There are a lot of things that can go wrong on a wedding day—but these disastrous ceremonies and receptions go way beyond the regular snafus. From evil friends enacting revenge plots to the meanest bridezillas imaginable, these stories of terrible weddings are enough to make us want to stay single forever.
1. Buzz Off
I had the honor of being a bridesmaid in a garden wedding that unfolded outdoors by a gazebo. I couldn't attend the rehearsal because of work commitments, so I simply mirrored what the groomsman I was teamed up with did. There was, however, a big hiccup—a beehive hidden beneath the gazebo.
I'm unsure if this issue was discussed during rehearsal. Loud music echoed from the sound equipment, aromatic clouds of hairspray and perfume lingered in the air, and the gazebo was abuzz with people stepping over it to snap photos. The bees were far from pleased.
All of us in the wedding party were swatting wildly and grimacing. In an effort to end the ordeal, the officiant sped up the ceremony. I never got a chance to watch the wedding video, but I'm certain it was a bewildering spectacle.
Wikimedia Commons, Virginia State Parks
2. Trailer Park Meets Game Of Thrones
The bride's parents had gone through a particularly rough and angry divorce. The bride's father, who was dealing with alcoholism, made it crystal clear that he utterly disliked the groom, seeing him as a complete nitwit.
The Father-Daughter dance was to the tune of "I Loved Her First" by Heartland, with her father casting hostile glares at the groom whilst rudely gesturing at him throughout. The atmosphere was extremely tense, with silence pervading the room as people avoided meeting each other's gaze. Well, things only escalated from there.
When it was time for speeches, her father seized the opportunity for a hostile rant, expressing how fortunate his son-in-law was to be surrounded by witnesses, else he'd be shown who the true patriarch of the family was. The situation peaked when the father had to be physically subdued by a few groomsmen and his microphone taken off him, all while he was still spewing insults.
The bride ended up in tears for a large part of her wedding. It wasn't just a jarring environment, it was downright creepy. It got so tough to bear that guests were making their way out before the main courses were even served.
3. Bad Omens
I was at a family wedding once where a surprising scene unfolded. About an hour before the vows were to be exchanged, the groom confessed to his mother-in-law-to-be that he didn't have a great deal of fondness for her. Obviously, this caused quite the upset, tears were shed in plenty. However, the bride made the choice to go ahead with the wedding.
Following the reception, in a peculiar turn of events, the groom flung his wedding ring into an open field. Oddly enough, it was found by a guest the following morning. Despite all the drama, they are going strong as a couple. But, if you ask me, I'm a bit skeptical about how long they're going to last.
4. The Grudge
I experienced this event firsthand. It was a night filled with drama—everybody left early which was a plus, and the bride tipped generously as an apology. Honestly, I'd have preferred staying late with less tip if it could ensure her ideal wedding.
There was this intense argument between the best man—the groom's brother—and the bride's father. The problem? The best man had flirted unknowingly with his underage niece, who was 17. Being 19 himself, he was clearly embarrassed once he learned her real age. He knew it was completely unacceptable as she was a minor.
Once he realized his mistake, it led to an awkward confrontation. They came to an agreement that it was just a miscommunication, so everything carried on. I thought it was over, but that was only the beginning. A few drinks later, everyone was dancing.
I found myself right in the middle of it all while collecting glasses. The best man was off to the side of the dance floor apologizing to the 17-year-old. His apology was sincere, so what happened next was wholly uncalled for. Seeing them talk, the bride's father instantly approached and punched the best man straight in the face.
This act sparked the groom to punch him back, which swiftly escalated into a full-blown family brawl. Sadly, the bride received a punch while attempting to defuse the situation, causing her eye to swell. I got her to a safer place just as my manager rushed out of the kitchen to intervene. The bride was left in tears, her special day destroyed by family chaos.
At the end of the night, while settling the bar bill and gathering their things, the bride, her mother, and stepfather revealed the underlying drama. She initially didn't want to invite her father to the wedding due to his aggressive tendencies and predictability of causing a scene, but extended an invitation to avoid pre-wedding drama.
She further explained the groom's reaction wasn't solely because of the brother getting hit; it had more to do with enduring years of his fiancée's strained relationship with her father. Her fearful prediction turned out to be true—her father had not only ruined her day but also hurt his own son.
Despite the authorities' involvement, no one decided to press charges, which was disheartening.
5. History Lesson
There's one unforgettable experience when the best man chose to give his toast right in front of the newlyweds. Just to add to the awkwardness, he filled his speech with quite the detailed accounts of the groom's bustling romantic history.
As you might expect, the bride wasn't too happy about it—she ended up storming off and barricading herself in the restroom.
6. Backwarmer #5
I've had my fair share of unique wedding photo shoots, but this one was quite the spectacle. Imagine this: the bride started her day at 8 am with shots in the bridal suite while she was getting ready. She quickly organized her maid of honor to ring one of the guys, reminding them to use plastic bottles for drinks, not glass.
The reasoning behind this? They'd all be hopping on motorbikes, and she didn't want any glass bottles shattering if they toppled over. The man she was marrying—it turns out she'd only known him for two months—was quite the character, having four kids from four different women, which I learned from the names inked down his arm.
Rather than seeing it as a red flag, the bride actually seemed pretty proud. She told me the story behind the tattoos, even boasted about soon being the fifth name added. And the reception, well, that was something else.
They majestically cruised through a Harley dealership and ended up being an hour late to their own party from the ceremony, arriving with a sparkle in their eyes and bikers escorting them. Things got fairly chaotic, with one guy even backing into a car in the parking lot since he was tipsy.
As the night wound down, the bride ended up fast asleep on a table, while the groom partied on and was seen doing shots with other women.
Nevertheless, I delivered lovely pictures for them.
7. Moving Up The Rankings
I attended a "dry" wedding in the hot month of August. We were all seated in a tent without any air movement. Needless to say, it was pretty sweaty. They decided to give speeches before serving dinner. The bride's best friend, also the maid of honor, put on an extensive slideshow that lasted for 45 minutes, full of pictures of her and the bride.
Hands down, it was the most dreadful wedding experience I've ever had. And I'm saying this even after attending a wedding where the bride chose to wear a camouflage patterned wedding dress.
8. Two For The Wedding, Please
My buddy's spouse came up with an idea that guests should purchase a ticket to attend their wedding, kind of like they were going to a concert. And, it wasn't a small amount either. Her justification was a tad absurd to me. She argued that if folks can splurge on concert tickets, why not spend that much to witness "two rockstars" tie the knot?
Clearly, the couple were music enthusiasts, but they opted not to book a wedding band for their reception. So, their wedding morphed into a mini-concert when the newlyweds decided to perform themselves. The ticket price was around $100 in a country where the average income per month was just $150.
They also mailed out the invites about 10 months or even a year ahead of time so that invitees had ample time to save up for the ticket cost. But that wasn't the worst part. To top it off, I was also expected to bring a gift. The obligatory ticket fee was to be paid ahead of time since seating at the wedding was "limited".
I guess it's a good thing my friend was well-liked because I didn't spot any friends from the bride's side, except for her relatives. Only her siblings served as her bridesmaids. Admittedly, they sang pretty well, but it was still a bit of a downer having to cough up admission for a forced 30-minute concert that I didn't even ask for.
However, I hold great affection for my friend, so I found joy hearing him sing and have no regrets about attending.
Freepik, ASphotofamily
9. When Doves Cry
The whole event lasted almost two hours. And in an unusual twist, the couple hadn't been physical while dating; they hadn't even shared a kiss. So, their first kiss was anticipated to be the most magical moment.
Both individuals were children of pastors, and both of their fathers gave excessively long sermons. Each involved an altar call, followed by a host of other activities like releasing doves and so on.
Looking back, I'm amazed at how over-the-top and self-serving it all seemed. It's somewhat irritating to even think about it.
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10. Good Intentions Gone Wrong
The mother of the groom dropped by the bride's room where we were all chilling out, munching on snacks, getting ready, and generally having a blast as we listened to tunes and did our hair and makeup. She wanted to share some personal words with the bride.
Now, the bride had recently lost her father, so we were trying our best to keep the mood light and positive. Ignoring this, the groom's mom decided to tell the bride how her dad was up in heaven shedding happy tears, but deeply upset about missing the day.
Although her intentions might have been good, the result was a disaster. The bride began to weep. It wasn't just a trickle of tears—she was full-blown weeping. Her makeup smeared all over her chest, and her nose was red and runny.
To top it all, the groom's mom simply said, "Oh dear, she can't walk down the aisle like this," and left the room, leaving us to handle the situation. We used up half an hour calming the bride, cooling her face, and fixing her makeup.
Because of this, the ceremony started late, and the maid of honor had to settle for a simple ponytail since we were so tied up with managing the crisis. The bride spent most of her reception seated, looking utterly drained.
Meanwhile, the mother of the groom was tearing up the dance floor.
11. That Takes The Cake
At the wedding party, the newlyweds began to slice the cake. The groom found it amusing to squish cake into the bride's face, even though she'd just asked him not to. Suddenly, the bride disappeared and never came back. The atmosphere turned awkward. To this day, I have no clue how long their marriage survived.
12. Name Two Things That Shouldn’t Mix
This is a tale about a wedding party. It coincided with a get-together that a group of swingers had organized at a bar within the same hotel. Unfortunately, the hotel double-booked the wedding reception and the swingers' gathering on the exact same night. This proved to be a huge mistake.
Strangely enough, the groom found himself attracted to an older woman from the other party and was caught exiting her hotel room. This discovery led to him being confronted by the irate bride who was in tears and on the verge of an emotional breakdown. The groom's friends, completely in the dark about what was happening, were visibly taken aback.
In his tipsy state, the groom suffered a bloody nose courtesy of the bride's punches. Meanwhile, a chaotic scene unfolded with both families shouting at each other and bridesmaids being restrained by hotel staff and other family members who feared they might also assault the groom.
The tense situation necessitated the intervention of law enforcement. The end result was everyone being asked to leave. For some time afterwards, the incident was the hot topic for gossip in town and among the group.
In response, the hotel adjusted its reservation policies to make sure wedding receptions and swingers' parties were never scheduled on the same evening again.
Freepik, cookie_studio
13. One Wedding And The Remnants Of A Funeral
The wedding kicked off an hour behind schedule since the pair chose to wait for sunset at the eleventh hour. The post-ceremony festivities were held at the pub where the groom earned his living.
The bar operated on a pay-per-drink basis and had no fixed seating arrangement, so a large bunch of us ended up without seats. We had to gather around a half-table section, which was dedicated to an "In memory of..." tribute.
Before the speeches or the dancing commenced, we managed to slip away unnoticed. We then grabbed some burgers from a nearby joint.
14. Hurry Up And Wait
My brother tied the knot in December, up in the northwest. To our surprise, everyone was asked to arrive two hours early but without any provision made for the waiting period. Meaning, we stood around outside with no access to the church or reception area until the ceremony commenced.
No chairs, no shelter from the cold, no access to restrooms, no snacks or beverages. People, all dressed up, milled about the chilly lawn before most eventually retreated to the sanctuary of their cars to escape the freezing gusts as the wedding party snapped photos.
We spectators huddled in our vehicles, keeping an eye on the ongoing photoshoot across the venue. Alas, after a bothersome duration of an hour and a half, someone from the wedding party had to individually notify people in their cars to enter the now warm church for the nuptials. But alas, it was a case of too little too late for some, already annoyed, opted to depart.
The bride's affluent family members were especially irate, furiously seeking someone in charge and spreading negativity. On the other hand, relatives of the groom bore this odd treatment in silence, courtesy intact, but deep down nursing a grudge unlikely to fade.
Despite the ceremony and reception being picturesque, prevailing bitterness marred the beauty—a reaction to the couple's careless disregard for their guests' comfort. Family and friends feigned cheerfulness yet seethed internally due to the evident extravagance in the face of disregard.
When the drinks started flowing, the atmosphere turned volatile. We escaped before any squabbles erupted. It was astonishing to discover how much money the couple spent on the wedding, enough to purchase a house, yet they failed to keep their loved ones cozy and comfortable as they handled wedding day hassles.
The whole experience left most of us feeling less like valued guests and more like pawns in their extravagant wedding chess game.
15. Isn’t It Ironic?
I remember one of my uncle's weddings particularly well. You know, they often say that it's lucky to have some rain on your wedding day, but that time it was absolutely DRENCHING. It felt as though we were in the midst of a brutal typhoon.
The decorations and tablecloths meant for the open-air bar were completely soaked. The guests were clustered together under whatever cover they could find, all the while dodging the fierce wind and rain. Sadly, my uncle and his spouse are no longer together.
16. Say My Name
So, I was a bridesmaid at a wedding, right? The gal getting married was an old buddy from my college years. Looking back, she's always been a bit self-absorbed—not in an in-your-face sort of way, but rather, subtly. Well, she decided to let us all see her true colors on her wedding day.
Right there in front of everyone, she snaps her fingers at me and barks "Dresser!", all because she needed her dress train adjusted for pictures. I mean, she couldn't even be bothered to meet my gaze, she just snapped and pointed.
Immediately, you could hear the crowd drawing in a sharp breath. Though, I'm not truly convinced she noticed it at all.
17. Hypocritofficiant
My wedding was an eventful day, to be sure.
We, hailing from the groom's side, were quite surprised to show up to a locked, unlit church. It turns out our minister had slipped his mind of the occasion. So, we had to knock on his door and provide a little reminder.Speaking of the minister, he was quite the character.
The gossip at the previous parishes hinted at a series of relationships with his women parishioners, a pattern which he continued both at our parish and later up in Inverness. The same man was at our altar, gracing us with serious words about the sacredness of marriage and the importance of loyalty, all with a straight face.
My wife's family was deeply involved in the church and many from the congregation were at our wedding. There was a high chance that some of the women he had been involved with were there, listening to his sermon on faithfulness.
Apart from that, the rest of the event went smoothly, and we are still happily married—so it wasn't a disaster. Although, I'll be honest, my speech left something to be desired.
18. Best To Sleep Through That One
The bride was really stressed out during the whole ceremony. Her family kept her calm by giving her some tranquilizers—I think it was Valium or something similar. She was so drowsy that she sat down on the dance floor after their first dance, leaned over and drifted off to sleep. Her family's response was honestly bizarre.
They pulled her off to one side and left her there while the rest of them continued the celebration. The bride's mother capped off her speech saying, "If you ever hurt her again, I will handle it personally”. The groom tried to charm the DJ into joining him for a "party" in the parking lot, but when she declined firmly, he roped in a bridesmaid instead.
The DJ later found them in an intimate situation over the hood of a car in the parking lot when she was packing up to leave.
19. He Saw It Coming
My experience revolves around my brother-in-law's wedding. As an event, the wedding was less than successful, but that's not the main issue. The main problem was that none of their friends or family believed it was a wise decision to wed.
Attending this wedding was a strange experience, particularly considering I was privy to many of his concerns and reservations about their bond. Not surprisingly, their marriage fell apart after two years.
20. If At First You Don’t Succeed…
So, I remember my school buddy's first and second wedding back in the early 90s.
The bride always had this dream of driving herself to her own wedding in a convertible Porsche, and she didn't want to let that go.
She took off from her place with her family trailing in a limo. But things took a turn when the wind started messing up her expensive hairstyle and veil. And that's when the unthinkable happened. She lost control of the Porsche and hit the rear of a bus.
The car was wrecked, and she ended up with a broken nose. Her beautiful dress got stained with blood and then her thumb broke. Consequently, they had to call off the wedding. Keep in mind, this was before the cell phone era, so we were waiting at the church for about an hour without a clue about what had happened.
They also had to cancel the reception and honeymoon. And worse, they hadn't bought insurance, so they had to cough up the money for everything, which was a hefty sum. Thankfully, her car insurance covered the Porsche's damages.
For their second wedding, they chose a more modest, economical approach, and there wasn't a Porsche in sight. However, a few years down the line, they ended up divorcing.
21. Stand Clear Of The Newlywed Couple
I attended a coworker's wedding and, believe it or not, the marriage didn't even make it past the reception. She found her new husband in the bathroom with a bridesmaid. It was a Lebanese family affair. Things only got worse from that point on, but to those of us seated at a safe distance, it felt just like watching a WWF match.
22. Jumping The Shark
Our friends were determined to have a destination wedding and decided to have a preliminary ceremony for legal purposes. I thought it'd be a small event with just a few witnesses—boy, was I wrong. Despite it not being the actual wedding, they invited about a hundred people.
The ceremony was pretty impressive with all the matrimonial trimmings. Things got messy afterwards, though. Since it wasn't "the" wedding, we were just invited for celebratory drinks and light bites in a backyard, meant to last only for a short while.
Of course, seeing old faces after a long time, people from all across the country let loose pretty quickly. The limited food vanished in no time, and everyone was progressively getting more and more tipsy.
I suggested ordering pizza, but was shot down because it wasn't "the" wedding and people would be leaving soon. Wishful thinking. Fast forward to ten hours later, many guests were still there—pretty plastered—and even illicit substances found its way into the scene, sending the bride into tears.
The best woman was retching all over the place. Someone started questioning the need for a destination wedding given the day's turn of events, causing a full-blown argument between some guests and the groom's parents.
Everyone got home late that night, grabbing McDonald's on the way, and had to drag themselves to work the next day, not being prepared for a late night. Plot twist: only a few ever made it to the destination wedding, and I, along with several others, have since lost touch with the couple.
We'd previously attended their extravagant engagement party, and after this chaotic "non-wedding," I and many others were done with the entire saga, already having expended much time and money on their events.
23. Oversharing
During my cousin's wedding, her husband gave a speech that was unexpectedly amazing. He was a bit clumsy with his words and even mentioned how wonderful his new wife was in bed, all while her father was seated next to them looking absolutely mortified and their grandparents looked on in shock.
I couldn't help but laugh, it was so funny.
Wikimedia Commons, Phil Hawksworth
24. It Never Ends
Last summer, I stood as a groomsman in my old friend's wedding. There were twenty in the bridal party, and it was clear no one knew how to handle such a large crowd.
Add to that, half the bridal party came with kids they had to manage, making the pre-wedding rehearsals go on longer than expected. The real problem started on the wedding day.
The wedding took place in a church, the very day after Roe v Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court. The minister took opportunity to preach on this controversial issue during the wedding. What made matters worse, the church lacked air conditioning, and it was the height of summer.
We had no time to hydrate as we hurried from the chapel, which hadn't thought to provide water for the guests. Post communion, the groom personally greeted everyone in attendance, all 180 guests. We spent 20 minutes just watching him do this. After the ceremony, the bridal party sprinted to the reception venue to take photos, and help set up.
The photo location was far from convenient, so ferrying everyone there with limited golf carts took ages. Once we all got there, the photographer told us the lighting wasn't right there after we'd been standing in the heat for nearly 40 minutes. Turns out, we had to head back to the reception to take the photos.
By the time all of us made it to the new location, two bridesmaids collapsed from the heat. We tried to complete the photos quickly, but the interference from golfers and flying golf balls didn’t help at all. Around 5 PM, we planned to grab a quick bite offsite before the 8 PM dinner, as we hadn't had anything to eat or drink all day.
We were told, there was a change of plan—the bridal party had to be back for the entrance at 6:30 PM. So, we found ourselves waiting outside the reception hall, still in the scorching heat, as guests began to assemble. After finally getting seated, the food did turn out to be quite excellent.
We were all desperately gulping down water as though we'd wandered into an oasis after a fortnight in the desert. The bartenders couldn’t bring us water quickly enough. But the chaos wasn’t yet over. At about 8:30 PM, one groomsman, Ian, became quiet and disappeared into the woods.
The reception halted as we searched for him in the pitch dark. We found him safe, but the incident had spoiled the mood. For the most part, the rest of the evening seemed to go smoothly. Even with the wild crowd, the lead bartender provided exceptional service. At the end of the evening, when I thanked her, her response floored me.
She said she had no issue serving our group, then she motioned towards a group of Black guests, including the bride's father, noting “It's when I serve the help that I start to lose my mind”. Her awful prejudiced behavior was truly shocking to me. This disaster of a day trumped any bad wedding day I've ever experienced.
25. Tell Me How You Really Feel
Once, I attended a wedding where the bride's grandfather had a strong dislike for the groom due to some undisclosed issue. Right in the middle of the groom's speech, the grandfather picked up his phone to chat with a guest who was just arriving for the evening festivities.
His conversation went like this: "Hello? Oh, the wedding's been rather lackluster so far, and the groom is in the midst of his speech, which isn't particularly impressive either. I'll come fetch you as soon as he's done babbling".
26. Stuck With The Bill
My brother's first wedding—a memory we all recall with mixed feelings. All dressed up and not a bride or groom in sight, we eventually arrived at the registry office. It was a bit disconcerting when they didn't show up initially, but we shrugged it off as wedding jitters.
The setup was a bit unfair, with the bride's family occupying the first seven rows, leaving the back two for our side, the groom's family. That was the first disappointment of many. Suddenly, the office staff pulled me aside, insisting on an immediate payment before proceeding.
Bewildered, I called my brother, who then revealed that he'd entrusted the money to his future mother-in-law, who happened to be a heavy drinker—she had spent it all. I stepped in and payed up so that our mom could witness her oldest son's wedding. The rest of the ceremony proceeded without a hitch, until the picture-taking session.
Then, my brother requested me to settle the venue fee and shell out an additional $700 for drinks. Reluctantly, I complied. And then the wedding organizers dropped a bombshell: They told me I wasn't allowed at the reception due to space constraints. The only ones included from our family were the best man and his partner, and our parents.
To make matters worse, the reception venue had no decorations, and the food served was only a simple finger buffet. When my parents arrived, they were livid. Fast forward five days, a charge of $1,500 hits my card—the drinks bill. The mother-in-law assured everyone that it would be an open bar. My brother, in his naivety, didn't dispute this.
27. Telling On Himself
During the wedding ceremony, it finally reached the point where the groom was meant to utter the words "...As long as we both shall live". However, the groom suddenly became tongue-tied and could only emit a series of garbled, choked sounds.
Everyone in the church leaned forward in their seats, hanging on every sound. After what felt like a never-ending pause, the groom was able to stammer out, "As long as we both shall LOVE".
Their love story spanned seven months.
28. Payback Is A…
The wedding was stunning, and the food was marvelous with everyone thoroughly enjoying themselves. But just past midnight, amidst the late-night pizza feast, a man made a move on the bride's mother. He awkwardly put his hand on her hip and subtly guided her towards the elevator, without really asking her.
She was obviously disturbed by this and declined. Undeterred, the man tried to steer her hip towards him a second time. At this point, he got what was coming to him. Out of nowhere, the bride's brother made a startling appearance, landing a punch on the guy in the hotel lobby.
A simple, swift strike and the man was down for the count. This incident evolved into quite a chaotic scene, which even including an ambulance arriving. The man's wife only added to the chaos by berating everyone and calling the family 'uncouth'. The newly wedded bride and groom joined in the fray, lashing out at the brother.
This once festive occasion quickly devolved into a huge fight of shouting and finger-pointing.
29. The Best Things In Life Aren’t Free
We needed to rise bright and early, scoot up a hill, and give the sunrise a good look while the pastor shared some words from each of the seven top religions out there. After that, the newlyweds showered us with rice.
The wedding cake didn't have gluten, wheat, or sugar in it and, let's just say, it reminded me of how a wax candle might taste.
30. Grow Up
I found myself playing the organ at a wedding on a sweltering summer day. The full house inside the hot church didn’t help, and there was no air conditioning to provide relief. To make matters worse, I was fighting a bout of flu. Nonetheless, I thought I could manage.
Usually, a wedding ceremony only takes about an hour. Little did I know, complications were on the horizon. As per tradition, I began playing music around 20 minutes before the ceremony was set to start. But as the scheduled start time came and sailed past, I just kept playing... and playing.
It was only after an agonizing 40 minutes that the ceremony began. The bride, noticeably irate, was finally walking down the aisle. The ceremony itself was thankfully brief. But later, we found out what had caused such a significant delay—a quarrel over fashion choices.
The bride threw a tantrum because one of her bridesmaids chose to sport dark pantyhose instead of the preferred white. It's important to point out here that while the bride was of Caucasian descent, most of her bridesmaids, and the groom too, were Black women. The meltdown was epic.
The bride was literally lying on the floor, beating her fists and feet against the ground and crying out. On the other hand, the groom seemed like a genuinely nice fellow.
31. Too Little Too Late
A few years back, I attended a wedding that started on a Friday night at 7 pm. After the ceremony, we had to wait as the newlyweds greeted around 150 people. Next, we drove for 20 miles in the dark on local roads to reach the reception. There, the dinner was served pretty late, around 10 pm.
When it was almost midnight, they hadn't even cut the cake. So, like many other guests, we just decided to head home.
32. The Hunger Games
I attended a wedding where it seemed like the speeches just wouldn't stop. We all sat there, getting hungrier by the minute, as the speeches dragged on for what felt like an hour and a half or maybe even longer. Then, oddly, they introduced a game.
If you answered a question correctly, you could finally get up to get food. You can imagine, everyone was pretty hangry at this point. Fast forward a bit and we're in round 2 of the never-ending speeches. I kid you not, some of the speakers were around 80 and took an eternity just to get one sentence out. But, oh boy, that wasn't all.
The bride and groom decided to play a game next. Then, we had to wait again as the bride was changing into her second dress so we could at last start dancing. Honestly, we were so fed up by this point, we just decided to leave.
You could look around you and see it written all over everyone's faces—this was probably the most monotonous wedding they'd ever attended. It seemed like the only people who could actually endure the endless speeches were the wedding party. They, after all, had all been friends since kindergarten, and the speeches had revolved primarily around them.
I kid you not, the speeches amounted to around three hours, excluding the food game breaks. This extended event led us to create some strict rules regarding speech length and quantity for our own upcoming wedding a few months later.
Our celebration ended up being the opposite: short, sweet, and bursting with food, drinks, and dancing. Everyone had an amazing time. So, in a way, we should be grateful to the other wedding. It inadvertently showed us what not to do.
33. Escape Plan
I took a trip to New York for my cousin's wedding. The guest list was packed, with around 30 family members and nearly a hundred other guests. The night before, we enjoyed a large rehearsal dinner and had quite the party that lasted into the wee hours of the morning.
At 8 in the morning, my sister jolted me awake to share some shocking news: Our cousin had backed out and slipped away unnoticed during the night. There was major drama as the bride's family was indignant, considering they'd dropped a large sum of money on the entire reception.
He confirmed he wasn't missing in action, rather, he was off enjoying the beach. I genuinely felt for the bride. She had to navigate through emotional chaos with plenty of anger and hurt feelings filling the air. I made a stealthy exit and jetted back home from the airport. It goes without saying that reconciliation never came up for the pair.
34. Maid Of Dishonor
My buddy's wedding, where I was pals with both halves of the couple, was definitely memorable. They'd been a true pair for two years, their relationship brimming with fun and joy. The bride was the epitome of sweetness, a genuinely kind soul who, despite her sheltered upbringing, was fiercely optimistic about life's opportunities.
The groom was a relaxed, funny guy. Sure, he had his moody moments, but he'd bounce back in no time. Chatting with him was always entertaining. We were all total nerds, brought together by the inter-school competitions we participated in. Their wedding kicked off with a long-winded religious ceremony.
Once we reached the reception, I sensed something wasn't quite right despite the bride's content demeanor. The groom was acting strangely distant and cold to everyone, which was unusual for him, considering our long-lasting friendship since grade school days.
The bride was only 20—still below the drinking age—while the groom was 22, so the event wasn't exactly drink-free, thankfully. I headed home shortly after the pair left the reception for their honeymoon. It was only six months later when the bride returned and revealed a shocking truth. A month into their marital bliss, they’d divorced.
The heart-wrenching part? The groom had been having an affair with the maid of honor for a while because the bride chose to keep her chastity until marriage. His confession, right after their honeymoon consummation, came in the form of handing her his phone which displayed compromising texts with the maid of honor, right before he entered the shower.
Since then, none of us have kept in touch with the groom, myself included. I don't even know where he is these days. But the story doesn't end bleakly. The bride found true love with a remarkable guy a year later. They've been happily married for about six years now and, trust me, their wedding was a total riot.
Easily the best one I've attended. And I usually can't stand weddings.
35. Welcome To The Family
I used to have a colleague who had a thing for Asian women. It was his third time marrying a woman he'd ordered by mail, and we all got invites to the big day. The venue? The back room of a convention centre that was simultaneously hosting a poker tournament.
One of our guys couldn't resist the poker fever and took off to participate, leaving us in a hazy, smoke-filled room, waiting for the delayed bride. She was flown in that very morning. There were a few among us who arrived already tipsy, eager for the impending spectacle.
When she made her entrance, it was clear she was petite, quite a contrast to the tall and hefty 300-pound groom. The sight was out of the ordinary, to put it mildly. She swiftly got ready in a janitor's closet. The officiator, whoever he was, seemed inexperienced, maybe as tipsy as some of us.
As the vows were being read, the groom's mind was clearly elsewhere—he rushed everyone to speed things up so he could dig into the buffet. His specific request: a waffle station, manned by his determined mom and sister, who were making waffles non-stop. They even had a hot dog rotisserie, like something you'd see at a 7-Eleven.
The day after the wedding, he showed up at work looking worn out and hinted at not getting any sleep on his wedding night. But here's the twist: He actually ended up sleeping on his couch because his new wife and her cousins commandeered the bedroom.
36. Good Plans, Bad Execution
My cousin's wedding was quite chaotic, especially because it took place outdoors during summer. Imagine a hilly park, minimum shade, and humidity at around 90 degrees. There was an air-cooled building available, but it could only accommodate 24 people when there were over a 100 attendees.
Rental tents were booked to complement the building with more seats, but they were positioned inaccurately and nobody bothered to rectify that. Even though the bride wanted to be self-reliant, the bleak reality hit on the big day.
Everyone was scurrying around, embellishing the venue, preparing the food, and I even had to rush to a store to grab the flower girl's shoes just two hours before the wedding commenced. The bride had dreamt about decorating with fresh flowers and tulle everywhere, and having lanterns dangling from the trees.
However, time and manpower were both lacking. They spent a fortune booking a lovely venue with city views, arranging food trucks, extravagant charcuterie boards, a candy buffet, but never paused to relish it all. The couple's day was spent in front of the camera and they didn't interact much with the guests.
Their only meal was when the food truck informed its departure time. The bride hardly posed with her family members. In a group photograph of the cousins, shockingly, the couple was missing. But, photographs with all of his guests were abundant. She still hasn’t showcased her wedding photos.
Reportedly, they weren't to her liking and the solitary photograph she had with her dad was the one I captured. But worst of all, there was no music, no dancing, and no toasting at the reception. Someone eventually used their phone to play some music on a speaker.
The bride always felt inferior to her husband's posh family. Upon disclosing her wedding plans to me, she also mentioned that her to-be mother-in-law found them "tacky". All in all, the wedding seemed like a gigantic photo session for the couple and a party intended to impress his family, and it didn't matter to her if her family attended or not.
The event wrapped up within three hours.
37. The Loneliest Time
My wedding story unfolded at the onset of lockdown. As the days dwindled to the D-Day, the initial guest list of 10 got slashed to four, then to a pair, until finally, it was just me, my soon-to-be husband, and the tardy official who kept us waiting because we were early, and he was running late.
In ten quick minutes, we exchanged vows, and just like that, we were stepping out as a married couple. Looking back, I often wished I hadn't gone through with it. The longing for my family and friends' presence was real. I even suggested postponing the event, but his ultimatum was, "If you don't marry me now, it won't happen at all. You obviously don't love me enough".
Of course, it took me two long years to realize his true colors. Now I'm at the stage of blissfully relishing my divorce, gradually pulling myself together.
38. See You Later, Alligator
This story takes place at my mother and stepfather's wedding. I was about 7 or 8 years old and was one of my mom's multiple flower girls. My older and younger cousins were part of the flower girl squad with me. After the wedding, we headed towards the mountains where the reception was arranged in a spacious cabin, with a small lake nearby.
As kids, we quickly left the adults and rushed towards the lake for some fun. We were lounging on the dock, kicking rocks into the water and rambling about anything and everything. Suddenly, my younger cousin wondered aloud, “Could there be alligators in the lake?"
My older cousin and I didn't know for sure (which there weren't), but we said yes for kicks before moving onto another topic. There was a single rock perched at the end of the dock that caught my eye. My kid brain immediately thought, "Kicking this rock would make a super splash".
So, I confidently announced my plan to my cousins and prepared to kick. I poised my leg at the edge of the dock, aimed and...whoosh! Total disaster struck. I missed the rock entirely which sent me tipping face-first into the water due to my leg's momentum.
Amidst the panic and my attempts to swim back, my cousins shouted, "ALLIGATOR!", scaring me and causing me to start crying as I frantically swam towards safety. Just then, my aunt, also the wedding's photographer, came out and, before helping, thought it'd be hilarious to take a snap of my plight.
This irked me, and I held a little grudge for years, though now I see the funny side myself. Since I didn't have spare dress, I was made to wear my younger cousin's dress while she got to wear an extra, more comfy one. The remainder of the reception, I was miffed and uncomfortable in an irksome, tight dress.
39. Dragged To The Altar
Looking back, I can see how disastrous that wedding was. I was only 8 years old when my cousin, who was 20 years my senior, was getting hitched to a man who, quite frankly, didn't seem like the best choice. My cousin was at the front, ushering guests instead of prepping for her big moment, which was odd.
Her soon-to-be husband was missing in action, not that unexpected considering brides and grooms have the tradition of avoiding each other until the bride's entrance. However, as we moved past the bar to find my cousin, there he was, toasting away with his buddies.
Once the ceremony got going, he appeared utterly uninterested and was exchanging whispers with his groomsmen. Even as she made her grand entrance, he continued. She had to practically yank his arm to coax the vows out of him.
Fast forward to the reception dinner, the newlyweds were absent from their designated table and were standing in the main hall instead. There, he was shouting at her, upset about her having to tug his sleeve during the ceremony. Unfortunately, their marriage didn't last long—she was served divorce papers just a month in. The reason?
She was not living up to his expectations, choosing her full-time job over his demands. So long, Mark.
40. Are You On The List?
This story takes us back to 2014 when I got an invite to my closest friend's wedding scheduled for mid-July. Right off the bat, we're in the middle of a sweltering summer. I'm also required to don a tuxedo—an item I absolutely detest wearing. However, I think to myself, "Oh well, it's a wedding after all, let's do this".
As I reach the reception, guests are being ushered in. I present my wedding invite to a guy I assume to be the groom's best man. Just then, my friend makes an appearance.
Her: “Hi, I've got something to tell you".
Me: “Alright, what’s up?"
Her: “Sorry, but you can't come in!"
Me: ...
I'm dumbstruck for a solid ten seconds and eventually manage to ask why on earth not.
Her: “Well, you're a stranger to everyone else here".
Me: “But you were the one who invited me...I even have my invitation with me!”
Her: “That’s true, but you can still hang around outside and wait!"
Me: “You do realize I've traveled halfway across the country for this, don't you?"
Her: “Yes".
Me: “And now you're telling me I'm not allowed in. Is there anyone else who's not on the guest list?"
Her: “Just you, actually! I'm really sorry for the confusion!"
So, here I am. The temperature is hovering around 25 C (~77 F), I'm in a black tuxedo, and apparently, I'm expected to wait outside in the blistering sun. I soon suggest the idea of heading back home rather than twiddling my thumbs here. Her response, however, was decidedly irksome.
For some inexplicable reason, she seemed offended by my proposal. She argued that if I decided to leave, I obviously didn't care enough about our 12-year-old friendship.
Me: “Okay, but I'll need food and a drink at least".
Her: “Oops, we didn't account for you in the meal planning. There won't be enough for you!"
I decided to leave right away. Luckily, a good friend was gracious enough to let me stay at his place until I could travel back the next day.
Her marriage ended in a span of eight months. Currently, she's onto her third marriage, and I've had to decline the invitation to both of her subsequent weddings (also held in summer). I definitely didn't want to go through that ordeal again.
41. Awkward Is Putting It Mildly
My better half and I were persuaded to go to the wedding of her pal's mom, which happened to be her third trip down the aisle. Save for the inherent awkwardness, everything went smoothly. The peculiar discomfort stemmed from the fact that the bride's son had a role in the demise of the groom's nephew.
Apparently, he and his buddies had a plan to procure certain substances without paying for them. He ended up facing charges, but managed to plea bargain his sentence down to several years of probation...before resurfacing at the wedding.
42. Take A Picture, It’ll Last Longer
When I was a senior in high school, I participated on an international soccer team that traveled throughout the summer. For a two-week duration, a retired couple whose children had left home welcomed four of us into their home in Costa Rica.
During our stay, an invitation to a local wedding was extended to us, which I was initially thrilled about, and my parents back in the US gave me their blessings. The wedding was set to take place at a place known as Vista Verde; a scenic retreat nestled in the jungle with lodging and cabins.
At the beginning, everything seemed fine. It was an enjoyable wedding with an estimated 200-300 guests in attendance. During the reception, I even found myself charming a stunning woman a few years my senior. As the only unknown American at the wedding, I gathered a bit of attention, especially from the ladies.
I was soaking up every moment, having as much fun as any 17-year-old possibly could. The merriment was short-lived, however. Suddenly, shots rang out and a group of men clad in black fatigues stormed the venue, shouting orders for everyone to hit the floor and put their "manos arriba" (hands up).
The shockwave of fear that surged through the party slowed my response, and I was still standing when everyone else had gone down. I was shoved to the floor, knocked unconscious, and woke up to the horrifying sight of being restrained with zip ties and tossed into a bus.
I spent the following nine hours incarcerated in a school gym with the other guests. Thankfully, once my passport was examined during processing, the US embassy was immediately contacted. It was then that I discovered the authorities were investigating the wedding for potential local gang members.
Thankfully, my teammates and I were relocated to the embassy. Our hosts, however, were detained for several days. My parents spent quite a sum handling the situation and I was left nursing a splitting headache. The whole ordeal caused us to miss the national tournament.
Even after two decades, what haunts me the most isn't knowing what happened to our hosts or the outcome of the investigation, but the loss of my camera. It contained precious film rolls from Mexico and San Diego, as well as snaps from the previous week's sightseeing—irreplaceable mementos of some of the best two months of my life.
43. I Don’t
Let me tell you, the worst wedding I've ever attended was my own. Picture this: I'm standing there, all dressed up and my mom's brushing my hair, when it hits me all at once.
I genuinely don't want to marry this guy. But I'm caught in a bind. My family, who've come from all over this country to stand by me, are here. An image that's forever etched in my memory is walking up to him and seeing his emotionless face. Not a smile. No tears. Nothing.
It gets even worse at the sit-down meal and the party afterward. He chooses to hang out on the church's patio. He had only a couple of friends there but somehow, they mattered more to him than I did. Here I am, dancing solo, engaging with guests all by myself, and everything feels off.
So there you have it. The worst wedding I've been at? My own.
44. The Devil’s Tiki Drink
A couple of years ago, a cousin of mine tied the knot and chose to enjoy the festivities outdoors at our grandparents' sizable two-acre property. The spot was spacious enough, setting the perfect scene for the celebration.
Around fifteen tables were arranged, decorated with a number of Tiki torches providing light as the event continued into the night. Taking advantage of the mingling guests lost in their dance, my cousin Drew made quite the questionable decision.
He grabbbed an ice bucket from the bar, emptied its contents, and began filling it with a splash of every guest's drink. His next challenge was to try and consume his bizarre brew. Obviously, with a cocktail of assorted beers, champagnes, and wines, it wasn't long before he was bent over, hurling his guts out.
In his disoriented state, he sought support from a nearby Tiki torch. But due to its already tilted position, in attempting to grab it, he accidentally pulled it onto himself, igniting his clothes. Picture this: a man on fire, spewing vomit like a bizarre fountain. Pandemonium ensued as everyone rushed over to douse him and put out the flames.
45. Who’s Cutting Onions In Here?
I recently attended a wedding of someone my family knows. During the celebration, I witnessed an incredibly touching moment. After the initial ceremony, it was photo time with the bride and groom's families coming together.
The wedding was outdoors and the sun was beaming down on the garden where they were taking photos. Suddenly, an uncle of the bride emerges from a nearby building, wheeling an elderly man who is paraplegic. He is the bride's father, who can't move because of a past spinal injury.
Despite trying to explain numerous times about his daughter's wedding, he was unable to respond due to his condition. However, they decided to bring him outside for a family photo, but he had to be taken back in soon as the bright sunshine was too much for him.
The bride's father was positioned in front of her and she embraced him in his wheelchair. As the family started snapping pictures, the elderly man began to shed tears. He couldn't move or even make a noise but his tear-streaked face was telling a poignant story.
Apparently, this was one of the rare occasions where he displayed any physical reaction, which brought tears to everyone's eyes. Regrettably, the day took an even sadder turn. The bride was late to the dinner. It turned out that her father was so physically affected by the events of the day that he ended up in the hospital.
46. Kissing Cousins
I once attended a wedding with my former boyfriend. The event was his cousin's ceremony, set outdoors on a vast tract of land. About a hundred guests were present, thankfully, which included a few of our mutual friends.
This was my first time meeting the bride's stepfather, who was quite close to my ex. As the day wore on, he got noticeably plastered and outspoken. He made a bold comment to my ex that he should have been the one tying the knot with his own cousin (yeah, the bride), all this happened in front of me and our buddies.
Incredibly, during the speeches, he broadcast to everyone present that the man his daughter was marrying was a fool. He then suggested that my boyfriend at the time, should have been his daughter's choice for a groom. Let's not forget the awkward fact that everyone knew that they were, indeed, cousins.
47. You Can Pick Your Friends, But You Can’t Pick Your Clients
Working as a caterer has landed me front-row seats to more weddings than I would have ever imagined. Each of these weddings are like scenes ripped out from your favorite fairy tale story books, with a hefty tag of $20-40K. Every detail is meticulously and artistically mapped out, except, of course, the attending crowd.
You wouldn't believe the stuff I've witnessed, from people shamelessly relieving themselves in the bushes to daring skinny-dippers turning retention ponds into private pools. But, among it all, there's one memory that takes the cake.
The story involves two young lovebirds, both in their late twenties, tying the knot. Their reception venue, an exquisite all-glass chapel. We ensure its spotless, polishing it down before each celebration. We always have one bar open at every venue, but this crowd was indulging a bit more than usual.
Amidst the ongoing revelry, the groom—a bit wobbly from the drinks—slips away unnoticed by his equally tipsy bride. Eventually, she realizes her husband has disappeared and spots him outside. Assuming it would be adorable, she runs towards him, only to be met with a horrifyingly loud sound.
The bride had collided headfirst into the spotless glass wall, splitting her nose in half. Blood splattered everywhere, amidst the chaos and pain, an ambulance was instantly called to the scene. The aftermath remains unknown to me, but that shocking incident was certainly a wedding day spectacle.
48. There Are Evil Plans—Then There’s This
A recent divorcee was among the guests at our wedding. His ex-wife had falsely accused him during their divorce proceedings as a strategic move. Even though he was fully cleared of all allegations, these experiences had left him emotionally scarred, especially since he still had feelings for her.
Of course, we didn't invite her. However, we'd met her prior to their chaotic divorce. Unexpectedly, this woman decided to mail a letter to our wedding venue. This was during the time leading up to our wedding when she saw the invitation.
In her letter, she requested the manager to discreetly arrange for one of our friends to surprise us by reading her note at our reception. Seems sweet, doesn't it? It was far from that. This was evidently an attempt to upset her ex-husband.
Her plan left our friend, our guests, and particularly the unsuspecting friend who agreed to read her letter (believing it was from a mutual acquaintance), quite shaken.
49. Can’t Win Em All
I tied the knot in May and it was fantastic, apart from a couple of hiccups.
An old female friend from high school flew in for the wedding. At the rehearsal dinner, she unexpectedly confessed to my mother and cousin (who's very close with my wife-to-be) that she wished she was the one I was marrying.
This news eventually made its way to my wife, thankfully, after the ceremony. But I was informed beforehand, needless to say, it did cause me some stress. What's more, this lady and I were nothing more than high school friends, never any romantic links. We're both 39 now, and until now, she'd never expressed any romantic interest.
She gifted us a gorgeous sauce pan for our wedding, which my wife now refers to as " and your sauce pan," which makes me feel a bit down. We had earlier hoped that the three of us might become good friends.
The second unfortunate event involved my wife's 9-year-old daughter. She had a meltdown just before the ceremony because her biological father didn’t take the news well—his ex-wife was remarrying. We'd been dating for two years, and her parents had split three years prior.
Ironically, this child had initially been the most excited about our union, even drawing us as a bride and groom. She referred to me as her step-dad—which we discouraged, but also called my daughters her "sisters"—a term we didn't discourage. I was living next door to my wife and her daughters at that time.
The situation with my wife's 9-year-old was absolutely heartbreaking. She had a prominent role in the ceremony and decided to throw a tantrum at the last minute. Changing the ceremony wasn’t impossible but not a walk in the park either.
We knew she had a history of minor tantrums—thankfully usually only lasting about an hour, but with guests waiting, we couldn't afford to delay. So in our photos, she stands there frowning. About 10 minutes post-ceremony, she was back to her cheerful self and lovely for the rest of the evening.
50. Plot Twist
My wife and I attended a wedding that, frankly, we didn't think would last more than two years. The ceremony was held in the bride's backyard, with all the chairs and a wedding arch set up outdoors.
They had a plastic tarp laid out as an aisle. Dark clouds started to gather just before the wedding commenced, an ominous sign that the event should have been moved indoors. However, there were simply too many guests to accommodate inside.
The ceremony began amidst a light drizzle. Drama unfolded when the bride's father slipped on the wet tarp while escorting her down the aisle. The downpour intensified as the now-alone bride reached the front, prompting the guests to scramble for cover under whatever was at hand.
The chaos led the brave bride to speak up loudly, “THIS IS MY WEDDING, NO ONE IS GOING TO RUIN IT, YOU BETTER ALL SIT DOWN!" So, in the rain, the wedding continued. Showers turned the yard into a muddy landscape as the bridesmaids and some ladies' makeup ran down their faces, much to their mortification.
My wife took refuge under my jacket. Post-vows and the wedding kiss, all the guests dashed for the safety of the house and garage, resulting in many slipping in the mud.
Inside, most guests were drenched, with makeup smeared and clothes mud-stained. Some ladies found their clothes becoming translucent due to the rain, prompting many gentlemen to offer their coats for cover. The wedding cake, once saved from the rain, was a pathetic sight with its dripping decorations.
The couple proceeded to cut the cake, resulting in an impromptu food fight, which unexpectedly involved my friend's wife and the priest, who were both victims. And that was it for the cake. The meal they served was far from satisfactory; if it wasn't frozen, it was charred.
Sources: Reddit,
