Weddings are joyful celebrations filled with love, laughter, and cherished moments. However, amidst the beauty and excitement, there are occasions when guests witness appalling breaches of etiquette that leave them astounded. In this collection of stories, we dive into the experiences of wedding goers who share their accounts of witnessing the most shocking breaches of wedding etiquette.
From rude behavior and wardrobe malfunctions to outrageous demands and inappropriate speeches, these tales shed light on the moments when decorum and social norms were tossed aside. Join us as we navigate the world of wedding ceremonies and receptions, exploring the stories that remind us of the importance of graciousness, respect, and consideration for others on such special occasions.
Get ready to be amazed, outraged, and perhaps gain insights into how we can all contribute to creating memorable and respectful wedding experiences for everyone involved.
All content has been edited for clarity.
The Rules Still Apply To Family
“Some years ago at my little brother’s wedding, he sent out invitations stating very specifically that young children weren’t welcome at the reception and that all parties must RSVP the guest each was bringing (if not named in the invitation). We were clear: you cannot show up with anybody not RSVP’ed and it better not be more than the +1.
What happened?
A relative showed up with her five kids and the oldest’s boyfriend to the reception. No gift. Never went to the actual wedding. Never RSVP’ed and they certainly didn’t RSVP the +6 she brought, wearing really ratty street clothing. It wasn’t very pleasant. My stepmom was furious. My dad is anti-confrontational when it comes to family but this was particularly egregious.
My dad and step-mom had to ask the individual to talk.
As my step-mom explained it, she said, ‘I was under the impression that family is the exception to such rules and that this was for friends.’ Basically, they wanted free food and drinks.
My stepmom apparently said, ‘No. You were sent an invitation with the rules which applied to you. You didn’t RSVP and you certainly didn’t have the right to bring six people including one total stranger, eat for free, fail to bring a gift, and then act inconvenienced.’
We haven’t seen that side of the family since then.”
I’m Sure That Wedding Was A Blast
“A friend of mine from high school married a minister. The reception was in the church basement (no drinking, no dancing, no fun). I was a bridesmaid. I knew this was a mistake from the beginning. I didn’t like her fiance, I didn’t like the person he was encouraging her to be, and this girl was legendarily flaky.
My friend told me I was allowed to bring someone to the wedding (she also invited my parents), which was peculiar since she knew I wasn’t seeing anyone. We had a close mutual friend, who was a gay man. I asked him to be my guest. He happily accepted.
At the time this was happening, she hadn’t yet sent out the actual, written invitations; this was all verbal. In retrospect, I should have seen this coming; of course, I was going to be ‘officially invited’ because I was IN THE WEDDING. When the actual invitation arrived in the mail, it was addressed to me +1 but when I opened it a slip of paper fell out, on which was typed, ‘Please bring so and so’ who was another friend with whom we ran around.
I called the friend I had invited. He had not received a written invitation. I called the other friend. He had received one, which included a printed slip saying to please ‘bring me.’ Wow.
Baffled, I called my friend and told her that I had already invited someone since I foolishly thought that I would be allowed to bring anyone I wanted as my guest. Did she expect me to now uninvite my guest?
After much hemming and hawing, she explained that because their religion considered homosexuality an aberration ‘worthy of eternal damnation,’ she didn’t want a gay man at her wedding.
My friend actually thought this was funny, in a roll-your-eyes sort of way, and, understandably, graciously backed out. Our other friend wanted nothing to do with these people, so he declined as well. I was so furious that I didn’t want to go, either, but my mom got me to realize that I was already committed and the wedding was just days away.
So, I bitterly marched down the aisle, went to their lousy reception, and said ‘good riddance’ when they moved out of state.
The best part? The friend they wanted me to bring turned out to be gay too!”
Definitely Not A Toxic Relationship
“I asked my mother to be my Matron of Honor, mostly to make her happy and to avoid a crisis. I chose her favorite colors for my bridesmaids so she wouldn’t be wearing something she didn’t like. I gave her free reign to choose a dress she liked, in the color I ‘chose’ for her. Keep all this in mind.
From the very beginning of planning, she claimed the wedding was not for the bride, but for the mother of the bride. She dictated my dress, my veil, my flowers, my cake, the food at the reception, and the music that would be played. I got to choose my invitations and announcements, but only because I hid the catalogs from her.
I allowed all this because I believe that a wedding is not nearly as important as the marriage, and I knew that my husband and I would be fine.
Fast forward to the day of the wedding. I hadn’t seen her dress yet, but she assured me that I’d love it. I was so busy getting myself ready that I didn’t worry about it. My wedding was scheduled for 3:00, so my bridesmaids and I were ready to go at 2:30. My mother insisted that the ceremony wasn’t until 3:30. I showed her the schedule and she got mad but allowed that I was right. I still hadn’t seen her dress.
At 5 minutes to 3, she was ready. My bridesmaids and I were already in the car with my dad when my mother came out of the house. I finally saw the dress. It was the exact same off-white color as mine. She was also wearing a small tiara with a little veil attached. As it was too late to do anything about it, I let it go.
I got married (we’ll be celebrating 29 years this July), and a good time was had by all, even with my mother telling everybody who would listen that it was HER day.
Quite a few people who have seen the wedding photo of the whole bridal party ask which one of the 2 women wearing long, ecru gowns is the bride or was it a double wedding.
To me, my mother hijacking my wedding and my special day was the biggest breach of etiquette. The funny thing is, both times my brother got married, she told me that it was the bride’s day and we had to respect her wishes.”
