Weddings are meant to be the epitome of joy and celebration, marking the start of a new chapter. However, not all guests come bearing good wishes. Some guests bring chaos and turn people’s special moments into unforgettable disasters.
Imagine meticulously planning every detail of your wedding, only for it to be derailed by someone you thought would share in your joy. Whether it’s an uninvited plus-one or a relative who couldn’t control their anger, the impact of nightmare guests is often long-lasting.
Some people whose guests did the unexpected and ruined their big day opened up on Reddit, sharing their feelings. Others who witnessed disasters stirring up on big days also shared their experiences.
Comments have been edited for clarity and grammar.
A bride standing with her groom | Source: Shutterstock
However, while taking photos with my bridesmaids, I noticed Josh’s cousin, Nicole, with a girl (I’ll call her Sarah) whom I didn’t recognize. She seemed quiet but friendly at first. After we finished our photos, we went inside to relax and chat before the ceremony.
Later, after exchanging vows, I bumped into Sarah on my way to the food table. She was intoxicated, and through her slurred speech, she ranted about how crowded the venue was, but then it escalated.
While I was getting food for my mom, she expressed surprise that Josh married “someone like me” because he could “do better.”
I tried to laugh it off, telling her I was lucky to have him. The interaction left me feeling upset, but I brushed it off as her just being intoxicated and soon forgot about it.
A woman standing next to a window | Source: Pexels
As time passed and we were all dancing, a crashing sound near the food table made us rush over. I saw Sarah on the ground, sobbing hysterically, with Nicole trying to calm her down. She had smashed my wedding cake and ripped the decorations.
Heartbroken, I tried to ask what was wrong, but Sarah started screaming and cursing at me. Confused, I shouted back and demanded my husband kick her out, but he refused, saying she was a friend and should be allowed to stay.
As a result, we argued, and it took my husband and Nicole to get her under control and convince her to go home. Ultimately, Nicole left with Sarah, but my husband was angry with me when he returned. He ignored me for the rest of the night, making the atmosphere awkward for our guests.
The following day, he lectured me about hurting Sarah’s feelings and demanded I apologize. We argued, and he slept on the couch.
Eventually, things cooled down, but when I tried to talk to him about it, he dismissed me as being overdramatic. I had never seen Sarah until my wedding and have no idea why she lashed out.
I feel hurt that my husband doesn’t see my perspective. Even though she was drunk, she ruined my special day, and now I can’t think of our happy memories without recalling that incident.
2. My Family Ruined My Big Day
Guests at a wedding | Source: Shutterstock
I married my partner in a modest ceremony and reception in our backyard. Being middle-aged and each on our second marriage, we opted for a simple affair.
Despite the distance, almost every guest traveled, some from the Midwest and others for hours within our state. We live in a remote part of a geographically diverse state, where a 120-mile journey can take over five hours.
We were thrilled that my parents and one of my six siblings made it. My parents had a visit planned, so we timed the wedding accordingly. My sister decided to join a couple of weeks before the event.
I arranged hair and makeup appointments with my regular stylist for my mom, sister, and myself. The first appointment was at 10 a.m., and I was the last to go there, so I stayed home to prepare our house until noon.
Upon arriving at the salon, I learned my mom and sister had left. I had hoped we’d spend the day together, especially since we live nearly 2,000 miles apart.
Returning home around 3 p.m., with much left to do and the photographer arriving at 4:30 p.m., I panicked and texted my family for help.
The plan was for them to assist with final party preparations after our appointments. However, they went to a fancy lunch an hour away and were just getting ready at their rental at 3:30 p.m. I managed the last-minute tasks alone as guests began to arrive, sweating off my makeup.
A woman talking on her phone | Source: Shutterstock
My parents and sister arrived at 4:15 p.m., leaving me barely any time to write my vows and get dressed. My relief turned to dismay upon seeing my mom in a knee-length cream lace dress with brown, tall boots, identical to my planned attire.
Despite knowing my outfit, she insisted, “It’s cream, not white.” Upset, I considered changing my dress, but my dad eventually took her to change. They returned about an hour later, causing tension.
Neither of my parents spoke to me that night beyond a curt goodbye. My sister helped clean up, but I was deeply hurt because she didn’t intervene earlier.
The next day, my parents hosted a brunch, where my mom barely spoke to me, and my dad seemed annoyed.
I used to have anxious dreams even a month after my wedding day. However, I ultimately found happiness in building a wonderful life with my husband.
Yet, the actions of my biological family during our wedding have left me deeply hurt, overshadowing what should have been a joyous occasion.
Their behavior, ranging from inconsiderate to intentionally hurtful, has strained our relationship beyond repair.
3. My Brother Couldn’t Control His Feelings
A happy man | Source: Pexels
Our wedding plans progressed smoothly, designed more as a grand party than a traditional ceremony. We included a best dress contest, games, and more, aiming for pure fun.
Eager to share this joy, I invited many people, including my primary school best friend, whom I hadn’t seen in about eight years. Her acceptance of the invitation thrilled me.
On the wedding day, she arrived early to assist with preparations, and we took some time to relax before the event.
However, upon seeing her, my younger brother immediately confessed his childhood crush and asked her to be his date for the day. She declined, but he persisted. As a result, I intervened and told him not to bother my friend because he had his answer. At that point, he seemed to accept her decision.
The day proceeded with minimal drama, concluding the ceremony by lunchtime and moving on to enjoy games and socializing.
During a game of Quidditch, my friend informed me that she wanted to go home because my brother had approached her again. This time, she told him she had a boyfriend, but he threatened to hurt the guy if she didn’t say yes.
A woman looking at a man | Source: Shutterstock
I confronted him again and said he could leave if he approached her again. As a result, my friend decided to stay, and the situation seemed to calm down as she enjoyed reconnecting and meeting my wife.
Soon, I heard my friend, brother, and mother screaming at each other in the next room. The guests were looking at them as my friend called my brother and mother unhinged.
My wife and I discovered my brother had complained to our mother, who joined him in criticizing my friend with vile wishes against her and her partner.
I immediately sent them away, but the evening was irreparably marred. We ended the celebration early, offering guests sweets to take home, and escorted my friend home, staying overnight to ensure her safety due to her fears of being followed.
It’s been nearly two weeks since the incident, and I’ve not spoken to my brother or mother. We also didn’t get the photos we wanted at sunset because of the drama.
4. My Mother-in-Law Ruined My Wedding
A happy couple standing behind an upset older woman | Source: Shutterstock
I, a 24-year-old male, recently married my wife, and we’ve had a tense relationship with her mother (MIL) since we started dating.
Despite knowing her disdain for me, I never anticipated how far she would go to express it. My MIL lived in our house for a while because she couldn’t find a place to stay and was adamant about not being put in a home.
Throughout her stay, she was ungrateful, refusing to contribute to bills or thank us for the food we provided. It was a growing issue, but I didn’t think about it much until the wedding.
I proposed to my wife on the roller Ferris wheel in Las Vegas, and it was a magical moment. Our wedding, meticulously planned for ten months, was meant to be perfect.
However, my MIL chose to wear an extravagant white dress, overshadowing the occasion and making it seem like I was marrying two brides—one significantly older, which was unsettling.
An older woman in a white dress | Source: Shutterstock
During the ceremony, her demeanor was sour, culminating in an outburst during our vows when she exclaimed, “Oh please!” in disbelief. Although I was ready to have her removed by security, my wife intervened, asking to let her stay.
The tension escalated during our first dance. Amidst our slow, quiet song, she shouted, “GIVE ME MY DAUGHTER BACK,” pushing me to my limit.
The remainder of the wedding was marred by my frustration and my wife’s discomfort. Once we were home, I couldn’t contain my anger any longer.
As she walked down the hallway, I told her in the most passive-aggressive manner possible to leave, insisting she pack her bags and be out by the next day. Her apologies were swift but insincere, and I was unmoved, enforcing her departure.
My wife’s silence on the matter made me think she, too, wished for her mother’s exit. We arranged for her to move into a senior living home, where she would be responsible for her expenses. Since then, she has adopted a humbler attitude.
5. What’s the Baby’s Name?
A bride and groom at their wedding ceremony | Source: Shutterstock
My husband and I got married last weekend, and our wedding was a much-anticipated event for us. We’ve been together almost ten years with four children but couldn’t afford a wedding, and we wanted something our girls could remember. We worked so hard for it.
I was already nervous because I was terrified something horrible would go wrong, but the setup and ceremony went as planned, and the reception started on time.
About halfway through, my sister-in-law came to me and told me she had left something in my guest book. I didn’t think much about it and went on about my night until my aunts approached me, asking about my brother and sister-in-law’s baby name.
I was so confused until I realized that’s what she left in my guest book. They announced their baby’s name using our guest book and made it a game with the family.
A guest book | Source: Pexels
The game was called “If you want to know the baby’s name, you’ll have to look for it.” I was upset but didn’t say anything because I knew it would cause a scene.
I found my husband and spent the rest of the night with him. The next day, I messaged my brother and SIL to tell them that they had hurt my feelings by doing that.
In return, my brother yelled at me, saying it was a gift. Meanwhile, my sister-in-law said it wasn’t like they grabbed a mic to announce it and that we could remove the baby’s name if it were such a big deal.
I tried to explain why I felt hurt, but I stopped once I realized they weren’t understanding my point of view. They just got mad at me, and their messages made me feel like I was being crazy.
6. I Couldn’t Control My Anger
A bride crying | Source: Shutterstock
My husband and I recently tied the knot in Paris. It was a huge wedding with over 60 people attending.
I’ve never been on good terms with my mother-in-law, and if it were my choice, I wouldn’t have had her at the wedding. I put our differences aside for my husband and invited her.
Everything was fine after I had sent the invitations out until I got a text from my mother-in-law asking if any children would be attending the wedding.
I said yes, as I have a six-year-old son from a previous relationship who loved my husband as if he were his dad.
This became a problem for my mother-in-law, and she demanded I hire a babysitter for my son since he wasn’t my husband’s biological child. I was fuming but kept my cool for my husband’s sake. I calmly told her it was my wedding and wanted my son to be there on my big day. She finally agreed after arguing for some time.
Everything was great after that, and we had a few days before the wedding. Getting everyone from the airport to the hotels was stressful, but it went smoothly.
Once we got to the hotel, my mother-in-law insisted on sharing a room with us. My husband and I told her we wanted to spend some time alone with our son before the wedding since he wouldn’t get enough attention during the wedding. We asked her to share a room with my sister-in-law, and she walked away angrily.
A couple standing behind an angry older woman | Source: Shutterstock
At that point, I thought my mother-in-law wouldn’t argue more or cause stress on the wedding day, but I was wrong. A day before the wedding, she said she should have been my maid of honor. I don’t understand why she said that because she always knew she wouldn’t be my maid of honor.
I didn’t want to argue, so I just walked away. Finally, the wedding day arrived, the ceremony started, and everything went as planned. I felt it was the best day of my life until the afterparty started.
Everyone was having fun at the afterparty. Then, it was time for my husband and I to dance to a song I chose. We were halfway through the song before I heard a loud “boo” from a person in the crowd. It was my mother-in-law.
She stood up and shouted, “You have taken my boy away from me. He will never love you as much as he loved me. A boy’s mom should be the only woman he should ever love.”
When I turned towards her, she said, “You will never be good enough for my son.” That’s when I lost my cool, got up, and shouted in her face, “You have done nothing but ruin everything for me! You ruined the days leading up to the wedding and my wedding day. I will never accept you as my mother-in-law!”
My mother-in-law immediately started crying and ran out of the church. Needless to say, the rest of the night was awkward, and everyone went home early.
7. No One Wanted to Attend the Wedding
An empty wedding venue | Source: Shutterstock
I’ve catered many weddings, and there have been some memorable ones: fights between guests, wedding cakes falling over, red wine spilled on wedding dresses, etc.
The one I’ll never forget was a small ceremony which included a few close friends and family, followed by a big reception. The reception had several types of dishes and a bar.
They had booked and paid for 250 evening guests, but only 30 people arrived. My heart broke for this couple because they had booked a massive barn with lots of food and drinks but no guests.
The buffet food remained untouched till 10 p.m. Only a few guests who were there ate the food. At that point, I asked the bride’s mother if she wanted me to cover the food and refrigerate it so the bride and groom could take it home.
