Worst Wedding You've Ever Attended

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  • Fittykitty11
    Fittykitty11 Posts: 124
    For you bridal party:

    -make sure their significant other gets to be one of the tables that can eat first... I went to one and the SO's of the bridesmaids were served DEAD LAST and they had been helping and around all day.

    -having an intenerary for pictures is fine BUT, one bridezilla had it down to the minute and if we didn't get our butts going she freaked out AND we only had a 2 minute space for going to the bathroom. Seriously... it read "1:46-48 Bridesmaids Bathroom Break"... I'm going to the bathroom whenever I want.

    Other than that, the weddings I have attended have been good. OH, don't have you reception be 1.5 hours away from church. Seriously?!
  • ajewellmom
    ajewellmom Posts: 186 Member
    Went to a family member's wedding in a beautiful Inn. Following the ceremony we stood around waiting for the standard photos to be done, and we were able to watch. There were some sandwich quarters and sparkling water. Many people just left, I assumed they had moved to the reception area and I just hadn't done so yet. When the photos were done, my cousin and her husband walked around with cake, to find that most had left. Little did I know, there was no reception so I left there FAMISHED! Later that evening my mother and I drove in the fog to find a bar in the local town where there was karaoke, which I guess might have been the reception, but I'm still unsure. All in all, it might have been quite fine had the invitation been specific about the lack of reception and that we should have eaten more than a quarter sandwich (as you don't want to eat a bunch of those and then sit down to dinner).

    Oh, BTW, there was a piano player in the entrance to the Inn, where nobody could see or hear her, so I entertained myself by going out to sing with her.
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
    I tended bar at a banquet hall as a second job for years, so I saw a LOT...I could write a book about bad wedding traditions/moments, "bridezillas", and their guests, bridesmaids, groomsmen. However, one of the top 5 was when a groom got really drunk, went out into the parking lot, barfed all over his tux and himself, and then had his friends take him home (without telling the bride, who was inside screaming at anyone and everyone in her path and refused to go outside to even see if he was dead or alive). She spent the second half of their reception alone there...

    They were both a-holes though, and probably deserved each other :ohwell:
  • ninjakowski
    ninjakowski Posts: 158
    Screw the big party!!

    My husband and I ran away to Gibraltar, got married in a civil ceremony then went up and had an amazing afternoon on the Rock - where a monkey tried to steal my new wedding ring off my finger :laugh:
    Went out for dinner and cocktails, husband had the band dedicate a song to me -- and best of all we didn't have to deal with one single party/guest stress.

    Perfect day :love:

    Anyway, not helpful to you at all I guess lol. Honestly I think the worst thing is not inviting people to the whole thing. If they're not important to be at each part, just don't invite them at all. That's something I've never understood???
  • calibriintx
    calibriintx Posts: 1,741 Member
    My wedding was the worst I've ever attended. I love my husband, and that is the most important thing, but the wedding sucked big ones.

    Hubby's side of the family showed up to our ceremony in jeans and sweaters (his sister showed up wearing a dirty, too small, white button up shirt, long skirt and dirty sneakers with messy hair and bad BO!), his older brother was so drunk at the ceremony that his fiancée had to hold him up. He bought his own drinks to the ceremony despite us requesting not to be drinking during for religious reasons.

    My mother and her ex husband chose the morning of the wedding to announce their divorce to their family, so everyone was still reeling from that.

    I found out that morning that I was pregnant. So pregnant in fact, that I couldn't get my dress done up properly. I had packed it away and not tried it on for 6 weeks, and I'd begun showing in that time (but didn't realise I was pregnant. Must have skipped my mind due to all the stress at the time!). We had to quickly convert my French button dress to a corset back dress with no help. Luckily it stayed together for the whole event.

    My husband's family arrived at the reception at the planned 6.30pm with their children in pyjamas and slippers, ate the food and left before we even had our first dance or cut the cake. They were gone by 7.30 at the latest, due to BIL's aforementioned drunkenness and rowdy behaviour.

    So, while I did my best, unfortunately horrible guests ruined the event. We've thought of a renewal, but it's not going to happen. I'm scarred enough from the first time!

    Oh, FFS, you poor thing! I hope y'all had a lovely honeymoon to make up for it!
  • jqh23
    jqh23 Posts: 311 Member
    Someone I know told me they got an invitation in the mail asking all the of guests to bring a bottle of wine to the reception! I couldn't believe it, lol

    We have been to ONE wedding with a cash bar, and it was listed on the invitation, so at least we knew. Tacky around here, but whateves.

    The gap between ceremony and reception is very, very common here. Ceremony is usually at 3, cocktails at 6 and dinner at 7.

    The worst wedding I ever went to was my cousin's in 2010, he is now going through a divorce. But it was a full 90 minute catholic ceremony with 28 people in the bridal party. it was the middle of July and 90+ degrees outside and the cocktail hour was outside. Being family, we were directing into the bridal suite area which was 2 large rooms with balcony doors that were right off the area where the cocktail hour was being held.. and the bride stormed me screaming at everyone to get out and we couldn't be in there.. where is all here stuff, blah blah.The introductions.. every couple had their own song and then the bride and groom came down seperately and then together.. this took 50 minutes alone. We got our soup and salad right away but then it took another 2 hours to be served dinner.. and the air wasn't working, so they had huge fans going AND they closed the bar. My aunt screamed @ someone and got them to open the bar while we waited to eat. Everyone was wasted before dinner.

    Then at one point during the reception, the bride turned to me and was like, ummm.. can you get me chamapagne? WTF btch? You have 14 BMs, I don't like you, why the eff are you asking me??

    We ended up having a lot of fun, but I just was smdh at most of what went on because of her btch *kitten*... her poor single mother used her life savings for the wedding.. only for them to get divorced less than 3 years later.. and she served him the divorce papers while he was in rehab! Ugh, never did like that btch..

    Honestly, whatever you are doing, I am sure it is fine. It is a really, really, reallllllllly fast day, so once the day comes, worry only about you and your husband, as everything will fall into place. Take time to soak it all in because before you know it, it's all over.
  • claudie1981
    claudie1981 Posts: 32
    I Don't really have a worst wedding to add but i have to 1 things happen at a wedding and sometimes there is no controlling it and 2 to have a cash bar is not anything to do with etiquette. Some people just cant afford to have one. Besides who wants to pay for other people to get drunk.

    My wedding i planned the whole thing, I even decorated the hall the night before with the wedding party. But on the day our dj just never pitched up and we phoned him over and over and he never answered so luckly my husband was a dj too so he filled in and played a bunch of mixed cds and it was one of his friends that was supposed to do it ... Well they arent friends anymore. So always hire professionals or at least someone who acts like a professional.

    I had a cash bar at my wedding but i bought a bottle of champagne for each table.
  • claudie1981
    claudie1981 Posts: 32
    oh and also if its going to be cash bar put it on the invite so everyone knows. I did that!
  • christy7322
    christy7322 Posts: 31
    My own, I just don't think I'm the marrying type....you know, I don't lie or cheat :bigsmile:

    On the other hand I got three beautiful girls out of it, but who needs a wedding for that!
  • Lobster1987
    Lobster1987 Posts: 492 Member
    For you bridal party:

    -make sure their significant other gets to be one of the tables that can eat first... I went to one and the SO's of the bridesmaids were served DEAD LAST and they had been helping and around all day.

    -having an intenerary for pictures is fine BUT, one bridezilla had it down to the minute and if we didn't get our butts going she freaked out AND we only had a 2 minute space for going to the bathroom. Seriously... it read "1:46-48 Bridesmaids Bathroom Break"... I'm going to the bathroom whenever I want.

    Other than that, the weddings I have attended have been good. OH, don't have you reception be 1.5 hours away from church. Seriously?!

    Reception and ceremony are going to be at the same place and I'm planning on having the bridal party's SO's sit with us at the head table. I don't want them to feel all awkward out alone in the crowd with the families they don't know. Good tips, though!
  • metaphoria
    metaphoria Posts: 1,432 Member
    Years ago, I went to a friend's wedding, and the minister marrying them was talking about the benefits of marriage, and one benefit was having someone to share sorrows with. He then proceeded to list every death, accident, and major disaster that had happened in each side of the family and how great it was that each couple had a spouse to get them through it.

    Most. Depressing. Wedding. Ever.
  • Lobster1987
    Lobster1987 Posts: 492 Member
    Years ago, I went to a friend's wedding, and the minister marrying them was talking about the benefits of marriage, and one benefit was having someone to share sorrows with. He then proceeded to list every death, accident, and major disaster that had happened in each side of the family and how great it was that each couple had a spouse to get them through it.

    Most. Depressing. Wedding. Ever.

    Omg....
  • DeeVanderbles
    DeeVanderbles Posts: 589 Member
    oh and also if its going to be cash bar put it on the invite so everyone knows. I did that!
    If you're going by proper wedding etiquette, it's actually not correct to put Cash Bar on the invitation, you should include a link to a wedding website and make sure to include the Cash Bar there.

    Personally, I don't care if you put it on the invitation, it wouldn't bother me in the slightest because then I wouldn't have to go looking for it. But OP has been talking about proper etiquette so I thought I'd bring it up.
  • Athena53
    Athena53 Posts: 717 Member
    I was thinking about the comment that we're being awfully judgmental, and I agree that just because you don't like the music/don't agree with the religion (or lack thereof), etc. is no reason to label a wedding as "worst". What stands out for me here are:

    1. Lack of consideration for guests. Maybe you spread yourself too thin financially and can't afford to feed them while you take pictures for 3 hours, or you invited too many people so the offerings are Kool-Aid and potato chips, or you selected an outdoor venue at a time of year when unbearable heat was to be expected (unless you have a beach-themed wedding).

    2. Crazy relatives or vendors that didn't do what you paid them to do. Hard to control either of those although researching vendors and not selecting the lowest bidder might reduce the risk on the vendor side.

    3. Bridezillas whose attitude is "It's MY Day and what I want is more important than anything else". Any other family members (e.g. mother of the bride) with a similar attitude.

    DS is my only child so the rehearsal dinner was my only chance to be Mother of the Groom, and I wanted to do it right. I told the venue manager to put out the food (buffet) and open up the bar as soon as guests started to arrive- not just when the wedding party did. I selected a wide range of food for hearty eaters, lean and healthy eaters, and small kids (there were a lot fo them). No prearranged seating. We alll had a great time.
  • LadyPakal
    LadyPakal Posts: 256 Member
    The worst wedding...my own.

    I turned up...big mistake :/

    You and me both...
  • CrazyTrackLady
    CrazyTrackLady Posts: 1,337 Member
    I went to a Jehovah's Witness wedding. Instead of being in a church, it was in a hall, and there were metal chairs set up. Most of the audience members were chewing gum throughout the ceremony. The bride walked down the aisle to piano music played on a tape cassette recorder. The bride and groom then sat down on the "stage" and the officiant spent the next 45 minutes talking to them about what their 'spousal" obligations were once they were married.

    The ceremony ended with the following announcement: "Now that the bride has been married, she requests that NO OTHER male person at this ceremony hug her in the receiving line. Her husband does not approve."
  • jqh23
    jqh23 Posts: 311 Member
    My wedding was the worst I've ever attended. I love my husband, and that is the most important thing, but the wedding sucked big ones.

    Hubby's side of the family showed up to our ceremony in jeans and sweaters (his sister showed up wearing a dirty, too small, white button up shirt, long skirt and dirty sneakers with messy hair and bad BO!), his older brother was so drunk at the ceremony that his fiancée had to hold him up. He bought his own drinks to the ceremony despite us requesting not to be drinking during for religious reasons.

    My mother and her ex husband chose the morning of the wedding to announce their divorce to their family, so everyone was still reeling from that.

    I found out that morning that I was pregnant. So pregnant in fact, that I couldn't get my dress done up properly. I had packed it away and not tried it on for 6 weeks, and I'd begun showing in that time (but didn't realise I was pregnant. Must have skipped my mind due to all the stress at the time!). We had to quickly convert my French button dress to a corset back dress with no help. Luckily it stayed together for the whole event.

    My husband's family arrived at the reception at the planned 6.30pm with their children in pyjamas and slippers, ate the food and left before we even had our first dance or cut the cake. They were gone by 7.30 at the latest, due to BIL's aforementioned drunkenness and rowdy behaviour.

    So, while I did my best, unfortunately horrible guests ruined the event. We've thought of a renewal, but it's not going to happen. I'm scarred enough from the first time!

    Oh geez!
  • calibriintx
    calibriintx Posts: 1,741 Member
    The worst wedding I went to was at a small, local winery, which was lovely, but the food was terrible. They had it catered by an Italian chain but there was a breakdown in communication between the venue and caterer, and there were no plates, silverware, servings utensils, etc. They also forgot the salad dressing. One of the bridesmaids had to drive to the nearest store to buy paper plates, plasticware and bottled salad dressing. By the time people were served, the food was cold, and there wasn't enough of it (in part b/c her two little boys dropped a lazagna tray). DH and I were starving and I was very newly pregnant, so we go the hell out of there. I told the bride that I was just tired and nauseous so she wouldn't be embarassed.

    Honestly though, the most irritating thing to me at weddings is a long wait between the ceremony and reception. If you're going to take more than an hour between the two, there better be some awesome entertainment, food and drinks to keep the guests occupied, otherwise, this gues might head home. That probably makes me rude, or selfish, but if you don't put any thought into your guests comfort between ceremony and reception, you can't have high expectations of them. < BTW, I've only bailed on one wedding for this reason. Headed to the reception venue after the ceremony and they wouldn't let us in. After an hour, they finally let us into this bar area that was not air conditioned, but the lights were off and there was nothing to drink. We couldn't even pay for water or soda, nothing. Over an hour after that, they let us into the reception hall but stil wouldn't serve anyone. I was 8 months pregnant for this particular wedding and had just had it. We ran into the bride and groom on the way out and apologized for leaving - told them I wasn't feeling well, which was true. They were really understanding about it and apologized for the wait. But I think it must have pissed them off b/c we never got a thank you card for the gift, they no showed from my baby shower, and then we never talked again.

    ETA: I sent them a birth announcement. They never contacted me about not coming to the shower, or to congratulate us, so good riddance.
  • Athena53
    Athena53 Posts: 717 Member
    The ceremony ended with the following announcement: "Now that the bride has been married, she requests that NO OTHER male person at this ceremony hug her in the receiving line. Her husband does not approve."

    Nice. I guess she was his property now so that was his right.:ohwell:
  • jqh23
    jqh23 Posts: 311 Member
    I went to a Jehovah's Witness wedding. Instead of being in a church, it was in a hall, and there were metal chairs set up. Most of the audience members were chewing gum throughout the ceremony. The bride walked down the aisle to piano music played on a tape cassette recorder. The bride and groom then sat down on the "stage" and the officiant spent the next 45 minutes talking to them about what their 'spousal" obligations were once they were married.

    The ceremony ended with the following announcement: "Now that the bride has been married, she requests that NO OTHER male person at this ceremony hug her in the receiving line. Her husband does not approve."
    L
    M
    A
    O
  • credessa
    credessa Posts: 36 Member
    It was my best friend's wedding and I was maid of honor=read $$ contibutor. She was also my maid of honor (2 years prior) and I never asked her to pay for a thing. Even contribute to the limo she wanted...really? I was also 7 months preggo with twins at the time of her wedding. I had to pay for the ugliest and most uncomfortable maternity gown ever made- I've seen Halloween costumes fit better. The day of the wedding- outdoors on a farm- there was a huge tropical storm passing over FL, so the wedding was moved indoors. We got through the ceremony and only 10 mins into the reception when the sky opened up. The power went off and never came back on. No dj, dinner in the dark (candles would have been nice), hot and humid, no generator on the property, the toliets even stopped flushing--no fun for the preggo! After 3 hours a friend of the groom arrives with a generator and the party starts-- dj powered by gas fumes and free drinks (once again no fun for the preggo), because I was her MOH she expected me to stay until the bitter end at 3am. Most miserable day of my life.
  • kirstie1926
    kirstie1926 Posts: 48
    was just at a wedding (germany) this weekend and it lasted over 12 hours! the best part is they had drinks and snacks prepared waiting for us at the reception and there was constant food and drinks throughout the night.

    the bad part was that the band was 6 hours late!!! and there was no back-up music or stereo or whatever. make sure you have at least a playlist on a computer with some cheap speakers as a back-up, just in case.
    also the wedding party ended when the band stopped playing (2am), which was early for german standards
  • bethlaf
    bethlaf Posts: 954 Member
    you really really want a million stories???
    as a former Bridal industry insider, i can say.. ive got dozens

    1. too hot or too cold- and no proper climate control, for FlIP sake if you have an august wedding , outside in a tent-- think about the climate, and no a couple of box fans are NOT going to cut it
    2 . same thing summer weddign outside, not just climate control but odor control.. BO is nasty
    3. a swimsuit wedding, unless its the caribbean on a beach , is not ok , again, this was wisconsin , and not acceptable
    4. themed weddings... umm, ok , so you both love star trek or star wars or whatever, that doesn't mean we all want to dress like yoda..or william crusher
    5. cash bar. either pay for the bar, offer a free happy hour, or don't do any bar at all.
    6. again a wisconsin thing, why must all weddings in wisconsin serve broasted chicken???
    7. weddings in houses or on farms... houses never have enough bathrooms, and porta potties are skanky- and a farm , well a real farm STINKS!!!
  • Mary9921
    Mary9921 Posts: 100 Member
    Ok, so I am just tagging this post so I can read it later...

    I am a wedding coordinator and want to read the wrong things to do....or the right things to do...

    Hope no one minds.....

    Gotta run and pick up the liquor for the wedding(6/1).....no cash bar(haven't seen one yet). Usually have a tip
    jar out though and the bartenders while being paid very well for the evening end up making great $$ on
    top of their regular pay....

    Anyway,
    Thanks
    Mary
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
    Oh....my gym buddy is single, but with someone and talking about marriage. Her brother is getting married in July, and she was telling me this morning that just yesterday, the brother's fiance emailed her boyfriend and reminded him that it wouldn't be appropriate for him to publicly propose (to my friend) at their wedding :laugh: My friend is really annoyed because, seriously...who would do THAT?


    bridezilla2.jpg
  • juliemouse83
    juliemouse83 Posts: 6,663 Member
    The worst experience I ever had at a wedding (and I have been to many, as well as photographed them) was at my own.

    We thought we had all the bases covered...We planned everything ourselves. His parents have a converted barn with a stage, dance floor, eating area, and kitchen that they use for Saturday night blue grass get togethers for the local seniors, so we thought it would be really cool to get married in a barn, so we did...the venue was all in one place. One of the guys we worked with is a DJ and he provided music and helped with the food. My husband's then-boss, whom I still work with, purchased a hog and a bunch of the guys from the shop came to help cook and do sides. Yes...I got married in a barn and had a pig pickin' to boot. :bigsmile:

    Had a JP come in and do the ceremony. My SIL took still images, my sister did the video, we requested everyone to come casual...my matron of honor wore jeans and a white blouse, my sons wore jeans and white polo shirts, the hubs wore jeans and a white tab collar shirt...it was just a FUN party that happened to kick off with a wedding ceremony. Our best man had the flu, and couldn't make it, as did several of my friends from work (it was a bad winter for flu), but we had a good time anyway...UNTIL....

    All the kids ended up with their "other" parent after the ceremony. My ex came to get the boys. His ex? No...that would have been too accommodating. He had to leave right after we cut the cake to have his daughter home. He was gone until well after the party was over. Something like four and a half hours. I thought he had gotten in an accident or something. The guests were wondering where he went, my parents were starting to worry, as were his parents. When 11 pm rolled around and the guests were gone and it was just my matron of honor, my new FIL and me picking up around the pig cooker, I just KNEW something awful had happened.

    He got to his ex wife's house to find he suicidal and drunk off her @$$ and could not let his daughter go in with her mother like that, and she made some kind of god awful threats about what she would do if he left (she KNEW it was our wedding night) and he finally got her sobered up enough to leave a six year old kid with her. In retrospect, I think he would have handled things differently, but we didn't know, at the time, what she was capable of.

    Still married, almost ten years later. :heart:
  • Kpablo
    Kpablo Posts: 355 Member
    My worst wedding story???

    My own. lol.

    Never making THAT mistake again. haha
  • larchie14
    larchie14 Posts: 4
    Well this topic has freaked me out.
    Currently planning our wedding in the UK. We're a young couple, we've just bought a house so money is tight so there will definitely be a cash bar. Hoping to supply some bubbly and a bit of wine.

    Don't think i've been to a bad wedding, maybe I don't expect too much because it's just about what the bride and groom want that day. Just hope my guests think the same thing :-/
  • rosemaryhon
    rosemaryhon Posts: 507 Member
    An open bar in Ireland would ensure the happy couple be in debt for the rest of their lives haha!


    Well just to be clear, here in NY it's pay one price for the caterer to have an open bar ~ it's not common it'd be a running tab of each individual drink. It probably evens out ~ those who don't drink or only have a couple, and those who drink a lot ;)
  • Lobster1987
    Lobster1987 Posts: 492 Member
    I went to a Jehovah's Witness wedding. Instead of being in a church, it was in a hall, and there were metal chairs set up. Most of the audience members were chewing gum throughout the ceremony. The bride walked down the aisle to piano music played on a tape cassette recorder. The bride and groom then sat down on the "stage" and the officiant spent the next 45 minutes talking to them about what their 'spousal" obligations were once they were married.

    The ceremony ended with the following announcement: "Now that the bride has been married, she requests that NO OTHER male person at this ceremony hug her in the receiving line. Her husband does not approve."

    Oh my! I've never been to a wedding other than a Catholic, Lutheran or non-denominational wedding before...That had to be interesting....