Bridezillas are one thing…but what happens when the guests get totally out of hand? From ridiculous requests to wild outbursts, these tales of unforgettably obnoxious wedding guests will make any engaged couple think seriously about eloping.
1. Terms & Conditions
My father offered to cover all the expenses for my wedding. But there was a catch. He meant "everything" in a very selfish way. He want himself and his buddies to have an open bar, while the rest of the guests paid for their drinks.
His idea was to park his motorhome at the venue and hand out drinks only to people he recognized. When we said this was illegal, he wanted to have a voucher-operated bar. He wanted to have an infinite number of vouchers while the rest of the guests would only receive one.
Unbelievably, he thought we would fall all over his ingenuity and magnanimity. In the end, we had to settle for no open bar. I believe he encouraged his friends to open a tab and present it to him later, but that was a situation I couldn't control.
Oh, his "offer" also encompassed the pre-wedding dinner. He insisted on a fancy restaurant with a wide range of courses, including prime rib, and drinks. All of that for a surprisingly low cost per person, equivalent to around $10/head.
So, we got the dinner like he asked. But there was something we didn't know. He had the restaurant split the bill: The first $10 covered by him for each person present, and the remaining balance on me. Two of his guests were no-shows, though, so I had to cover their food costs, an additional $20, since the meals were already prepared.
The most frustrating ordeal was his refusal to contribute or even approve of the wedding unless I confirmed my wife's medical expenses were settled. The year before, she'd had a serious care accident that left her uninsured and hospitalized, and with nurermous bills.
At the time, he told me to leave her and even tried to stop me from visiting her in the hospital.I managed to convince him that her parents' military insurance could take care of it, though that was a lie. He bought it since he knew nothing about military benefits and had never met them.
This pretext managed to keep him quiet during the ceremony. Unfortunately, it took almost the first decade of our marriage to clear those medical debts. Thanks for nothing, dad.
2. Thanks For “Trying”
My husband and I decided to have a small and intimate wedding, inviting around eighty guests. Much to my mother-in-law's delight, she took care of the desserts, while we covered the rest of expenses ourselves.
None of our other family members participated in the wedding preparations. This is important to note, because of what happened just a month before our wedding day. My uncle's girlfriend sent a text message to my grandmother, vaguely indicating their intention to "try and make it" to our wedding...despite the fact they hadn't been invited.
Although I'm connected to my uncle on Facebook, our communication is limited to occasional post "likes". I haven't had a conversation or even met with him for years, and he's a complete stranger to my husband, despite our 10 and a half year relationship.
Curiously enough, they reside states away but at one point had managed to travel down for a theme park visit. Even then, they didn't bother contacting me, even though we live in near to the amusement park. We had no idea why they wanted to come to the wedding.
It was my mom who broke the news of my uncle's wanting to come. I told my mom there was no way he was invited and we wouldn't let him in. She couldn't understand what the issue was. To top it off, my grandmother proposed to cover their meal costs, believing it would be more convenient to shell out like $200 instead of telling them they hadn't been invited.
But there was simply no room, and the bottom line was I didn't want them there. If the person isn't even close enough to the bride or groom to discuss this kind of thing to their faces, they should understand their exclusion from the guest list.
Eventually, my grandmother stopped responding to the texts and calls, and thankfully, they didn't turn up. I'm not even sure if they were seriously considering it anyway. My uncle never even took the time to congratulate us.
3. Count Your Blessings
The dynamics of my family are a bit peculiar. In the months leading up to my wedding, I asked my brother to be a part of the wedding party. For months, he waffled he continually left me wondering whether he would be present. Eventually, I pushed for a definitive answer to whether he would be part of my wedding day/
He finally reassured me he would participate, even mentioning a guest with specific dietary needs. I agreed. As the festivities for the wedding weekend started, I wanted to include him in a meet and greet with my soon-to-be in-laws. No response.
He was also silent about his hotel or his attendance at the important rehearsal dinner. I tried not to worry,and told him the exact time to be at the hotel on the wedding day. When he finally arrived, he was two hours late. That was far from all. He started asking me a bunch of questions while I was in the middle of final touches and photography.
Luckily, my other groomsmen helped him get ready. But his most shocking act was still to come. After all this, I still asked my brother to deliver a speech during the reception. This speech turned out to be a long monologue, lasting 20 minutes, and painting me as horrible and disloyal to our family. Um, at least he attended?
4. Photoshop The Whole Guest Out
There was a terrible guest at my wedding who was adamant about taking her own photos, disregarding our explicit request for no personal photography since we had already hired a professional photographer.
This same person also caused a scene just as I was ready to walk down the aisle, upset that she was not allowed to capture her own photos. She claimed, bawling her eyes out, "My husband serves in the military, you have no idea what I've been through!"
Oh, and she showed up with a total stranger who wore jeans to my semi-formal wedding. As a result, when it was time for group pictures, the woman and this guy entirely spoiled the photos.
I am even learning Photoshop specifically to salvage the photos. I mean, can you believe that? It goes without saying that our friendship ended there, and we've not been in touch since my wedding.
Dmytro Sheremeta, Shutterstock
5. Indefinite Hold
My sister-in-law asked that we delay the wedding for "a year or two" as she planned on starting a family the next year. She also firmly insisted on a vegan wedding cake due to her belief system.
Being inclusive, I had no issue accommodating a vegetarian dish for those guests who might prefer it. As for the cake? That was a stretch. In the end, she didn't attend. It didn't bother me.
6. Aunt Who?
My husband and I updated our Facebook relationship status to "Married" during our honeymoon. Little did we know, this turned into a disaster. His maternal aunt saw the post, and she hadn't realized we were married.
She then promptly reached out to his mother, asking why she hadn't been invited to the wedding. Despite being in a relationship with my husband for 6 years, I've yet to even meet this particular aunt. Naturally, neither she nor her numerous children and grandchildren received an invitation.
Also, it was important to consider my parents' generosity. They had just funded our wedding/ We didn't want to exploit their goodwill by inviting an excessive number of guests. However, this situation has led his aunt to label us as "mean" and disrespectful to the whole family.
7. Get Lost
There were a few invitees who, despite several reminders through snail mail, emails, and a web link, still failed to keep the venue address and instructions. But that's not all. After repeated unsuccessful attempts, they chose to bombard me with text messages for more explicit instructions, rather than simply resorting to...Google.
Imagine the hectic schedule of someone on their wedding day, and here I was, sidetracked with answering texts about which turn to make. All because you can't read an email.
Boryana Manzurova, Shutterstock
8. Unwanted Favors
My younger cousin, who's quite the aspiring Instagram model at 17, wanted to wear a white dress. But that situation was easier to swallow than my mother-in-law's surprise.
She showed up unannounced with a collection of potted succulents, having heard there wouldn't be any flowers! Meanwhile, I was standing there, baffled, with heaps of flowers that I had spent a small fortune on.
While I could've easily sorted out the white dress situation with my cousin, the unexpected arrival of a bunch of cacti left me utterly speechless. We're still scratching our heads about that.
Wirestock Creators, Shutterstock
9. Guess Who?
I am wedding photographer. There was an incident at a wedding I documented last year that involved the bride's mom, Bridget, and a novice DJ. Bridget had a bizarre request for the reception: She wanted the blindfolded bride to be surrounded by the groom and his wedding party, then she's supposed to touch each man's "lower" area and recognize her husband by the touch.
The bewildered DJ asked my advice on how to handle it. I was straight-up with him: If he wanted to keep his job, he needed to avoid the weird game at all costs. And in case Bridget came asking again, he would need to act as if he'd forgotten all about it.
10. Bath Brush-Off
We had a modest wedding, choosing to reserve a cozy bed and breakfast to accommodate our 16 guests, including us. The venue was also the place for our ceremony.
On the day, my mother suggested that my husband and I should exchange our honeymoon suite for the room she was sharing with my father and my younger sister. Their room was super small with a tiny bed. What's more, it had an odd small bed stashed away in the closet for my younger sister.
Unless I'm wrong, that meant we would have to spend our wedding night in the same room as my younger sister, owing to the extra bed in the room. She made this request solely because our room had a whirlpool bath that she thought could help her back aches. I politely declined.
11. Everybody Cut Footloose
My wife's parents were adamant that they wouldn't fund our wedding if it wasn't held in their church. We decided to finance it ourselves.
But despite not contributing financially, they attempted to control the details of our reception, instating a ban on alcohol and dancing. We informed them they were welcome to skip the event if it conflicted with their views.
12. What About Me?
During the wedding reception, my wife's grandmother, Susan, who had a rather unique "character," to put it nicely, managed to get a moment alone with my wife. She immediately ruined all our goodwill. In this private moment, this selfish woman expressed her disappointment about the lack of compliments on her expensive outfit.
She literally said, "Everyone seemed to be more focused on discussing your dress". That dress, an incredible piece, had been handcrafted by my mother-in-law for several months, had understandably caught everyone's attention.
13. Addicted To The Spotlight
During my sister's wedding reception, one of our family members asked if she could pause the music to serenade everyone with a song she'd written for them. My sister, although somewhat irritated, said yes because seriously, she had penned this song for them.
So we all stopped dancing and watched in horror as she crooned this lengthy, nonsensical melody. Then it got even better. Weeks later, my sister stumbled on a hilarious Facebook revelation. Turns out our cousin has performed the same song, verbatim, at numerous other wedding ceremonies.
Talk about audacity. In the end, we all enjoyed a laugh about the whole incident.
Thammanoon Khosawat, Shutterstock
14. Wedding Crashers
My bridesmaid's husband left right when the party was getting underway. He returned after an hour with his grandma and younger sister, who weren't on the guest list, in tow.
All three of them were dolled up. After they had their meals, he took them back home, making my bridesmaid absent for yet another hour.
Oleksandr Berezko, Shutterstock
15. Double Wedding, Double Surprises
My wife and I are from different countries, which meant we had two wedding ceremonies. The first was near her family and some of my close relatives and buddies made the trip over for it, while the second gathering was closer to my family and had a few of her family and pals flown in.
On the eve of our wedding in her homeland, her relatives threw a small party at the house they were all staying in for the event. There was just one big problem. For some reason, they explicitly didn't invite my family and friends. In fact, they asked them to stay away.
All these folks had travelled great lengths to be here, but they were still left with no other choice but to chill at their lodgings on the eve of the wedding. Still, the wedding on my side was somehow worse. About six of my family members either didn't confirm their attendance or flat out denied they would be making it. But then shockingly, they had a change of heart barely three days before the wedding.
But rather than having the decency to notify me directly so we could make the required adjustments, brief the venue, cover the additional charges, and rejig the seating arrangements, they took an easy pass. They just casually dropped the message to my grandmother, who in turn passed it on to my mom just a day before the wedding.
16. Grow Up
We kindly asked that no kids were allowed at our wedding, envisioning it as a free night for parents to relax, enjoy, and stay out late. Plus, we were footing the bill for the meals—kid-friendly food like nuggets didn't make the list, and our families count more than 30 children altogether.
I considered it a reasonable request, but my cousin Mark disagreed. Two days before the big day, he informed me that they couldn't come unless they could bring their toddler and suggested we cover their accommodation cost if we wanted their presence.
In the end, Mark and his clan didn't show up, but they sent a "Congratulations" card, which arrived around two months later.
17. Save The Date
My brother's girlfriend Sheila, often found tipsy at odd hours, still shocked everyone when she stood on a restaurant table and screamed at my husband and me. She was livid because we were arranging our wedding even though my brother hadn't proposed to her yet.
My brother clarified to her within a few days that he had no plans of tying the knot, regardless of who it was with. Then, surprise! She unexpectedly announces her pregnancy a month later. At that point, she asked us to push our wedding back another year, to accommodate her baby shower that same weekend.
Sure enough, we didn't comply.
Krakenimages.com, Shutterstock
18. Host With The Most
This wasn't just any guest; it was the person who owned our event location. We had chosen an elegantly renovated Victorian home as our reception site. The provided space came without any extras—no food services, drinks, furniture, or even chairs.
It was entirely up to us to fill the blank canvas. Of course, that involved quite a bit of coordinating with different service providers. From the beginning, our arrangement with the owner was clear: we would receive the house keys the evening before the wedding and return them the following morning.
Everything that happened in the interim was our responsibility, provided that we left on time and kept the property in the same condition we found it. On the night before the wedding, my entourage and I arrived at the site to arrange everything.
Just as we were finishing up the setup and preparing to leave, the owner showed up unexpectedly and insisted that I return the keys. After a lengthy and heated debate, he even threatened to void our arrangement. At last, I felt forced to surrender the keys.
I did, however, get him to commit to being there at 4 pm the following day to grant our caterers access. Still, I didn't fully trust his word, so, to ensure everything was in order, I sent my father to the location at 4 pm, immediately after the wedding ceremony. Thank God I did.
When the agreed upon time came, the doors were locked. My father then contacted the owner, who nonchalantly revealed he was out for a happy family trip in the countryside, about a half an hour's drive away, with no immediate plans of returning.
As someone who won't stand for anyone taking advantage his daughters, my dad gave him a piece of his mind and even threatened legal action. With that, the owner promptly turned back to allow our providers in, albeit 30 minutes late. But his ridiculous behavior was just getting started.
The next morning, when I was blissfully sleeping off the celebrations, I got a call from the owner around 7 am. I missed the call, so he left a message demanding the keys be returned…The very keys he took away from me before the wedding.
At 8 am, he called again, this time claiming to have discovered a broken electronic key fob on the property's driveway, and he held me responsible for the cost of replacement. Remember, he was the one who took the keys from me before the wedding.
So if the keys were misplaced or damaged, that was his mess to clean up, not mine. When I finally woke up around 9 am, I called him back. Nursing a hangover, I also gave him a piece of my mind. When he tried to deny having confiscated the keys, I threatened to bring forward all eight witnesses to court to attest that he indeed did. He backed down real quick.
19. V For Vendetta
At my mom's wedding, HER mother refused to enter until all the guests had, and made my grandfathers wait with her. She also showed up dressed entirely in black, as though in mourning, since she hated my father.
Then came my brother's ceremony, where my mother was helping decorate and prepare alongside the bride's mother. Well, our grandmother insisted my mother, and ONLY my mother, should pick her up. But, since mom was all tied up with wedding duties, dad offered to undertake the task.
Since (again) she hated my father, she just chose not to attend in protest. Lastly, at my wedding, the same grandmother was absent again. Her reason this time was a visit to my uncle who lived in a nearby state. Thanks for nothing, grandma.
20. Plus One Becomes Plus Two
So we invited my buddy and ex-roommate Matt and his lady, Maddy. Except not long after we had sent the invites, they broke up. Then Maddy got extremely weird. She asked if she could take her new boyfriend to our wedding...
We had to explain to her that she was actually Matt's plus one. Since she obviously wasn't going to BE his plus-one, we had to take away her invite. Honestly, if she'd stayed quiet, she could have stayed on the guest list since we didn't really notice. But like, why would she have wanted to come to a wedding her ex was at?
21. Deep Sixed
My brother's ex-girlfriend, Jessica, decided she needed a birthday cake for her step-daughter. Somehow, we were painted villains for scheduling a wedding on her birthday, and she thought this five-year-old would forever remember our selfishness if we didn't give her one.
She also demanded a public announcement from the Disc Jockey, saying it was her moment, along with unique cupcakes exclusively for her at our rehearsal dinner.
22. Dog Eat Dog
My husband's aunt found out that our dogs were walking out as our flower girls. Because of this, she assumed HER dog could come to the ceremony. Except that her dog is an aggressive jerk. Many people expressed to her that her pet was unwelcome, yet she stood her ground.
She said it was a "therapy" dog. It wasn't. But she didn't listen and brought him along anyway the night before the wedding. The inevitable happened. Immediately, her dog lunged at my younger dog upon arriving.
She dismissed this as an unfortunate misunderstanding. Yet, not long after, her dog lunged again, this time at my senior dog. She blamed my dog for this incident. Not knowing what else to do, I decided to just keep my dogs indoors.
When the time came for the wedding, my father was helping me out, all set for the aisle walk. As it happened, I was on a horse. Then he noticed it. Her rogue dog was seated in the front row, right where my dogs would be doing their flower girl walks.
Drama was bound to unfold. As I was seated atop this horse, which by the way was petrified of flowers, my father darted off to try to fix things. But when he asked her to move the dog, she refused. She claimed her dog wasn't the issue and she shouldn't have to compromise.
My father was at his wit's end. He enlisted an old friend to transport the unruly dog away from the ceremony and into a distant field. She at least agreed to that, and I managed a serene walk down the aisle and MY dogs were well-behaved throughout the ceremony.
As for the rest of the evening, the old friend generously took it upon himself to monitor the aunt's dog. The aunt barely protested, but the friend missed out on the entire event. My nuptials were a wonderful spectacle, but the backstage details were definitely a far cry from dreamy.
23. Some Promises Are Better Off Broken
When I was a high school student, I once impulsively promised a friend (not even my closest friend, mind you) that she would be my bridesmaid one day.
Fast forward to my wedding, and I actually kept that promise, even though something told me it might not be the best idea. Then, the drama began. First, she popped up at my parents' house out of nowhere two full days before the big event, wanting to stay there.
She then didn't show up to a nail appointment for the wedding party, even though I had footed the bill. Then, on the actual day of the wedding, she managed to stain her bridesmaid dress with fast-food sauce because she was snacking in her car.
On top of that, she left her shoes back at the hotel that I'd paid for (so she wouldn't stay with us), so we had to waste time retrieving them. Worst of all, she made passes at a groomsman, despite the fact he was already engaged.
After all this chaos, unsurprisingly, she didn't bother to keep in touch after the wedding. It's now been more than five years since then.
Anastasiia Ylitko, Shutterstock
24. The Center Of Attention
After the formalities of the ceremony, we moved to the family photo session. The photographer and I coordinated to direct different family member combinations for the pictures. My family structure is slightly complex: my grandparents and parents are divorced, and we still have great-grandparents around, along with a fresh batch of in-laws from my husband's side.
Anyway, I rallied all my grandparents for a special photograph. My grandmothers, grandfathers, and one great-grandparent happily posed, completing the image perfectly. Content with the grandparent group photo, my husband and I snuck off to an old cabin on the estate for more intimate pictures.
By the time we finished, we had had enough of photos. While we were away, our bridal group and family had already begun the festivities. Shortly after we returned back to the central area, I realized my step-grandmother (my mom's stepmother) was upset.
We held our wedding ceremony at her residence and she felt left out of the photos. In a bid to retain the good mood, my mother suggested we return to our photo spot with the disgruntled step-grandmother and the photographer. But there was no satisfying her, she wanted all the wedding party people or nothing.
Eventually, we had to convince the bridal squad and my mother's extended family members to retake some photos with my step-grandmother. Almost half an hour later, we had more photos starring her than any other relative.
Unfortunately, even after the additional photo session, she continued her negative streak, criticizing the music, food, decorations, and unfamiliar guests. Eventually, she just straight up left. That said, the mood lifted significantly after that.
In addition to all that, at our rehearsal dinner, my husband's sister stole the spotlight to announce she was pregnant with second child.
25. 1 Plus 2 Equals Zero
My uncle got an invite, but since my cousins and I aren't close, they weren't part of the guest list. Our wedding was meant to be small, hence the limited invites. Regardless, my uncle RSVP-ed, and included his grown-up kids in his response. After a conversation, I gave in and agreed they could attend...but after all that, they didn't come to our wedding.
This meant over $150 worth of food went to waste, and people I hadn't even originally intended to invite were absent. Just stick to the people you genuinely want at your wedding.
26. Father Doesn’t Know Best
My father was determined his band would perform at our wedding, despite the fact my wife and I did NOT want hi to. No matter how often we told him no, he was relentless to have his band play at our reception. Eventually, he attempted a way worse approach.
One day, he offered to foot the bill for our honeymoon, an amazing cruise to Mexico. Along with this generous offer, though, he slipped in yet another request for his band to play at our wedding. We finally caved in, and said the band could perform at the reception hall during the two-hour gap between our wedding and the reception.
Our ceremony was scheduled for 3 PM with the reception to follow at 5 PM. We figured my dad's band could keep guests entertained while they waited for our arrival at the reception hall. Refreshments were available for those who left the ceremony for the hall.
While we were occupied with post-ceremony pictures, I decided to check in with a friend at the hall to see how my dad's band was doing...only to hear that they weren't playing despite us giving them permission to during that period.
So, as far as I was aware, my dad's band wouldn't be performing. I've never been so wrong. First, when we got to the reception hall we say that my mom had taken it upon herself to move everything around during our absence.
Our meticulously planned table arrangements and seating order were all out of place. Naturally, my wife was super upset. There are actually many photos of the exact moment both our faces fell as we discovered the changes. But it wasn't over yet.
As the reception got into full swing, my dad approached us AGAIN, looking to negotiate a slot for his band, even though we had a DJ on hire. I firmly told him it wasn't happening. he didn't listen. Whether it was during dinner, the best man's toast, or our first dance, his one-track mind was on his band's performance.
Tensions escalated to the point my best man and my dad got into a heated argument over the band's performance. Here's the kicker. The band hadn't even arrived yet! Then, when they eventually did, they brought along their entire families.
Finally, a few hours into the reception, I caved again. I told my dad his band could play what they wanted, and my wife and I promptly left. Oh, and ANOTHER twist: Despite all this fuss, my father wasn't even a performer in the band. He wrote their songs.
It took half a decade before my wife felt comfortable enough to be in the same room as my dad again.Then there's the matter of that honeymoon. My dad only paid the initial deposit of $500, not the entirety as he suggested, which was quite the unpleasant surprise.
27. Something For Everyone
When I was planning my wedding, I asked my only nephew to take on the role of the ring bearer. His mom, who is no longer my sister-in-law, seemed bothered by the fact that her son was given a role in my wedding but her daughter was left out.
She suggested that I should find a place for her daughter in my wedding as a bridesmaid or a flower girl. Meanwhile I felt that two bridesmaids and two flower girls, which I already had, were more than adequate. Besides, her daughter was a bit too mature for the flower girl role.
So I politely declined, thinking that would be the end of it. I was super wrong. Several weeks down the line, she penned me an email where she INSISTED that I include her daughter in the wedding arrangements in some way. I finally agreed.
I assigned her daughter the task of ensuring guests signed the guest book at the reception's entryway. Well, then my sister-in-law came back with another request. She wanted me to have her daughter assist me in opening the wedding gifts during the reception.
I stood my ground and said, "No. I found a task for her. If you don't like it, too bad". She never let go of her grudge.
Vadim Martynenko, Shutterstock
28. Miss Congeniality
Back in the early 50s, my grandparents got married in an intimate church ceremony. Grandma sported a classic bridal ensemble, full of Grace Kelly flair, high collared and all. Her bridesmaid troupe had somewhat replicas of her dress but in a cap-sleeved, mid-length version, and obviously in a different color.
But one of her bridesmaids pulled off a spontaneous red carpet look at the wedding instead. Instead of the regular dress, she arrived in an extravagant pageant-style gown, oozing glitz with shiny satin fabric and a low-cut neckline (really daring for the time). That was far from all. To top it all off, she also had a tiara and a huge bouquet.
Well, in her typical cool and collected way, my grandma didn't let this throw her off. She chose not to confront or comment on her friend's fashion at all. She didn't want to give her the satisfaction of a reaction. In fact, the story was kind of a a family secret until recently.
My cousins and I stumbled upon some vintage wedding photos and spotted the standout bridesmaid, so we asked why the heck a Miss America look-a-like crashed grandma's big day.
29. Dave And Buster
My mother-in-law was asking about what outfit she should wear and what time she had to be present at the venue. She'd missed a crucial detail. We hadn't invited her. We were having a really intimate wedding.
Even worse, she then went ahead and invited her children, her siblings, and their families (yes, there was a reason we didn't invite her). In the end though, we ended up eloping on the day we received our license. The clerk asked us if we needed any clarification, and in a playful mood, I inquired if it was possible to have the wedding at the local courthouse that very day.
Our wedding ceremony was officiated by a pirate-dressed judge, complete with a hook hand, and our attire was casual jeans and sweaters. Afterwards, we went to Dave and Busters with our closest pals. No mother-in-law in sight. Looking back, we all enjoyed it much more.
30. She Sells Sanctuary
Right before our wedding ceremony kicked off, my bride was all set to go down the aisle. Our wedding photographer was busy capturing her going toward the church entrance.
The plan was for the photographer to position herself at the front of the church to capture the walk down the aisle, along with the typical wedding moments. But then our wedding planner dropped a bombshell. According to church rules, photographers weren't allowed inside the sacred hall.
This was news to us. My wife was practically choking back tears of frustration. Her father was so angry he nearly assaulted the planner. Our wedding album holds only one single memory from the actual ceremony: a distant shot through the slightly opened church doors.
31. Bad Math
A relative from my husband's family wanted 10 seats instead of the initial three they confirmed. Even though our wedding was just a few weeks away, this wasn't an issue for us.
Since I wasn't too familiar with my husband's relatives, I thought it would be a nice opportunity to get to know more of them. So we increased our guest count, adding an extra seven meals and seats, and assigned them their own table.
To our surprise, NONE of the 10 showed up on our wedding day. They gave no notification or reason. They were the only invitees who didn't attend. Looking back, their request feels frustrating and unreasonable. Luckily, their absence wasn't noticed or a concern.
32. Betting Against Them
I served as the official photographer at a wedding. The bride's father and the groom's mother found themselves on opposite sides of a divider during the dinner at the reception. They were apparently feuding over the responsibility of the wedding expenses.
As the fight escalated, the mother sneered, "This is pointless. We both know this marriage isn't going to last". Then the dad goes, "You're right". The entire place heard their conversation.
Wedding and lifestyle, Shutterstock
33. One In, One Out
At our wedding, two good friends who were dating broke up. This awkward moment took place in a quieter space with just my wife and me present. It was cringe-worthy.
34. Betty’s Revenge
When wedding bells began to chime in our university friend group, it was common to see the same faces as bridesmaids and groomsmen. Occasionally we'd spot a sibling or cousin added into the mix too.
There was one woman, Betty, who had a way of turning any wedding party she was a part of into her personal spotlight moment. Every wedding she went to, Betty would inevitably take center stage with some dramatic event, from passing out at the altar to a bout of hay fever right during the wedding vows. There was always a twist.
So, when it was our turn to get hitched, my partner and I decided to strategize. We deliberately reduced the number of bridesmaids, conveniently providing us with an excuse to exclude Betty from the lineup. But Betty was no amateur, and wouldn't be so easily deterred.
By the time the traditional bouquet toss began, I allowed myself a sigh of relief. Nothing had happened yet, and I thought we'd maybe been unfair. Wrong. The bouquet flew through the air only to get snatched up by Betty, like a basketball player trying to sink a rebound.
It devolved into chaos. In the fray, Betty had managed to topple over my wife's cousin, who was visiting from Seattle, leaving her dazed and sprawled on the floor. Betty, in her dramatic glory, then began to wail that she'd broken her ankle.
So, instead of our planned elegant exit, our wedding ended with two guests heading to the hospital. Betty had struck yet again.
35. And We Thought Humans Made A Spectacle
While my closest friends were exchanging their vows, the couple's border collie started whimpering at the sound of their voice through the loudspeaker. A friend of the bride's family, who had the dog on a leash in the crowd, let her run free hoping to calm her down...and it worked.
Without making a sound, the dog excitedly trotted around the lawn. She started exploring around, just 10 feet behind the priest in the background. Then, out of nowhere, she decided to poop right there. It was a hilarious moment for everyone.
36. Timing Is Everything
My aunt was about to get married and asked my cousin and me to be ring-bearers. Each one of us had a ring on a pillow. I have no memory of this event, but there's video footage of it. It shows both of us, my cousin and I, strolling down the aisle, each holding a ring on a pillow.
Then suddenly, we stopped. We exchanged glances. The worst happened. I glanced at my pillow, then at him, and out of the blue, I whacked him on the head with my pillow. He quickly sprang up and retaliated. It turned into an impromptu pillow fight, smack dab in the middle of a church on my aunt's wedding day.
37. Accept No Substitutes
I was maid of honor at my best friend's wedding. Both the bachelor and bachelorette parties happened the night before. The women stayed out till the wee hours, but the men partied all night long and continued into the following day, leading up to the evening wedding.
The best man was too far gone to make it to the wedding, so I ended up walking down the aisle with an alternate. He was a friend of the groom, who donned jeans, a T-shirt, and Converse sneakers. It wasn't a huge issue, but his DATE was quite something.
She made an entrance in a tube top mini dress, paired with thigh high glossy leather boots. She had an obnoxiously large and noisy keyring, which instead of tucking away in her bag, she let jingle throughout the ceremony. The noise was so annoying that I actually was thinking of leaving the altar to take it from her.
This woman had also gone through a lot of stuff, and her dress revealed multiple large, distinctive, and self-inflicted scars on her thighs. Several older family members inevitably inquired about her scars, and she calmly responded that she had done it to herself.
She then went into sharing inappropriate and extensive stories about her horrible past relationship. She displayed an overall attention-seeking behavior, even when it led to negative attention. The nightmare was just getting started. As the stand-in best man, T-Shirt Guy delivered an impromptu yet effective speech.
As I began my speech, his date, for some inexplicable reason, decided that it was her turn to speak. I noticed her coming towards me from the edge of my vision. Still, I carried on with my speech, pretending not to notice her. When I finished, I shut off the mic, placed it on my table, and sat down, ignoring her clearly wanting me to hand over the mic.
Now she was awkwardly standing in front of everyone. Instead of silently congratulating my friend or just taking a seat, she threw a tantrum, began crying uncontrollably, and crumpled onto the floor, with T-Shirt Guy unable to get her back on her feet.
He reluctantly dragged her away from the front of the reception by her arm. After causing such a spectacle, you'd think she'd leave, but nope. She continued her erratic behavior, demanded a corner piece of the wedding cake, and even ended up tipping over a decorative table holding a large glass vase. So that's how my best friend's wedding unfolded.
Nicoleta Ionescu, Shutterstock
38. Where’s The Bouncer
It was amazing how many people thought they had the right to visit me in my dressing room at the wedding. Just knowing the bride seems to make a lot of people think they're special. But, you know what? About half of the wedding guests are familiar with the bride. So, unless you're a close relative or a member of the bridal party, please wait with the rest of the crowd.
Regardless, one of my colleagues managed to sneak in while my maid of honor tried to close the door. Not only did she push her way into the room where we get ready, but she also overstayed her welcome and insisted on taking pictures.
To get her to leave, I allowed her to take a photo. But I specifically instructed her to only share it with another colleague who couldn't attend the wedding. Posting it online was strictly off-limits. And the icing on the cake? She showed up in white.
39. Not My Problem
Just a few days before I got married, my husband-to-be's aunt called me up out of the blue. She wanted separate family portraits taken. Thing is, I had already hired and planned with a professional photographer operating on my schedule, and now she was looking for my approval for individual family shots.
I wasn't open to the suggestion and expressed how disrespectful I found it for her to contact the bride and ask for such a considerable favor with only a handful of days left until the ceremony. After that, several of her relatives jumped into the fray.
I stood my ground, said no to all of them, and made it clear that I wouldn't listen to anymore about it.
40. Drama Queens
We had our ceremony at a swanky lakeside resort, and made it an adults-only affair. For two of my bridesmaids, who happened to be parents themselves, this was cause for celebration. After all, it's a chance for a nice grown-up night. My mother-in-law had a much different reaction.
She was furious that our two-year-old niece couldn't attend. On Christmas Eve, she started a fight with me, called me self-centered, and predicted that the entire family would come to hate me. I left without a word. But that's not even the most bizarre part. The sister-in-law she was supposedly defending didn't mind our "no kids" policy at all.
And the drama still didn't stop there. My husband then received a call from his brother, who WAS supposedly furious and threatened to boycott the wedding. In the end, we found a solution: a family member agreed to babysit the niece during the ceremony and photo sessions, after which she could enjoy the reception for a while before the grownups started to let loose.
The arrangement worked fine. But the memory of my mother-in-law's outburst continues to linger.
Roman Samborskyi, Shutterstock
41. Gone Fishing
I provide catering services for weddings, and I recently witnessed a weird scene. A guest jumped halfway into a pond at the venue, aiming to seize a koi fish. Then, much later on, only the newlyweds were really left. As they were about to leave, they spotted a sleeping three-year-old child in a corner.
They had no idea who he belonged to, so they had no choice but to look after him.
42. It’s Me, Hi, I’m The Problem It’s Me
I went to a close friend's wedding, which was a tastefully intimate affair at the groom's California beach house in Capitola. Despite being somewhat shy, I decided to join people on the dance floor. All heck broke loose. Almost immediately after getting there, I twisted my left leg with an audible crack.
I fell hard and, in my surprise, pulled my friend down with me as I lost support. I was oblivious to what had happened, but the excruciating pain was undeniable. They quickly ushered me out and to the side. A friend offered me some pain relievers, which I gratefully accepted.
I was desperately trying to keep my pain under control and to avoid being the center of attention. So I continued drinking and consuming pain medication. Only eventually, I blacked out from the combination. Then all my secrets came out. Apparently, I had a breakdown at one point, sorrowfully revealing to my friend that I had just found out my mother was diagnosed with cancer.
There was more that happened, but this was the highlight. In a haze, I somehow managed to return to my hotel room. The next morning, I awoke with an incredibly swollen knee and incredible pain. Like, the pain was unbearable.
At long last, I decided it was time to go to a doctor. The diagnosis was honestly devastating: a fragmented kneecap and a ruptured MCL. Following surgery three months ago, I am still undergoing physical therapy.
43. Friendship Over
My closest friend for the past 15 years, who was my maid of honor, decided against bringing her family to my wedding, which was out of state. Instead, she insisted on taking off early from my reception or else bring her six-month-old to the ceremony. She made this revelation to me barely two weeks before my wedding.
We talked about it. She was under the impression that she could walk down the aisle holding her six-month-old. She had no alternative plans if the baby happened to cry, and didn't think it was a big deal if the baby wailed through the whole thing. I told her it was.
So, she gave me two options: her baby comes with her or she arrives late and skips the rehearsal dinner. I opted for the latter. Her reaction gutted me. She was upset because she thought my choice was inappropriate. At that point, she distanced herself and didn't talk to me for a week.
So, that's the scenario a week before my wedding. Then she finally breaks the silence and communicates with me. By this point, my patience was wearing thin. I had made several compromises, and she wasn't acknowledging them.
I'd arranged for her meals and accommodation. All she had to take care of was her dress, which cost $99, and her flight fare. I even got a restaurant that caters vegan food for the rehearsal dinner, since she's vegan. I always made it a point to be there for her, rejoicing in her moments of joy.
I organized a birthday celebration for her during our middle school years. I was by her side when she delivered both her children. I also helped arrange her baby showers.Was it too much to aske her to spare one weekend for my event?
The turning point was when my husband asked, "What has she done for you lately"? I realized I didn't have an answer. So I made a big decision. By the time she chose to stop avoiding me, I'd already replaced her as my maid of honor.
I told her that she was no longer invited to my wedding and that our friendship was over. Despite my profound affection for her, with days of crying, I decided to draw the line. She has been incredibly self-involved, and I no longer want to constantly worry about her issues.
Viacheslav Boiko, Shutterstock
44. Nephew 1, In-Laws 0
My young nephew wanted to join in the excitement of everyone getting fancy dresses and suits for my wedding; he was only nine. So I delightfully agreed...until I heard from my mother-in-law that my brother-in-law completely vetoed this idea. He didn't want my my nephew to get a suit for my wedding.
My brother-in-law didn't want to spend a bunch of money on a suit rental for a child. I thought that was fair enough, so said I would willingly foot the bill. I knew it would make him so happy. So fast forward to the day when we're getting sized and choosing our outfits.
My nephew eyed a top hat, and wanted to include it in his suit order. His mother said she needed to confirm with his dad. Unfortunately, his dad rejected this request too. He did it so cruelly. He said, on speakerphone, that his kid would look like a fool wearing a top hat at the wedding when no one else was.
Seeing my nephew on the verge of tears broke me. He loved that hat, and his dad made fun of him for it. So I took him to one side, asked if he really wanted the hat, and told him it would be his responsibility to wear and care for it. He agreed, and I told him to keep the hat a secret and follow his parents' instructions about everything else.
The day before the wedding, when the rented suits arrived at their respective houses, I made sure the hat box came with my nephew's suit. Not an hour later, I received another horrible call from my brother-in-law, accusing me of undermining him in front of his kids, making him pay more, and trying to make his child look like a fool.
I calmly responded by asking him whose wedding it was, and asked if he had paid a dime. My nephew was the star of the evening, dressed to the nines with the added flourish of his beloved top hat. Many of my friends made it a point to either dance with him or at the very least, compliment him on how dapper he looked.
45. Music Sounds Better Without You
Our self-curated music for the evening was streaming from the venue's sound system, all in an effort to save some bucks, when it malfunctioned and stopped working. We thought the venue could quickly fix it. Surely they'd dealt with it before, right?
Welp, after 20 minutes of total silence, things got rough. One guest threatened to leave with a bunch of others unless we fixed it. They did indeed leave an hour late. Here's the twist. That guest was my chief bridesmaid, my sister.
46. Free Ride
My older aunt requested my wife-to-be to pick her up from the airport...just four hours before the ceremony. Doesn't Aunt Pearl know about cabs?
47. Not The Father
Sharon, who is my mother-in-law, was the WORST on our wedding. She tried to control my wife in the most ridiculous way...she wanted her boyfriend, not the bride's dad, to take my wife down the aisle.
48. With Or Without You
When my wife told her mom we were getting married, her reaction was shocking. She responded with, "Why are you doing this to me?" Only, she wasn't even done yet. She followed this up by vowing not to attend the wedding, even rallying for a family-wide boycott of the event.
Obviously this deeply hurt my wife, and she relayed the whole scenario to my stepmom Carol. Recognizing our predicament, Carol invited my wife to shop for a wedding dress that very day, and generously offered our backyard to host both the ceremony and reception.
Well, my wife's mom hit the roof after hearing that Carol had stepped in to help with wedding dress shopping. She felt slighted since this was an activity she had planned to share with her daughter. You know, despite the fact that she was being a raging witch about everything else. She confronted my wife, saying "I guess you don't care about me at all".
Still, this all forced my wife's mom to realize that our wedding plans were going forward, despite her approval or disapproval. Once she did, she quickly revised her initial stance and decided to lend her support to our wedding preparations.
49. Do It Yourself
While looking back on the pictures from her wedding, my sister found an bizarre surprise. There were a bunch of family photos with unfamiliar faces mixed in.
She turned to her husband, puzzled, and asked him to identify these strangers. As it turns out, they were his distant relatives, whom he had invited at his mother's insistence, despite having never met them before. They apparently managed to persuade the photographer to take their pictures.
But the real shocker came two weeks after the wedding. One audacious aunt had the gall to phone my sister and her husband, asking, "Have you seen your wedding proofs yet? I bet there are some great shots of us. We would love to have some copies". She basically wanted free snaps of herself looking good.
My sister knew what to do. She responded, "Well, our photographer, John Smith, would be the one to call. Here's his number. He'll be delighted to take your order for prints". Let's just say we haven't heard from that aunt since!
50. Only The Lonely
My best buddy had a long-standing casual relationship. His girlfriend asked to bring an extra guest to our wedding because my pal would be busy fulfilling his best man duties and she didn't know anyone else.
Politely, my wife and I turned down her request. I know it sounds mean, but she never really tried to blend with his friend group. One evening, after maybe one-too-many drinks, I was chatting with my friend on the phone. On that call, I ended up bringing up that I was a bit appalled at his girlfriend's request.
I think I was just a little ticked off about her reluctance to socialize with his friend. But I had no idea I'd made a huge mistake. Turned out, the girlfriend was around during that phone call, and my ramblings were loud enough for her to overhear all my remarks.
From then on, my best man's guest list was one person short.
