Weddings are meant to be a very happy occasion. Two people declaring their love for each other, and preparing to start a life together. A person’s wedding day is supposed to be the best day of their life. Unfortunately, that does not always happen.
People share the worst behavior they’ve ever seen at a wedding. Content has been edited for clarity.
Happily Ever After In The End
“When I married my first husband, we didn’t have much money so all of our preparations were strictly budgeted. My parents were on a fixed income so they couldn’t help either, or at least, that’s what I was told.
We had a small affair, we had been living together for a year and a half and I was about four months pregnant, so we kept things very intimate. My dear friend and her husband were in a band, so they offered to gift us their services for the night. My grandmother and I made all the food in advance, so it just needed to stay either refrigerated or needing heating just before the reception, and since the town hall had a kitchen, that part went smoothly. We purchased what we could afford for drinks and told everyone if they wanted something different, they were welcome to bring their own.
The ceremony was actually held at the Justice of the Peace’s office a few weeks before with just immediate family but we wanted to celebrate with extended family and friends so we splurged on the reception. We had to pay for everything so it was very informal, my friend and I had even written the invitations. She had been teaching my calligraphy for months before so they turned out beautiful. For several months, my mother kept telling me how broke they were so they couldn’t help at all and I told her it was ok, I understood. My father did offer to pay for the drinks behind her back though because he felt I was being cheated. So the day of the reception comes and only 30 people show up. I have five sisters, all attached in one way or another, so they were the bulk of our guests. I was so disappointed and hurt that no one could show up for us and most of those invited, actually lived in the same town! AND they were mostly relatives!
The next day I put my hurt aside and since we had so much food and drink left, we decided to invite neighbors and friends to my parents’ house for a party. Well the WHOLE neighborhood showed up for THAT, including the relatives who couldn’t attend our ‘paid’ event. I had gotten two gifts and a few cards at our reception so we just waited to open them the next day. The gifts had been from two of my sisters. One was a $20 coffee maker the other was kitchen towels. The cards were from aunts and uncles who put in what they could. I think all told we spent $400 on the reception/party and received about $150 in monetary gifts but were happy for it, because we were married and that was what the day was about anyway.
So, while I’m wallowing in misery because my own family didn’t count me as important enough to even come to a party where there was free food and drinks, but COULD show up the next day without obligation to partake in the same food and drink, MY MOTHER decides it a GREAT time to show my new in-laws all the things she purchased in advance for my sister, who decided to get married just months after me! She brought these things out to the tables we had set up in the yard and was showing them off!
When my father saw what she had done, he was furious! He didn’t insist that she take it all back, because it was for another of his daughters, but he told her in no uncertain terms that she was not to spend another dime since they would not be able to pay the next month’s bills! She then told him that she had opened a credit card just for the occasion and that since he had paid for the drinks for my reception, that she was allowed to do something for my sister as well!
I later found out she had also purchased my sister’s wedding dress, paid for the hall, the flowers, and all the wedding favors. I knew she didn’t like me, but this was so hurtful and blatantly obvious of her dislike for me that I didn’t speak to her, not even when we were in the same room, for months! When my sister got married, I attended for her but was still resentful. The next day she was opening gifts from our other sisters and I found they not only gave her expensive gifts but cards with cash! Well that was the last straw for me. When they all got married for the first time or second marriages, I didn’t even attend. I refused to even get them the cheap coffee makers they pawned off on me (I found out later that the coffee maker was a Christmas gift to one sister who didn’t want it so she “re-gifted” it to me).
When I remarried 25 years later, we decided to make it all about ‘us’ and went to Vegas to be married and have our honeymoon all in the same trip. I didn’t invite any of my family, except for my brother, who was only 10 when I got married the first time. I knew they wouldn’t show up anyway, so I saved myself the heartache. We had a fabulous time! My brother brought his new girlfriend and informed me ‘first’ that she was ‘the one’. They were planning to be married but were keeping it secret, since they didn’t want a ‘fuss’ made about it. I felt so honored by my brother that day that we loaned them the cheesy bride and groom hats we had purchased to wear around the next day and took pictures of them wearing the hats. I knew that none of my sisters would believe that my brother would tell me anything first so we sent them the pictures as a joke and I was right, they didn’t believe it. They did six months later though when my brother told them all he had gotten married by a Justice of the Peace!
He had gotten revenge for me. He and I had not been close growing up. We were 10 years apart in age, so we didn’t have a whole lot in common for a long time. But, he never forgot my pain during my first wedding and told me he secretly hated mom for the longest time because of it, even though he and the sister whose wedding was right after mine, were her favorites. Mom died before she got to see her only precious baby boy get married, but I think he might not have even told her about it if she had been alive, that is until it was over.”
The ‘Real’ Reception
“A couple of years ago, we were invited to a family member’s wedding. It was out of town (about an eight-hour drive for us). Actually, the vast majority of the guests were from out of town like us.
So we get the invitation and notice there is an ‘A’ reception and a ‘B’ reception. The ‘A’ reception was right after the ceremony and just for immediate family and close friends. It included a catered dinner, a wedding cake, all the normal reception stuff.
The ‘B’ reception was for everyone else, and occurred about eight hours after the ceremony and just included dessert. All guests invited to the ‘B’ reception had to provide their own meals and entertainment during the eight hours that the ‘A’ reception was happening. We, like most other guests, were invited to the ‘B’ reception.
This is BY FAR the rudest and tackiest thing I have ever seen. Just to have two receptions is incredibly offensive, not to mention that most people were from out of town. Having to provide our own meal during that time just added to the cost of an already expensive weekend with gas, hotel, and other meal costs.
One other thing I thought was weird was that I was invited to (and attended) the bridal shower. So I was good enough for the shower, but not good enough for the real reception?
Needless to say, we attended the wedding, but they did not receive a gift.”
Some Things You Just Don’t Do
“When my husband and I got married, we had a very large wedding. There were approximately 400 guests. There were people on my husband’s side I did not know, and there were people on my side he did not know.
When it was time for me to throw my bouquet to all of the single ladies, this woman caught the bouquet that I did not recognize. She looked a little out of place as she didn’t seem to be dressed for a wedding. When I turned around to see who had caught the bouquet, it looked as though one of my friends from work had caught it – but this mystery woman ended up with it in her hands; my friend was left with a couple of leaves in her hand!
I had assumed she was on my husband’s side of the family, while he had assumed that she was on my side of the family. Right after she caught the bouquet, she came over to me to INTRODUCE herself. She told me that she had the same name as me. I then asked her who she was related to from the wedding.
Her response astonished me and caught me off guard. She said that she was at the wedding because she ‘came to pick somebody up who needed a lift home from the wedding.’ I kid you not!
This woman who caught my bouquet – who actually GRABBED my bouquet right out of my friends’ hands (as an added bonus, it was captured on video!) – was not an invited guest to my wedding! She was a complete stranger. How does somebody do this and think it’s okay? I guess it takes all kinds!”
Monster In Law
“My husband and I just got married in June. My mother-in-law’s behavior was appalling. She started eating appetizers before the wedding, which in itself isn’t that bad. She stood during the entire ceremony, blocking the view of many of the guests, including my parents who paid for everything. They had to move in order to see. She also blocked the view of the wedding photographer we hired.
After the ceremony, she didn’t even give my husband and me a second to ourselves to celebrate together. She threw her phone at me, demanding I take a picture of her and her son. My sister said something to her, and she nearly threw punches at her for speaking up.
When I didn’t take a picture of them because the photographer walked up and asked to take family pictures, she pestered her to take a picture with her phone for about 15 minutes. The photographer offered to text her photos, but she refused.
At the reception, she complained about the food, saying it was too spicy (we had a taco bar). Despite complaining, she tried to get seconds before everyone had even been served their first plate. My husband told me she complained when I didn’t spend the whole reception at the head table. All I can say now, is that I’m so glad my husband is the polar opposite of her.”
Take Her Off The Guest List
“My husband and I got married in September 2018. At our wedding, his younger brother (who I am not fond of at all), was one of the groomsmen.
We were fortunate enough that we could afford all our guests to bring a plus one. This obviously applied to little brother too. His girlfriend is another story. She literally (and I am not kidding there are witnesses!) behaves like a pathetic girl (definitely cannot class her as a woman). So she’ll do something just so she can get everyone’s attention and sympathy.
This stupid girl. She was a plus one. She was not even invited to the wedding. She did not receive an invitation. She was listed as a partner on the guest list.
She decided she is going to wear black to my wedding and bring her own camera. She stood in the middle of our ENTIRE ceremony and took photos on her camera.
I paid for two photographers to document the day.
She is in EVERY SINGLE PHOTO OF THE CEREMONY! I obviously didn’t see this until I got my photos.
To this day (almost a year) we have not received the photos she took. It’s constant excuses. And everyone keeps telling me to leave it. Don’t say anything. As if being completely rude at someone else’s wedding is just a normal thing because oh shame she’s stupid.
I was so upset. Still am.”
