While many brides and grooms expect their wedding day to be something out of a movie, it might be wise for them to be careful what they wish for. Because not all films have a happy ending…
One bridesmaid recently detailed on Reddit how a former friend’s wedding blew up into a huge disaster on the day of the ceremony. Below, you’ll find the full saga, as well as a conversation with Jhona Yellin, Editor at Bespoke Bride.
Wedding days don’t always go perfectly according to plan
Image credits: Wavebreakmedia / envato (not the actual photo)
But this bridesmaid never anticipated how much drama would ensue on her former friend’s big day
Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio / pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: LightFieldStudios / envato (not the actual photo)
Image credits: lrhun
Later, the bridesmaid responded to readers and shared even more details about the situation
“Most couples have weathered storms of meticulous planning, making the idea of canceling the biggest day of their lives unthinkable”
We reached out to Jhona Yellin, Editor at Bespoke Bride, to gain some more insight on this topic from a wedding expert. “In the whimsical world of weddings, cancellations on the day of the ceremony are very rare to our experience,” Jhona shared. “Most couples have weathered storms of meticulous planning, making the idea of cancelling the biggest day of their lives unthinkable.”
“Personally, I have attended a few weddings with big dramas, but only one with a cancellation on the day of the ceremony,” the expert continued. “At this specific garden wedding, the groom got cold feet while we were all waiting at the chapel! It was a big drama, which ended really badly.”
Jhona added that one of the co-founders of Bespoke Bride has actually experienced a wedding cancellation in her own life, which you can read about right here.
According to Eventsured, about 20% of all weddings are called off sometime during the engagement period. This may be due to uncertainty about the relationship, pressure to get married, unresolved issues, infidelity, making the decision to get engaged in a rush, difference in opinions on important issues, the couple realizing they don’t know each other as well as they thought they did and more.
Canceling a wedding can be a complicated and expensive process
Image credits: Min An / pexels (not the actual photo)
Just like planning a wedding, there are plenty of costs that can come along with canceling abruptly as well. “When a wedding is called off at the last minute, it can be very expensive,” Jhona says. “You have to pay for things like the venue, the flowers, photographer, and the food, even if you don’t use them. The costs can get out of hand.”
The expert says it might even end up costing more than if the ceremony had gone on. “Simply because the couple may still have to pay for the deposits, cancellation fees, penalties, and non-refundable services that they booked for the wedding day,” she explained. “Then, they may need to pay even more for notifying the guests and returning the gifts.”
One couple shared with This is Money in 2021 that if they had cancelled their wedding due to the pandemic, they would have lost £84,000 on the entire experience. This may be part of the reason why couples choose to forge ahead with their weddings even if they have suspicions that their relationship may not last forever.
“It’s normal to be a bit nervous before the wedding, but if the frustrations keep growing, it means there’s trouble ahead”
Image credits: Emma Bauso / pexels (not the actual photo)
We were also curious if bridesmaids should opt out of a wedding as soon as they become unhappy, rather than going through with the whole experience. “When bridesmaids (it should be more than one though!) start getting annoyed with the bride, it could definitely be a sign for bad things to come,” Jhona told Bored Panda.
“Obviously, it’s normal to be a bit nervous before the wedding, but if the frustrations keep growing, it means there’s trouble ahead,” she noted. “I’ve been in the middle of bridesmaid drama before, and I know that sometimes the frustrations go away, and sometimes they get worse. It’s hard to decide – should you stick with the bride no matter what, or should you quit before things get ugly? I personally think that bridesmaids should trust their gut feeling. The bridesmaids in this Reddit story might have felt like they were in a boat before a storm…”
We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Then, if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda article discussing wedding drama, look no further than right here.
Amused readers shared their thoughts on the story, calling out the bride and applauding the bridesmaid for sharing
