Weddings are supposed to be blissful experiences, but let’s be honest: It doesn’t always happen that way. Disaster can strike at any moment in the form of bridezillas, monster-in-laws, or undeserving grooms. These weddings, in particular, got ruined in an instant, and their eyewitnesses lived to tell the tale.
1. What A Way To Go
I've seen some dreadful weddings. This one takes the cake. I once did a dessert table at a wedding at my former country club job. People started rolling in as I set up, even though the ceremony should've been underway. The couple was missing.
The vibe was funereal, with folk whispering to each other. I found the venue's wedding photographer - he'd know the scoop. He'd been chatting with a bridesmaid and shared that the lovebirds were conservative, Christian, and barely out of their teens. The groom got shipped off to a "gay conversion" camp in high school after a rendezvous with his best bud.
Back from camp, he meets this girl and they're soon engaged. Two months before tying the knot, he bumps into his former flame, they rekindle their bromance, causing him to question his choices. What's he doing? Panic sets in the night before the wedding, leading him to his old friend's place. Then stuff gets REAL weird.
He rings up the bride, who is now in denial, prepping for a groom-less wedding. She has a full-blown meltdown on speakerphone, airing out their dirty laundry to everyone, while he's on the other end shouting, "I'm gay! I'm into guys! I love him and I can't be pushed around by my folks! This isn't about you and you'll appreciate it eventually!"
2. That’s Nuts
A friend of mine was at his best pal's wedding. The rules around food were super strict, especially no nuts. Some folks, like the maid of honor, had a nasty nut allergy. But the venue messed up and served a dish with nuts, and it sent the her into anaphylaxis. Her EpiPen didn't do the trick, and she didn't make it to the hospital.
As you'd guess, the bride and groom are getting ready to sue.
3. No Show Nuptials
I've worked lots of weddings, some pretty wild. Fallen cakes, guests fighting, stains on bridal gowns, you name it. But there's one I'll always remember. It was a day-long affair with an intimate ceremony—only close friends and family. The big party followed with mountains of food and an open bar.
Everything was organized at this big venue for 250 night guests. The kicker? Only maybe 30 showed up. It was heartbreaking. Picture this—beautiful barn set-up, plenty of food and drinks, awesome tunes—but almost no one to enjoy it. By 10 pm (the venue was good till 11), so much food was untouched.
The handful who made it did eat, but it barely made a dent. I asked the bride's mom if she wanted the leftovers stored for later. Her response was baffling. She said, "Oh no, more people are coming". Talk about awkward.
No more guests came. Around 10:30, a car's headlights got the bride lit up, thinking more folks were arriving. Nope, just cabs for the ones who were there. First time I didn’t have to shoosh folks out. At the strike of 11, it was ghost-town.
Turns out, the bride’s parents covered the cost and controlled the guest list. They used the evening as a show-off session to their “friends”, who really were just business contacts. No wonder no one cared about their invite—they didn't even know the couple. So, it was less a wedding, more a networking gig courtesy of the bride’s folks.
4. A Real Showstopper
This didn't pop off at a wedding, but a 30-year anniversary shindig. I was on the waitstaff at a fancy hotel with ballrooms for big bashes. The couple went all out; around 100 guests, a five-course dinner, open bar, and a party until 4 AM.
This party was huge — one of the biggest I've served. After the main course, the husband launched into a speech. Honestly, at first, it was pretty good. He talked about their early days, their hardships, love for their kids... the works. He had charisma, he was funny and articulate.
But then things took a turn. He turned to his wife and basically told her he's loathed her for the last four years. He labeled her a narcissist and said she made him so miserable he nearly offed himself.
Then he dropped the bomb. He knew about her lover — even pointed the guy out in the crowd, sitting with his wife and kids. He had proof, was filing for divorce, and looking to take her to the cleaners. He served her the papers then and there. The guy didn't even stop there though. He revealed he had his own place and his stuff was being moved as they partied.
In the awkward silence that followed, he tipped everyone — every last dishwasher, manager, waiter, and busboy — $200. Left the building. You can bet your bottom dollar the party cleared out fast after that.
5. In The Dark
I used to cater events. One time, my boss sent me to this remote spot in the forest next to a stunning river. Turns out, he wasn't coming and left me in charge. He swore everything was under control...he was wrong. I about to live through a horror story.
You can picture my shock when I got there and zilch was ready. We were only an hour earlier, so I started panicking and tried to sort the tent situation. We needed extension cords for the coffee and tea - nada. We needed tables for the food - again, nada. I somehow managed last-minute miracles for these missing essentials.
But then, just as the couple arrived, it got way worse. We tripped the breaker, and everything went dark. Even after resetting it and shuffling stuff around, the breaker kept tripping. This crazy chaos continued all night—through the toasts, the first dance, everything. But the absolute worst was when we found out the water pump stopped working right when we started washing our dishes.
By then, I just gave up and decided we would clean the dishes back at the shop, and we ended up spending more hours after the long drive home scrubbing dishes. I ended up pulling a 15-hours shift, no break, and the wedding was STILL a disaster. Needless to say, I quit after that.
6. I’m Like A Bird
I played best man at my sister-in-law's wedding. After a year of prep, all she wanted was a dove release during their handwritten vows. It was a chill, non-religious wedding. Early summer, everything seemed perfect...until the bird people showed up.
They were late and the wedding party had to pitch in. When time came for the vows, I helped the dove guy take the crate to where the couple was standing. Vows were finishing up when I got the sign to open the crate. What I saw...was a nightmare.
There were like 20 or 30 UNALIVE DOVES in the box! My reflex was to shut it and pretend all was fine. Already too late. The bride's horrified expression said it all. Our next few hours were spent trying to lift everyone's mood, but by reception's end, the whole wedding crew had filed animal mistreatment complaints against the dove guy. It totally took over everyone's attention.
7. Surprise, Surprise
Back in my college days, I worked at this fancy New Jersey catering hall and saw a wedding fiasco once. We found it odd when some groomsmen got into the reception area during the cocktail hour to "decorate." That’s usually not a guy thing, right?
Anyway, dinner went off without a hitch, but we noticed something - the bride's family was super traditional. Didn't drink, barely danced, and just watched, wide-eyed, as the groom's side partied hard. So when it's time for speeches, the best man suddenly stands up.
He was like, "Yo, bride's family—you might think your girl’s all pure and angelic, but check under your seat for a reality check!" And man, did things go bananas then. Every single chair had a photo taped underneath showing the bride and groom... you know, caught in the act. The groom's side was in stitches, but the bride's side? Completely horrified.
The rest of the night was just a series of fights. Oh, did I forget to mention this was in New Jersey? Basically, the wedding was a total wreck after that.
8. Too Much Fun
I once worked at a bar on a tropical island near Queensland, Australia, where tons of weddings took place. Nearly every day, we had at least one. One day, a bachelor party strolled into my bar around 4pm, already pretty toasted - I guess they were prepping for a sunrise ceremony the following day. They took off after an hour, replaced by the equally drunk bachelorette party.
After closing up at 9pm, I was back at the island's nightclub by midnight, serving a bustling crowd of about 250 people. Around 1am, the bride, groom, and their squads rolled in, totally wrecked. Seriously, they looked rough. Security shouldn't have let them in - I sure wasn't going to serve them more. They stumbled out 45 minutes later, meaning they'd probably get back to their hotel rooms around 2am, just in time for the bride's 4am makeup call. Despite all this, they planned to pull an all-nighter and party straight through to the wedding.
By the time the ceremony started, they'd been drinking for nearly 18 hours, and it showed. The bride ditched her heels, unable to walk in them, while the groom and his buddies could hardly stand up straight. Neither of them could pronounce their vows clearly enough for the officiant to understand, so she called the whole thing off. They couldn't legally consent while that sloshed.
Their botched wedding cost them a small fortune - about $35,000. They still had their reception, though. Word has it, the bride passed out after an hour, and the groom ralphed everywhere. Both their moms were in tears. Man, what a night.
9. Please RSVP
We went to a family wedding at a budget-friendly place, which was actually quite cool. It was gut-wrenching though, when only a bunch of the folks they had invited turned up. You could tell it stung the couple. They stopped by out table and asked, "Know anyone in town?" They had prepped a feast for 100 guests, but only 30 showed.
They were even ok with having random people over just to keep the food and money from going down the drain. We hadn't given them our cash-filled card yet, so my other half dashed to the ATM and chucked in an extra $100 bill.
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10. I’m Gonna Getcha
I was seeing this chick who invited me to her ex's wedding. I mean, we'd only been together a few months, so going to a wedding felt like quite the leap, but hey, I went with it. I took some time off work, we got all fancied up, you know, really went for it. Problem was, she kept disappearing on me. Pretty soon, I'd realize the reason why.
Fast forward to the party time. Man, did she cause a scene. I mean, full-on drama queen style. Right there, in front of the whole crowd, she blurted out: "I'm still in love with you. We've been hooking up all week." Needless to say, she was shown the door pronto.
Poor bride looked gutted, but everyone tried to keep the party going. No sooner had I stepped outside, my "girlfriend" decided to wreck everything in sight, throwing a proper tantrum. Talk about embarrassing. I had a hunch she wasn't lying about hooking up – she'd been MIA for most of the time we were there. But I reckon everyone thought the whole thing was too wild to be true.
Looking back, I kick myself for not seeing through her sooner. But when you're juggling work and dating, you don't really get the chance to suss someone out. Time flies by and before you know it, you've been together a few months. A couple months on...she's now with the groom and seemingly completely guilt-free about messing me around.
I doubt she even feels bad for using me or screwing up the guy's marriage. That woman's got some serious issues.
11. The Best Laid Plans
The bride's dad showed up nearly an hour late, which held up the whole show. Meanwhile, the AC broke, and with it feeling like a sauna outside, things got pretty sticky fast. The venue was packed to the gills - hardly any elbow room. That heat with the crowd an inch from each other, it was a total mess.
Things went from bad to worse, though. The busted AC must've taken down the fridge too, because most of the food went badd too. All we had left was salad, spaghetti, and rolls. Not nearly enough to feed everyone there. So, most guests bailed after the first dance. Two of the bride's aunts even fainted. You can bet there were tears from the bride and the wedding planner.
12. A Dark Turn
I used to learn photography and was helping out a popular wedding photographer. We were at a couple's wedding one time. He used digital, and I did black-and-white. We spent the full day, from 9 am to 2 am, capturing every moment of their love story.
Though it was just a single day, I really got to vibe with them. I genuinely liked them. The following day, I received a call from the photographer. He sounded choked up and hit me with some seriously heart-breaking news. He told me the groom was slain the previous night. Some dudes had busted into their house to grab their wedding presents. The groom tried to stop them, and they shot him right there in front of his wife. It shook me to my core and I was numb for weeks.
The next weekend, we went back to meet the bride and show her the pictures. We had fasttracked everything so she could have photos of her husband ASAP, all on us. We didn’t bill her a single cent for the whole thing. It was the least we could do, really.
Since my shots weren’t so staged, they captured unplanned moments between them. So, besides the formal album, she also received about 150 candid pics of them just being a couple. It was an emotional rollercoaster, from the minute we walked in until we headed out. Seeing her so hollow compared to a week prior haunts me to this day.
13. Wrong And Strong
My ex's grandma, in her 90s and on wheels, couldn't stop hollering about the wilting flowers while we were at the altar. She wasn't just whispering to her neighbor, but shouting with that raspy, old lady voice. Despite her age, she was sharp as a tack — she just couldn't manage her volume or realize she was causing a scene.
"THESE FLOWERS ARE AWFUL!" She hollered. One of the cousins wordlessly stood up and began to roll her out. "WHERE TO NOW?!" Her cry ensued. We all had a good laugh before carrying on with the ceremony.
14. For The Birds
My girlfriend's bestie was getting married. Regular wedding—said their vows in the nearby church then hit up a swanky joint to celebrate. They hired a photographer who wanted some outdoor shots with the bride and her squad (my girlfriend was part of that crew). A few minutes later, one of them comes back asking for backup. You won't believe what went down.
Apparently, a swarm of swans had a go at the photographer and most folks around him couldn't do anything but laugh. To be fair, it was kind of hilarious—this dude running around hollering his head off.
15. Stage Fright
The wedding was massive, like 500 guests big. All thanks to the bride wanting a big ol' $70,000 wedding bash. I was one of the groomsmen. Ahead of the ceremony, the groom was all jittery. Expected, given all the hype about the day being flawless and it being her fairy-tale marriage and all that. Some point in time, out comes a bottle. What started as a few shots to chill out snowballed into guzzling the entire thing. It was a disaster.
We did all we could: gave him water, bundled him into a shower, and got him dressed again. In the middle of her promises, he ends up hurling all over the front of her gown. Pretty horrific sight, but kinda fun to see unfold. Through it all, they're still going about eight years running.
16. Runaway Bride
My mom played the organ at a bunch of weddings. One tale I remember the most is when a bride bailed on her own wedding because she didn't love the dude. She bolted from the church like a scene from Runaway Bride. We lived in a small town, so word got around pretty fast that she'd found a new guy and fallen totally head over heels for him.
17. The Things These Eyes Have Seen
The newlyweds got super loaded and started fighting, causing a huge scene. They ended up outside sobbing, shouting, and tumbling around - not in a romantic way though. As the best man, I intervened and kinda roughhoused with the groom, while having to fend off the bride's kicks. She finally left with one of her bridesmaids.
When the groom managed to compose himself, he started throwing a tantrum and wrecking the gazebo. Then he blurted out something that had been eating at him for months: "I'm gonna off myself!" Panicked, I told a bridesmaid to bring out a cop from the venue.
The cop tried to get the groom to his hotel room, but the groom showed a bad attitude and ended up being detained. His dad disinherited him and even ranted at the bride. Left to take care of the couple's kid, my date and I spent the night in their honeymoon suite.
Just so you know, I was the best man.
18. Field Trip
My dad's got a bunch of classic cars. He used to rent them out for weddings when I was a kid. The best part? Cleaning up the confetti after he got back home. But one week, there was no confetti. I asked why, but his answer was NOT what I was expecting.
So, get this: the bride changed her mind on the way to the church. Instead of going to the wedding, she asked my dad to drop her and her dad at the zoo. It was her favorite spot.
They just got off there, all dressed up, planning to grab a cab home when they were done. And the funny bit? It was the pre-cell phone era, so folks had probably been waiting at the church for hours! I rang up my dad recently, he thinks the bride was only tying the knot because she had a bun in the oven and thought she had to. It was the early '80s after all.
19. This Took A Turn
Around 15 years ago, I attended a colleague's wedding. The reception was held at a gorgeous outdoor spot by a lake. The groom planned to serenade his bride and then set off fireworks at the end of his song. But, when that final note hit and lingered dramatically, the fireworks flop. After a tense 10 seconds, the groom loses it, drops the mic and heads off to confront the fireworks dude.
No punches were thrown, but someone did end up getting a dunk in the lake. The reception kinda fizzled out after that biz. And talk about bad karma -- the couple divorced a year later when our former groom got sacked for an inappropriate incident involving his boss's minor daughter.
20. All In The Family
Ok, so the brides's dad, her brother, and a random hotel dude ended up in a fight. Honestly, it was less a fight, more like her dad and bro ganging up on the poor guy. So yeah, they both got detained. Fast forward to the bride weeping over her breakfast since her fam spent her big night in jail. They now have assault charges hanging over them, poor guys.
21. Beauty Is Pain
The newlyweds wanted some quick snaps right after they got hitched but ended up vanishing for five whole hours. The rest of us were stuck at the venue with no updates, so no food or tunes. After hanging around for two hours, we took a collection and sweet-talked the venue manager into kickstarting the buffet, and convinced the DJ to crank up the music.
So yeah, we started partying without the bride and groom. When they finally showed up, they were stunned—all the food was gone, people were hammered and it seemed everyone forgot they were at a wedding. Despite this, the wedding wasn't a total disaster and honestly, we all had a ball once we took control.
Turns out, they did use the time to take snaps. The photographer tried his best, but let's be real, they aren't exactly supermodels and seemed to believe he had some wizardry skills to make them appear attractive. He was peeved to put it mildly, and twisted their arms to get them back to the party a few times.
22. Truth Hurts
I ended up at this super lavish wedding as a plus-one and didn't know anyone else there. There must have been hundreds of guests. It was a mega Italian-style wedding. During the cocktail hour, the slightly tipsy maid of honor seized the mic and started to ramble. She took a sharp turn into awkward town by declaring that the bride's late mom didn't approve of the marriage and that it might've been the end of her.
She also hinted at “Vinny,” the groom, keeping some side action. A group of guests swooped in, tackled the maid of honor, and whisked her away. The so-called lovebirds split up and signed the divorce papers within a year.
23. Safe And Not-So Sound
This happened back in '09 in Tenerife. On day two of the nuptials, the bride took a dip in the sea. She went too far out and got lost for about nine hours. She finally managed to find her way back, but was in rough shape. Everyone was freaking out all day, thinking she'd drowned. When she returned, things took a bizarre turn.
Her hubby found her phone and read a bunch of texts supposed to be from her aunt, but they clearly weren't. Turns out, she'd been messing around with the best man for ages. They got a divorce right after that. That's $60k they'll never see again. Easily one of the flashiest weddings I've ever attended.
24. All’s Well That Ends Badly
This was a huge wedding, complete with an open bar. Most of the guests, especially the bridal party, looked like fancy-dressed rednecks. The wedding itself was fine, but the after party got out of hand and started dragging on. The caterers told the bride's dad they were working overtime and needed to close up.
This sparked a big argument with a bunch of the bridal party, like "Do you know what I paid for this?!" They eventually, grudgingly agreed. The 'let's get drinking and make some bad decisions' vibe shifted to the hotel bar. The bridal party was still salty about getting kicked out of their own reception and were sitting on a short fuse.
Suddenly, the groom flipped out and swung at someone. Then it was game on - fists were flying. The hotel staff finally got them out of the lobby, but the fight just moved to the front of the hotel. That's when the cops showed up. In an epic fail, the groom tried to punch a cop and got a smackdown for his troubles.
The bride was on the sidelines, cheerleading for her newly minted husband. Then she decided, "Ah, what the heck!" and went for a cop. Bad move. Turns out the cop she picked was jacked and took her down, face first into a potted plant. Her nose broke, the bloodstains ruined her dress.
Finally, the paddywagon arrived. Handcuffs were distributed, and the bride and groom got a free ride. Classic end to a classy night. I wonder if someone put "Just Married" on the squad car...
25. Bad Reputation
My buddy's mom remarried and threw one heck of an expensive and gorgeous event, but weirdly, she skimped out on a DJ. Outta nowhere, she hands me the CD list and rattles off when each track should play. I attempted to tell her I was totally lost, but she shrugged it off, having faith in me.
Turns out, she had some dream song to walk the aisle to, which I absolutely could not decipher. Timing was crucial to sync with sundown, so she began her walk while I desperately cycled through wrong tunes, causing quite a hilarious scene. Even now, whenever I ring up my friend and his stepdad picks up, he greets me with, "Hey, it's the wedding wrecker, how's it going?"
26. Childish Behavior
I got an invite to my old friend's ceremony. They'd been married a while at the courthouse and were super happy. I roll up and spot this massive group of people—but I immediately realize something's off. My buddy's wife gets pretty freaked out by big crowds, she could even have a meltdown if things get too much.
I ring him straight away, asking what's going on and if they're alright. Turns out his folks invited a whole crowd totally out of the blue. After I texted him a pic of the gathering, they decided a second honeymoon was a better bet than this reception. He pinged out a sorry note telling everyone to hit the road, but kept it on the low-down from his folks. And yeah, his folks came apart at the seams when all of us bailed.
27. Young And Dumb
I got roped into this wedding, right? The bride didn't know enough folks to fill the room and wanted a big bash, so I was on the guest list. Plus, the couple were just kids – they rushed into marriage because they were expecting a baby. Let’s just say the vibe at the party was kinda off.
Everyone could tell the whole thing was a bit of a charade, so I ducked out for some fresh air. I was just chilling outside when suddenly I heard a bunch of yelling indoors. Next thing you know, the bride tears past us, super dramatic and crying her eyes out, straight out of a movie! Turns out the poor wedding cake had melted a bit from improper storage. The bride never did come back, even though the cake actually tasted awesome. Fast forward to nine months later, and they were already divorced...
28. Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off
A few years ago, I was serving at a venue during a wedding reception. The music started, but no one entered for like 30 seconds, so the DJ killed the beats. Everyone then picked up on some intense arguing in the lobby for a minute or so, and two dudes eventually stumbled in, going at each other. It was the groom and the bride's brother.
Apparently, the groom's family wasn't keen on him marrying the girl, and the groom decided during the reception that he sided with them. Long story short, a ton of folks got involved in the brawl, and 9-1-1 was called. The bride was, as you can imagine, losing it. But she decided that if she'd already thrown all this cash down, then there was going to be a party, groom or no groom.
Honestly, I don't think I could've handled it as well as she did, so props to her for that... but man, the whole thing was a total disaster.
29. Head Games
Right after the vows, during the reception kick-off, the photographer was snapping shots of the bride and her bridesmaids mid-jump, all in heels. Well, the bride landed wrong and popped her knee. The sound still haunts me. She fainted and kept blacking out even after she came to. We dialed 9-1-1 - they showed up, popped her knee right back in—and she insisted on rocking on with the party!
Yeah, that was a bad idea. She barely started the first dish and, whoops, vomited all over her gown. Spent the rest of the night in a separate room sobbing with her mom while the festivities went on without her. I felt super sorry for her - she spent the whole night in tears.
30. Not A Good Look
The groom partied so hard the night before, he couldn't reach the altar. They carried on the ceremony with just the bride and her squad, plus a sober groomsman. There were lots of head-shakes throughout. The groom managed one short visit to the reception.
He resembled a zombie, dressed in casual clothes, which didn't help because it wasn't a low-key wedding. The bride was a pro dancer for a big-name pop star, so you can picture the attendee type. Over 200 folks attended the ceremony and probably twice that at the reception. They split up within half a year.
31. Grin And Bear It
The couple prepared a Caribbean island wedding and their loved ones planned their vacations accordingly. But yikes! Right before the big day, the groom was caught messing around and the wedding was scrapped. Couldn't cancel the vacation plans though, so most folks, including the bride, ended up going anyways.
The bitter groom skipped the trip, but his people joined and stood by the bride. Everyone tried to keep their spirits up but, let's be real, there was a gloomy cloud hanging over the whole situation. Looking at the group pics now, it's kind of gut-wrenching. Post-trip, the bride pretty much went ghost on everyone. Hard to rebound from that experience, I guess.
32. A House Divided
I was at a reception and saw the groom's dad chugging Jameson in his SUV. Given that I'm tight with this fam, I went over and asked what was going on. It was worse than I feared. Without a doubt, the bride had been a long-standing drama queen, but that night she went into total diva-mode.
Every bit of the reception was "wrong" per her standards - the food, decor, the works. Despite being exactly as she'd dictated. Given her family's equally dramatic tendencies, it wasn't surprising they all hopped on the complaint wagon. Meanwhile, the groom's family was making a sneaky exit, while bride's family was letting loose on anyone who locked eyes with them.
I reckon the dad stuck around, primed to be a getaway driver if his son decided to bail. I hunkered down with him - there was no WAY I was getting back in that chaos. My wife and their daughter are besties (that's how we're in the mix), and we had a prime view.
Both daughter and mom were loaded and ready for a fight; they absolutely detested the bride's side. My wife morphed into unofficial peacekeeper with the help of a few other level-headed ladies from the groom's side, to stop them from literally tackling the bride. Just so you know, these are all extremely rich people on both sides.
33. International Relations
An English dude married an Irish girl in Ireland. Her family, mostly from Ireland (even the Republican areas) and England, made up most of the guests. Ceremony was sweet, but at the reception, things went south during the speeches.
The best man, a red-faced Brexit fan, messed it up big time. His speech was majorly insensitive, cracking tasteless jokes about recolonizing Ireland and linking the stag do to bad hangovers and Bloody Sunday. He even joked about guests being on a hunger strike due to the long speeches. The English crew laughed it off, but the Irish fam was livid.
I was there as a plus-one, and man, it got super awkward. Her cousins and uncles weren't down to mingle with the groom's side. No clue how the marriage turned out, but the bride was super nice, and despite the cringe-worthy speech, the groom seemed alright.
34. Surprise Ending
Went to a bizarre wedding last year. The wedding party got better food and free bubbies, while we got cash-only drinks and lesser grub. Also, not enough places to park our butts and definitely not enough to fill our bellies.
Folks were camping out at the buffet, piling up plates while others hadn't chowed down yet. The bride and groom, pals of my other half, stuck to their camera crew all night. A family fight started in the parking lot later on, even got the authorities involved.
We bailed, grabbed pizza, and drank in a nearby park. When we headed back to our hotel room, someone was KO’d in our bed. Classic Jersey.
35. Stairway From Heaven
I do wedding photography and a few years back, I covered this extremely hoity-toity shindig in the boonies. It was outdoors at an upscale spot with a massive cement staircase sandwiched between waterworks, leading to the altar. The spot was designed so everyone could see the bride ascending, like from heaven.
So, the ceremony kicked off and the wedding squad waltzed down to their spots. Then the bride, arm-in-arm with her dad, emerged. Barely a few steps down the concrete stairs, she had a gnarly fall. Her heel twisted and she tumbled down, busting several of her front teeth and winding up blood-soaked.
Due to the remote location, it was a long 40-minute wait for the ambulance. She was in unbelievable pain but eventually pulled through. A few weeks later, they emailed me a new date. This time, they nixed the stairs.
36. Money Can’t Buy Class
I was doing catering duty at a ritzy wedding party on the scenic backdrop of Rockefeller center, smack in the holiday season. It was an elite NYC, Jewish family affair and let me tell ya, the drama was high. The bride and groom, smashed out of their minds, went from zero to Jerry Springer right on the dance floor. Bride's fists were flying, groom's shoving - not a pretty sight.
Then comes the groom's mom, more loaded than a Christmas sleigh. She stumbles into the kitchen, pointing fingers at us because apparently our hors d'oeuvres were fashionably late, and somehow, this caused the WWE showcase happening out front. Meantime, I get the green light to head out early, just as the groom's wail peels through the noise. The wedding party was practically tied up restraining this dude.
Couldn't help but chuckle thinking about the dressing down I got from his mom, shouting about the shame we should feel and refusing to pay. As if all of that high-end kitchen and waitstaff magic happened for free post-chow time.
Don't know how the night panned out, but man, was I relieved to ditch that joint.
37. Can’t Stay Away From Each Other
This was a riot. At a Christian wedding, the minister wouldn't say "You may now kiss the bride". The bride knew but she was pretty sure he would relent on the big day. Guess what? He didn't.
The bride downed a few before the aisle walk, then she grabbed her new fella and really smooched him. Like, a three-minute-long smooch. Everyone was cheering and clapping at first but it got awfully quiet after a while. There they were, deep in a full-on make-out fest, in total silence, in front of a crowd of 300.
As a groomsman, I had a front row seat to the crowd's stunned faces. Especially priceless were the shocked expressions of her grandparents and the older folks.
38. It’s A Bust
I once served at a wedding in a camp-like setting in upstate New York. Picture this: a lakeside "I dos" ceremony and a reception in a cafeteria-looking room. It was in September - a smart way for the camp to earn a bit extra after the kids packed up for school. Things during the ceremony were peachy.
39. What Was She Thinking?
I used to jazz up weddings for a good 5 years. About 2 years back, we styled this super cute wedding, only to find out midway it was a "surprise wedding". And, it's even more bonkers than you're imagining. The couple wasn't even engaged, yet the bride had organized the entire shindig, and the dude had no clue. He thought he was just gonna enjoy some golf.
Boom! He walks into his own surprise wedding, catches sight of her at the altar, and just nope'd right outta there. Can't blame him. Seriously, it's one of the nuttiest things I've seen in my wedding career—and that's saying something!
40. What A Waste
Half the folks who said they'd show up to our wedding ghosted us. My bro-in-law, who vowed to DJ, didn't lug any gear, so we subbed in Pandora. He was also supposed to film the whole shindig, but forgot his camera. Plus, the florist left us hanging with half the flowers. It only went downhill from there.
Our reception venue mixed everything up. It was a disaster. Short on tables, no dance floor, you name it. When we tried to sort it, the guy who was supposed to help just huffed outside, chugging a brew and getting all grumpy. Everyone just shrugged it off like no big deal.
Later, a friend of mine, who knew grumpy guy, said that's his standard issue attitude when asked to do anything. Here's another one: we handed my bro-in-law a CD with a few tunes to blast before the ceremony. He said he had a better idea. Turns out it was just two tracks on loop for an hour.
To top it off, my family was mega late, including my sister, the bridesmaid, and my Mom and Dad. They promised to prep everything that morning, but must've snoozed their alarm. My veil went AWOL the night before and never reappeared. Then, after cutting the cake, I tried to switch up the mood, dimmed the lights for some dancing, but people just bailed.
Despite the mess, the hubby and I got hitched and we're still in love, which is what matters most. But honestly, wish I'd kept the dough and had a low-key courthouse wedding instead.
41. Evil Stepmother
My stepmom-in-law tried to mess up our wedding big time. A week out, she emailed my mom saying I was too good for her stepson. She then changed her mind about the agreed-upon dress. She dissed the rehearsal and showed up on the big day in a loud, skimpy number.
Spending the day in sulk mode, arms crossed, refusing to chat with anyone. We brushed her off, even when she binned all the post-ceremony brunch leftovers that my husband and his chef pals made. Dad-in-law gave her the boot the next year.
42. The Big Grift
My cousin went to a wedding that turned out to be a total scam. Like an hour before it was supposed to start, the place was totally empty - no food, no decor, just some tables in a massive, untouched ballroom. The couple realized they'd been totally duped by the wedding planner, who'd used their cash to buy a swanky new house.
43. You End How You Start
The best man pretty much toasted the bride and her folks in his speech. He subtly dubbed them gold diggers in front of the entire reception. Next, cake slicin' time, and the groom, cautioned not to smash cake in her face, does just that. She breezes off, AWOL for a good 20.
The party plays on, but she ends up blasted and KO's mid-street, still rocking her wedding threads. Now that's style. No shocker, they're split up now.
44. In It To Win It
My wedding? Epic fail. Dang rain made it freezing and nobody flipped on the lights. The pics I got are all dark and blurry. Dad bailed early 'cause he couldn't stand seeing Mom, even missed our photo op. And get this: my spouse's mom didn't even play hooky to show.
But hey, look at us now, just toasted to 49 years of wedded bliss.
45. The Real Deal
I went to a wedding where the couple snagged a deal from Groupon...which, I mean, why break the bank for a single day, right? However, the venue figured they'd skimpe a bit given the deal. Worst mistake - they stuck us in a room with a cat pee stench so bad, it sent some guests packing right away. The only drinks available? Vending machine fare.
To top it all off, it was located by an airport, so whenever a plane lifted off, they had to put the wedding vows on hold as no one could hear a thing. And guess what, the day after? We were all hit with food poisoning.
46. Loose Lips…
I went to a wedding and got stuck next to the videographer. My auntie was sitting even closer, and spent the whole night chit-chatting and criticizing everyone. All of her comments ended up on the video. The cameraman was super cool - he made two versions: one cleaned up, and the other totally raw. That raw cut turned out to be legendary.
47. Double The Trouble
So, it was this huge wedding, like 300 people big. Here's the kicker: the bride was snuggling up with her cousin's boyfriend on the down-low. The cousin knew about the stealth-action, but chose the wedding to spill the beans, going from table to table, letting everyone know what's up. The groom had no idea.
The icing on the cake? His rich father-in-law had set him up with a fancy restaurant. In a nutshell? He ended up losing both his wife and his restaurant.
48. One Bad Idea
The wedding took place in a well-known park, famous for its huge gorge and waterfall. Not sure who suggested it, but taking a photo by the gorge had everyone excited. Bypassing the stone safety barrier, the bridal party eagerly joined in. Tragically, the maid of honor fell from the cliff, a drop of 500+ feet, and it proved fatal.
49. Take A Picture, It’ll Last Longer
So, my pal's a wedding photographer. There he was, up at the altar ready to shoot, when the best man dropped a bombshell. He announced that the groom was gay and the wedding was off. The crowd cracked up thinking it was a best man prank, but nope, he was totally serious. The bride was en route in her ride, and she was less than thrilled.
Everyone had to hang around while the couple figured their stuff out. Finally, they split the reception area in half and each family had their own meal. Needless to say, they weren't interested in the pics.
50. Top Secret
The bride laid down some strict pre-wedding rules, like no social media posts before she'd given the green light. But a few hours before the wedding, someone posted they were there – nothing nasty, just a general comment. This didn't sit well with the bride, you could tell she was about to kick off.
After she'd said "I do," the bride addressed the crowd: "Can everyone please unfriend Jennifer? I said no social posts till I say so, and she broke that rule today".
Just picture it – she's just got hitched, and this is the first thing she talks about. Everyone forced a laugh, thinking she was kidding… nah. She stormed off, and her new hubby followed along, looking awkward. After that, the vibe was off and everyone started making up reasons to leave.
I mean, really fake emergencies: "I gotta run, there's this uh, thing I gotta… yeah, see ya." Everyone dipped out way earlier than expected. Who wants to stick around and be part of awkward bride-chat?
Sources: Reddit,
