the letter writer (LW) for using his fiancée to support him through law school without intending to marry her. Many commenters emphasize the need for LW to provide financial restitution to his fiancée for her sacrifices, as she supported him... Show more
This summary is AI-generated. AI can make mistakes and this summary is not a replacement for reading the comments.
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Carolyn Hax started her Washington Post advice column in 1997, after five years on the Style desk and none as a therapist. The column includes cartoons by "relationship cartoonist" Nick Galifianakis — Carolyn's ex-husband — and appears in dozens of newspapers.