Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
THE TRUTH ABOUT: Worst bridezilla wedding stories | History Defined
Bridezillas are some of the worst (if not the worst) creatures you will encounter in the wild. They reek of entitlement and would stop at nothing until their demands are met, even if it means ruining lifelong friendships and creating disturbing memories along the way.
Much like there is no shortage of bridezillas out in the world, stories about their atrocious actions are unfortunately in abundance. Here are more of them, courtesy of people who shared their firsthand experiences.
If you’re a woman who’s about to get married, these anecdotes should serve as exemplary cautionary tales.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
I’m A Wedding Photographer And I Have To Shame This
Animals in wedding.
I’ve seen dove thrown in the sky. I’ve seen the “horse carriage “ trend. I’ve seen decorative parrots.
But this summer, I’ve been disgusted by this new company that sells “quality wedding butterflies”
I was made aware that there would be a “butterfly release” when the couple would leave the church. In my head, there would be a big cage/aquarium full of butterfly and they would open it. But no.
Butterflies were kept in a cake box. Mother of the bride opened the cake box and smaller, butterfly shapes boxes were inside. The boxes were tiny, so it was clear the butterflies were trapped with no possibility of movement. How cruel. Mother of the bride gave one tiny box to every member of the wedding party.
Then it hit me. We’re in the south, it was burning out outside. It was impossible to survive in this heat and...well all the butterflies that were probably sitting in a box in the car since this morning were not alive.
When everyone opened their butterfly box, they either fell on the ground or stayed lifeless in their boxes.
Seriously how is this thing even legal.
The wedding was butterfly themed (cupcake, colors, etc) and I thought the bride liked butterflies enough to know better.
Randomosity 1 hour ago
What horrible people! Someone should leave the bride and her mother in a hot car all day.
RELATED:
#2
Bridezillas Fake Wedding
I have a story for you regarding an old acquaintance and her wedding. We will call her Dove for this story. I have known Dove for about 5 years when she asked me to be a bridesmaid, no big deal? Wrong. Dove was marrying a man(we will call him Kevin for this story), I was over the moon excited to be a bridesmaid for Dove as we were really close throughout high school. It got to the wedding planning part and it went downhill from there. Dove wanted an extravagant wedding, extravagant bachelorette party, the whole 9 yards.
Dove, wanted the bridesmaids to "match" in a dark green bridesmaid dress, which as a plus size girl, was hard to find, along with expensive. She wanted me to spend hundreds(if not more) to fund the bachelorette party, going as far as telling me to use my tax return to fund a trip to a big city, hotel, drinks, decor..etc. I told her I couldn't do that because I have a home, I have bills, and the tax return wasnt just mine, it was my husband's as well.
I was asked to pay for all 12 of her bridesmaids at the time to go to Chicago for her bachelorette party. I declined. I was asked to spend large amounts of money on a dress and other things for her wedding, and she still only wanted a cash gift, I was thrilled when she disinvited me to the wedding, I was the maid of honor and never asked to be , she just kind of posted it everywhere. Over the course of her wedding planning all but three bridesmaids dropped out( out of 12).
When I told her that I would have to step down from being in the wedding party, she belittled me, along with another bridesmaid who also stepped down because of the way Dove was expecting so much from us. She accused the brides maids who left publicly of being fat phobic ( all but one bridesmaid was extra large and in-charge). And publicly ran everyone’s name threw the dirt.
It’s been a few months and she called me and apologized. I was shocked. I thought wow maybe married life really made her mature a bit.
We met up in a public park and hung out. Well that’s when she let the bomb shell drop that her and Kevin never got nor signed the marriage certificate. They DIDNT get married. They had the wedding and expected all the gifts, forced people ( including the in-laws who just gave them 17k as a wedding gift for a house) to pay for gifts ( she was only allowing cash gifts) and the wedding. And didn’t tell anyone they never got married legally…. Until the in-laws just found out a few Days before we met up. She said they are not happy as they are co-signing for her house thinking Kevin’s name would also be on ( it is not).
Has anyone heard of people doing this?! Her reasoning is this way when she has a kid Kevin can quit his job and raise the kid and get more benefits due to being a single father but still live in “her” house. Like this just sounds illegal…
Sarah Belt 1 hour ago
Maybe not strictly illegal, but she could probably end up with a civil judgement against her. Also, from how elaborate this scheme was, I'm sure she'll try to top it.
#3
Ruined A 15 Year Friendship Due To Bridezilla
Kate (name changed) was one of my best friends since the third grade. We hung out all the time and got along really well. She was always more higher maintenance - taking three hours to get ready for anything, always late to events (by an hour because she took so long to get ready), and just always needed to have things done her way to her specifications. Growing up, I honestly didn't mind. I was more laid back and not as confident in standing up for myself. We drifted apart during university as we went to different places and grew into adulthood but still kept in touch, especially when I went back home.
A couple of years after highschool, Kate got engaged! I was so happy and excited - she was the first of my friends to get married and even though we drifted apart, asked me to be a bridesmaid. I was thrilled! The wedding was set in three years from that time. She wanted to make sure she got the best of everything.
This is when we started to clash. She would request entire weekends off to get bridesmaid dress shopping together. I couldn't do that because I had to work some weekends or I couldn't figure out how to get back to my hometown. When I did make it, she looked at dresses in the $500+ range. I was very worried as I couldn't drop that kind of cash on just the dress! Next she talked about having an out of state bachelorette party, meaning I would have to take precious time off from work, pay for flights, pay for hotels and all her events (estimates were around $1500). On top of that, she then said she still expected wedding gifts from her bridesmaids. I started to pull away feeling overwhelmed. I expressed my concerns regarding the commitment and money expectations but she said the other girls could do it. The difference was I lived in a bigger city and had to pay rent and all my own bills while the other girls still lived at home. She couldn't understand my budgeting. She would call me to express my disappointment and pretty much started complaining about me. I was in shock that I didn't know what to say. Her final saying? Let's see this next bridesmaid dress shopping goes and I'll let you know if I still want you in the party. I texted her saying that I don't need to be judged or evaluated and to have a good life. I was done with these ridiculously high expectations for her wedding.
It shocked me to see how crazy intense it all got. I knew she was always more high maintenance, but I didn't think it could get this out of hand. It's sad to see a 15 year friendship go down the drain.
Planning a wedding can be a stressful time for everyone involved. In some cases, it brings out the worst in people, the bride, in particular.
And experts like New York-based psychiatrist Dr. Samantha Boardman have recognized how the “bridezilla” concept has been a “punchline” that seems to trivialize the stress of wedding planning.
#4
Bridezilla Spreads False Rumors About Me Upstaging Her At Her Wedding On Purposely
I 19F have a sister who just got married last week who we’re gonna call Mary 26F. I was guest at her wedding, on the day of her wedding I chose to wear this light purple dress, some gold jewelry, and my usual makeup look (including false lashes which may not seem important but “is” later on). When I get to the wedding she gives me a nasty look but than goes back to doing what she was before. For the whole wedding she just kept giving me nasty looks and ignoring me even when it was time it take pictures when it was my turn to take pictures with the bride and groom she tried acting sick but as soon as I left she began acting normal again.
After the wedding I get a text from my brother in law aka Mary’s husband telling me apologize for upstaging Mary at her own wedding I respond asking what he meant and he told me about how Mary was telling everyone I upstaged her on purpose by wearing a cake load of makeup and wearing a prettier dress (Her wedding dress was one of those extra long train and corset btw so I don’t know what she meant by that). I tell him that I would never upstage her at a special event like this and it wasn’t even on purpose or was I actually upstaging her. I got left on read soon after I sent that. I’ve tried talking to Mary but she keeps on ignoring me.
#5
They Want My Daughter To Be A Flower Girl At Their Wedding, But I'm Not Invited
Have I been eating crazy cakes? Am I off base, I really need to know.
Becky is someone I have known for many years. We are in the same social circle, more like friends of friends, but we are not super close. It's really more like acquaintance I run into from time to time. I do see them and hang out with them at gatherings, probably 3-4 times per year, but I've never been to their house, nor them to mine.
I'm a single parent to an 11 year old girl and I received a call from Becky, who has never called me in her life before this, asking if my daughter would do the honor of being a flower girl because there are no other young kids in her family. [Side Note: My daughter who would EAT THAT UP! She'd love to be a flower girl.] I asked for the wedding date and where it was and she told me that it was at a winery in the middle of nowhere almost 2 hours driving from where we live. But she also said that it's an extremely intimate wedding for family and a few very close friends and unfortunately there wouldn't be "room" for me at either the ceremony or reception, "I'm sure you can understand."
I told her I'd have to look into and and call her back because, honestly, I was too stunned to reply.
Listen, I have ZERO problems not being invited to anyone's wedding, you do YOU and your day, no problem.
But.. let me get this straight: Becky wants me to spend the time money on getting a flower girl dress and shoes, drive my kid 2 hours away to a winery in the middle of nowhere and drop her off unsupervised with a bunch of adults. And I should do what? Wait in the car? Wait down the road? Wait in the bathroom? Wait in the kitchen with the caterers? LOL. There isn't even a cafe within a 30 minutes drive.
Am I off base thinking this is just totally bonkers??
#6
I Was Hit By A Car 2 Weeks Before The Wedding
As I said in the title, I was hit by a car four days ago, I'm okay, but have lots of bruising and have broken my left leg. I'm now in a wheelchair. I know that both the church and the venue are wheelchair accessible, as another guest is an ambulatory wheelchair user, so she may have to use it throughout the day. I obviously will have to use mine as well, I can't move onto crutches from another 5 weeks and that's only if my healing goes as well as expected.
In a phonecall this morning, the bride suggested it would be best if I didn't attend because and I quote "you and *other guest's name* would be stealing all the attention, especially with your cast and bruising. Maybe you just come to the reception and buy a new dress to cover up all that mess"
My bruising will have hopefully gone down by then, but I was already planning on hiring an mua to help me better cover them too. I've already tested the dress I was planning to wear in my wheelchair, only my ankle and foot are visible. I'm still trying to think of ideas to hide it the rest of the cast the best I can, but it's always going to be somewhat visible, especially due to the size of it and how bulky it is.
I have known the bride since we were in pre school, we stayed friends throughout primary, secondary, college and even through being at universities 400+ miles apart. And honestly, if a leg cast and a second wheelchair user is what is going to ruin her wedding and our friendship, I think I'm better off not going and cutting contact.
“It taps into a masculine conception of a madwoman who appears normal, and then a switch flips and the formerly hidden beast within rears its ugly head,” Dr. Boardman said in an interview with Vogue.
#7
No Black @ Nye Black-Tie Wedding; Make It Make Sense
My cousin (he and I are not super close but there are only five of us) is getting married on New Year’s Eve into New Years… wedding starts late afternoon, goes until after the ball drop. It definitely looks like it’ll be a full black tie experience, which is nice!
Side note: we have another cousin who did a “black tie“ wedding at 4:00 PM on a non-holiday Monday because his bride (an aspiring influencer who can’t spell) couldn’t afford the castle otherwise, where we were all eating off of plasticware and drinking cheap wine, no live band (aka very much not a black tie experience).
In any case, I was looking at the wedding FAQs, and guests have been requested NOT to wear black, because apparently the bridal party will be wearing black. I have to say, are you kidding me? First of all, it’s a black tie wedding, where you are literally supposed to wear black or navy, and it’s New Year’s Eve, when everyone wears black! I’m mostly irritated because all of my formal gowns are already black, it’s hard to find dresses, and I’m already spending so much money on gifts, flights, hotels, etc.
I also have two small kids and work in an office full-time, so I really don’t have the time or money (technically I have the money, but there are about 58493 other things I need/would rather spend it on, our childcare bill alone is $4800/mo, and I’m categorically opposed to spending tons of money on a dress I will probably only wear once and won’t feel good in, in this economy, when I have great options in my closet already) to go find something new, just so that I can fit the ✨vibes✨ of a a twentysomething-year-old I don’t even know (I haven’t met the bride yet) - what in the Gen Z nonsense is this?
Yes, I absolutely know that not going is an option; I live across the country from my family, and don’t get to see them often, which is really the only reason I want to go. Additionally: my mom, my aunt, and my grandma all only have black formal dresses, too, so we’re all hosed.
Here’s what’s going to happen: I am probably going to show up in a black formal dress, as well as my mom and aunt and grandma. Sorry about it!
#8
My Friend Is Being A Bridezilla And I’m Over It
I am the MOH in my friend’s wedding and I feel that my friend is being tacky, inconsiderate, and selfish.
For starters, she had been with her fiancé for 10 years before he proposed. I think because of that, there is a lot of built up anticipation in her mind of having a perfect, extravagant, dream wedding. However, they are not massively wealthy so they are purposely trying to get money in order to pay for the wedding. They explicitly picked a venue that allows them to pay 1/2 of their wedding after the day, so they plan to use the gifts that people give to pay for the wedding.
In terms of pre wedding events, there was an engagement party, bachelorette party, and bridal party. Mostly standard, however, I am of course obligated to spend hundreds of dollars with each of these events. For the bachelorette party, it actually cost $1,200 per girl, as we went to an entirely different country. For her bridal shower, she explicitly put on the invitations that she wants guests to NOT give physical gifts, but rather give money to contribute to their honey moon fund. (Their honey moon is planned and over $10,000)
While on the topic of the bridal shower, I feel bad that I didn’t do a lot of planning for it. However, I was not given the chance. She took charge and planned out EVERYTHING (theme, decorations, venue, date, etc.) 7 months prior. I thought bridal showers were typically planned FOR the bride, not BY the bride. So this is conjunction for explicitly asking for cash gifts feel very tacky.
A few other things that have happened that I feel are rude on her end. Her other cousin got engaged after her and her fiancé, and planned a wedding 3 months PRIOR to the wedding date. My friend was extremely offended that her cousin is “stealing her thunder.”
Also, my parents did not receive an invite to her wedding, despite knowing her throughout my entire childhood and taking her on family vacations. This is not a huge deal, but worth mentioning since I am laying everything out.
All in all, by the time the wedding is over, I will have spent about $2,800 in gifts, travel, and bridal party duties. So with that in mind, here comes my final breaking point. The bride asked her bridal party who would opt to get their hair and makeup done ($120 for each service). I said I would do my own makeup and get my hair done. Many of the other girls in the bridal party said they would just do their own hair and makeup. The bride tells me how she’s annoyed more people aren’t getting it done because the whole point of being in the bridal party is to be getting ready together the morning of. I told her not to stress and we’d still get ready together and have fun, it’s just expensive to get it done so many girls probably don’t want to. Fast forward a few weeks, and my friend is finalizing who is getting their glam done. I reiterated that I’ll just be doing my hair, and she sent me a long text message about how she couldn’t believe I am not getting my makeup done even AFTER she said she was upset about the bridal party not getting their services. She said I’m the MOH and will be in a lot of pictures, and it’s a big day, so I really should get it done. After lecturing me of how wrong I was, she said she’ll just pay for mine because it’s clearly something I don’t want to pay for. She also insisted I don’t tell anybody else because she can’t afford to offer for any of the other girls to get their services done. I feel the way this was handled was extremely offensive. I wear makeup every day and would be able to do my own makeup just fine. I also find it ironic that she can’t afford to pay for the bridal party’s glam, but she INSISTS that they be willing to pay and do it….
So to wrap it up, I am extremely fed up and am now just waiting for this wedding to be over, rather than being able to be excited for my friend.
#9
Bride Banned Water Bottles Because They Didn’t Match The Aesthetic And Almost Gave Us Heatstroke
So last summer, I attended the most visually stunning, physically brutal wedding of my life.
The bride was super into minimalist Pinterest vibes ,everything was beige, blush, and white. Like, painfully curated. No loud colors, no mismatched chairs, even the waiters had to wear off-white. It honestly looked like a lifestyle photoshoot, until you realized it was 102°F outside and we were all sweating through our linen outfits.
Here’s the kicker: she banned water bottles.
Yes. Like, completely banned. No plastic, no reusable bottles, no nothing. Because they didn’t fit the aesthetic. She apparently thought water bottles in photos would ruin the vibe.
Instead, there were these tiny cucumber-mint spritzers being passed around before the ceremony. Cute, yes. Hydrating? Absolutely not. Each glass was maybe 3 sips max. And the ceremony lasted 45 minutes in direct sun, no fans, no shade.
People were suffering. One guest legit had to sit down in the middle of the vows. The groom’s elderly aunt had to be helped inside with signs of heat exhaustion. And STILL, no actual water was offered.
After the ceremony, there was a single hydration station tucked in a corner with a staff member pouring chilled water into dainty glasses one at a time. The line was insane. At one point, the groom’s mom pulled out a Hydro Flask from her bag and the bride actually gasped and made someone ask her to put it away. I wish I was joking.
The wedding looked gorgeous on Instagram, like a magazine spread. But everyone who was there remembers it as The Thirst Games.
So yeah, your wedding might be pretty, but let your guests drink some freaking water.
Acting unhinged before or during your wedding day and making everyone feel unsettled is never acceptable. But for some people, such actions are simply the effect of crumbling under insurmountable stress.
As social and health psychologist Juliana Breines points out, the pressure to look beautiful alone can take a lot out of the bride.
#10
6 Months Pregnant And Need A Quick Vent So I Don't Hurt Anyone's Feelings
I am going to my boyfriend's sister's wedding in June. I was excited because I had already purchased a few pretty maternity dresses just to have for the summer and I splurged a little for the sake of comfort and wanting to feel pretty as I get larger than I've ever been. Then his sister sends us the color scheme for her wedding and tells us she wants the GUESTS to dress according to the color scheme. Pregnancy aside, this seems like a ridiculous and needy request. I thought the color scheme was meant for the decor and to make the bridal party stand out amongst the crowd.
I don't know how it is in other states, but in Colorado it has been very challenging to find maternity clothing stores. I have been to a couple secondhand stores (that's where I've acquired some really nice baby clothes but it's hard to find dresses for specific occasions there, especially with this color scheme guideline), beyond that I've gone to the major department stores to look and I just can't justify paying their prices for a dress for this wedding. I am very satisfied with the quality and fit of the aforementioned dresses I bought from PinkBlush, so I purchased a couple options from there but neither of them fit the way the others do, and the stitching on the neckline of one of them is so noticeably uneven that I wouldn't have worn it anyway. I bought one from Amazon, the actual product varied so much and was one of the most horrendous things I've ever seen.
I just feel like I've spent too much time and effort trying to get one dress for one wedding and I think their color scheme rule is stupid and shortsighted.
That is all, thank you for listening to my rant.
#11
Bride Text Dress Code Less Than 48 Hours Before Wedding, No Mention On Invitation
I’m going to a wedding tomorrow and the bride has text me this morning to say ‘no red or white allowed at the wedding’. Fair enough about the white - a common courtesy. I know the red thing a thing in Asian weddings but neither of them or any of their families are Asian, they are 100% white British.
I have purchased a dark red dress to wear.
I went back over the invitation and all it says for dress code is cocktail attire, no mention of colour. I’m now going to have to take this dress back and try and find something else after work today! I feel like just wearing it since she said so late but I don’t want to ruin her day. Mad rn.
#12
Couple Requested Cake From Grandparents, Then Got It Re-Iced
A while back, one of my family members asked if her grandmother would bake her wedding cake, and asked her grandfather (on the other side) to ice/frost it. Both were happy to be asked, and very willing. She had put together clear instructions of what she wanted on it, and had a charming little topper made. The cake was prepared and delivered as expected - not to a perfect professional standard, but everyone admired it, and the grandparents were well applauded for their work.
Fast forward a few years to a (M, 20-something) cousin's wedding. He asked if the same grandfather would bake and decorate his wedding cake - this one 3 rather than 2 tiers. No instructions were given, no design ideas or inspiration, so upon discussion with my family, he decided on a simple art-deco stained glass-style design, with the characteristic black lines and coloured flowers on a white background. This was chosen as simple and elegant, with connections to my cousin's background. The idea was checked with the cousin, who seemed happy with it. The grandfather set to work, baking, buying icing supplies, designing, practising until he was happy with the final piece. And all was well.
Until the week of the wedding.
A few days before the wedding, the cake was delivered to the bride and groom, in perfect condition - again, maybe the lines weren't perfectly smooth, but it was a very good piece of cake artistry for an amateur. And yet... it did not meet the bride's approval.
The bride went to find a last-minute cake decorator to strip the icing from the cake entirely - hours of preparation, meticulous line work and hand-painting by the groom's own grandfather - and had it re-iced in some white fondant with minimalist white squiggles.
All that work and thoughtful care gone in an afternoon.
Come the wedding, who can fault us if we were a little frosty towards this woman who had so unkindly spurned a requested gift? The wedding was just some soulless insta-vision in bland colours and forgettable decor, the most generic wedding-catalogue copy-paste you can imagine, and with the grandfather's hastily covered up artistry at the center, obvious and unmentioned. The grandfather was stoic throughout, smiled for the couple, congratulated them - but never again did he pick up an icing bag.
“This pressure can lead women to starve themselves for months before the wedding so that they can fit into their too small dress, to spend countless hours and dollars on hair and make-up products and services, to overdo sun or tanning bed exposure, to worry so much about whether their skin will break out that it breaks out worse than ever, and to feel chronically dissatisfied with their appearance,” Brienes explained.
#13
The Bride Made Her Friends Work For Her... As A Surprise
Luckily enough I didn't attend the wedding. The bride was the cousin of a friend of mine. Anyhow, she married a rich older guy. The day of her wedding arrived. Shortly before the reception the bride went to her best friends, aprons in her hand and told them she had intended for them to work as waitresses throughout the reception. She hadn't hired any nor had she informed her friends beforehand.
For reasons uncomprehendable to me, her friends took up with the job and didn't just leave as I would have done. Though, at least one of those friends ended the friendship shortly afterwards.
#14
Insane Dress Code Request. Copy Pasted From The Couple’s Wedding Social Page. They Turned Off Comments
Dear Guests 💌 this is about the Dress Code which is VERY IMPORTANT so please read careful. Everyone has been given there own special colour (example: pink, blue, orange, purple, etc etc) and that is the colour you MUST wear on the day. NO variations or patterns!!! The reason is because when you all sit down in your ASSIGNED SEATS it will make the vision happen 🌈✨ which is basically like a rainbow. Imagine like looking out and seeing all of you lined up perfectly, every single colour in the right order, it will look AMAZING!!! This is what we have been dreaming of since literally day one of our relationship and we need you guys to help make it real 💖 so pls don’t let us down because if one person doesn’t do there colour it could wreck the WHOLE vision 😭. We put ALOT of work into this and it’s gonna be worth it, trust me.
#15
Bride Was Mad At Me Because I Didn't Wait Outside Uninvited
It's been a few years but anyhow my then best friend got married. We had been friends for many years at that time, I was actually the one who helped her get together with her husband.
I was there for her when she moved in with him, I was her only friend, outside of two family members, who were invited to join her on her search for wedding dresses.
She had two weddings: one at a courthouse, one at a church. I helped her find her dresses for both occasions, helped her plan the events, ...
Now I assumed I'd also be close enough to get an invite to her courthouse wedding. Nope, she didn't tell me, I had to guess on my own. I felt hurt by this, especially since she had invited a bunch of other people and I thought it odd that she had asked me for help... but didn't think of inviting me. Anyhow I sent her a card and that was it.
But nooo. Months later she complained to me how hurt she was that I hadn't come. She didn't invite me but she had expected me to travel roughly 2 hours to get there, wait outside in the cold, just to congratulate her when she left the building... and to the drive home for another 2 hours. (I didn't have a car at the tune and traveling by bus would have taken that long).
Anyhow. That was an unexpected expectation.
To alleviate some of that stress ahead of or during the big day, Dr. Boardman has one important piece of advice: let go of perfectionism. She emphasized the importance of making peace with the fact that you cannot control every aspect.
“Resist the temptation to catastrophize,” she said. “If your dream of an outdoor wedding is compromised by a looming thunderstorm, your wedding is not ruined. Always have a plan B.”
#16
“I Want To Be The Envy Of All My Friends”
My parents own an outdoor wedding venue in the woods in the Midwest, so we’ve seen a fair share of crazy couples, vendors, family etc.
My Brother (25) and soon to be sister in law (22) are going to get married in August at the venue at a discounted price along with my parents paying with many other things. No big deal, it’s family. But, my SIL has been crazy to say the least. She wanted me (I’m 15 and just got my drivers permit) to take her going to be 9 month old son to my house after the wedding ceremony and watch him for the rest of the night. My parents, obviously disagreed as I wanted to be apart of the reception. There would be family there that I haven’t seen in ages and that wasn’t fair to me. But, along with that, she has tried to invite my uncle (several times), who isn’t allowed near my dads family because he literally beat someone up and is on substances most of the time.
So, apart from those crazy things she has a guest list of over 400 people, many of the people she doesn’t even know. Which wouldn’t be a problem in other venues, but we have only ever had 275 people max at a wedding at once. Along with the fact that our parking lot can hold 80 cars, with people being parked in the grass, behind the storage garage, and in ditches. So 400+ people is going to be a struggle. Another issue is that our policy is 1 bartender per 150 guests. And since Our venue is family owned it’s going to be a struggle to find more bartenders.
Like the title says, my SIL told my mom that she wanted to be the ‘envy of all her friends’ and have a large, beautiful wedding. My mom believes that she only said this because my SIL’s friend got married at the venue earlier this summer.
This is a really long rant, sorry about that but I might update if my SIL says or does more Bridezilla-esque stuff, or if their wedding is a stressful mess like my mom is saying it’s going to be. I love my SIL but she’s very spoiled and rude.
Edit 1: I thought I should mention that my brother is my half brother. We have the same dad. His mom is very judgy and hates both my parents and tried to accuse my dad of some crazy things a few years back. So my parents have been lenient in order to not start any drama.
Edit 2: this isn’t about my SIL, kinda. The only bartender that was able to work the day of their wedding just quit. So now there’s a guest list of currently 478 people and no bartenders.
#17
A Friend Asked Me To Write A Speech For Her Wedding...but Didn't Let Me Actually Give It
Not as dramatic as some stories I've read on here, but this happened a while ago and it really did make me change the way I saw a friend.
About 10 years ago, I attended my best friend's wedding (we'll call her "Gemma"). I (gay male) was part of the bridal party along with two female bridesmaids (one of whom we'll call "Yasmin"). I was also asked to give a speech by the bride, which I did, and it went down very well. I was seated at the head table, and it was a beautiful wedding.
Approximately two years later, Yasmin then announced that she was getting married. I was invited, but as a regular guest and not part of the bridal party, which was absolutely fine. One night, she asked me to give a speech at her wedding too, just like I did for Gemma. Of course I said yes. I did think it a bit unusual, given that I wasn't part of the bridal party, but I went with it.
I write a speech and have it in my suit jacket pocket ready. I'm not sitting at the head table - of course I didn't expect to be, but then speeches begin. Groom, best man, bride, man of honour...and that's it. I'm not asked to give my speech. I'm sitting wondering when I'm expected to do mine, and getting kinda embarrassed. Did she forget she asked me? Did I misunderstand what she asked me to do? After their speeches, the disco begins.
Eventually, Yasmin makes her way round the tables and when she gets to ours (where I, Gemma and Gemma's husband "David" are sitting). Gemma asks when she's expecting me to do my speech; Yasmin gives a half laugh and makes some sort of joke about me "emerging" at some point during the disco to give it, which confuses all of us, but then she's off to the next table.
I never did get to give the speech. I would never have wanted to interrupt the disco to seemingly randomly give a speech - people would've been like "Who the hell is this guy?" I spend most of my time at the wedding with Gemma, before I tire and decide to leave. Gemma and David were both really pissed off at her for not letting me give the speech. I was kinda hurt and embarrassed, but really just confused at the whole thing. As I left the building, I tossed the speech in the bin.
I haven't really spoken to Yasmin since then, though I understand she's had another wedding and married someone else. Gemma and I weren't invited.
#18
Went To A Wedding Where All The Guests Were Made To Melt Outside In 95 Degree Heat
95 degrees, and humid, outside. The bride and bridegroom had told everyone to arrive at the venue, clearly a huge indoor place, by 1 PM, but when we got to the venue, the wedding planner, on the instruction of bride and bridegroom, told everyone that the event was on the outdoor patio / back lawn for the indefinite time period, and didnt let anyone inside-except the bride, bridegroom, bridesmaids and groomsmen. This was all on the instruction of the bride and bridegroom. They wanted to have "their moments" just with their bridesmaids and groomsmen, and through the windows we could see them drinking and having a good time inside with the air conditioning. Meanwhile, everyone else was left sweltering on the back patio for about 2 hours. With all their fine garb and makeup. The wedding coordinator repeatedly refused anyone who tried to go inside, even to use the restroom, and told people "if you are feeling hot take off your formal jackets. the bride and bridegroom do not want anyone else inside".
I know time with bridesmaids and groomsmen is valid, but come on. They had their bach/bachelorette and a huge after party planned as well. Guests have flown in from all around the country. No one was informed it was an outdoor event in 95 degree heat, indeed an indoor venue was booked, but just locking everyone out so you can chit chat and drink with your girls/guys, for two hours?
We ended up being allowed inside for a brief ceremony at the end of the two hours
Brienes likewise urges avoiding being overly particular about every detail. But as she also noted, coming off as a bridezilla should not be part of the already long list of worries.
“Giving yourself a break doesn't mean giving yourself permission to boss everyone around and refuse to compromise on anything.”
#19
Bride Wants Guest To Cancel Their Rescheduled Honeymoon/ Huge Family Trip So They Can Come To Her Wedding. Save The Date Sent Out 1 Year In Advance
This is wedding 9/9 for me this year and I am BURNT out. I had a friend in college who idk if I can be friends anymore after her wedding saga. She was so disrespectful to me I backed out of her wedding as a bridesmaid bc she just kept insulting me to my face and saying it was “due to stress” but she wanted me to still come as a regular guest to try to mend the relationship. Initally, i appreciated her attempt to move forward but now im just scared haha and certainly scared to RSVP no bc it literally may be easier to just show up and then not speak again.
She invited a friend/ co worker to wedding who got married last fall. Right after her wedding they had a big family emergency so they had to cancel their honeymoon. They decided to do a 1 year anniversary trip instead and also invite her parents and grandparents bc it was a milestone anniversary for both of them. They had it already fully planned (some international trip). So when the save the date came out a year in advance, the friend said sorry cant come to wedding and let her know in advance. The bride was “annoyed” bc “if I gave long term notice then she has long term notice to cancel her trip” “her parents and grandparents can just go alone and she can meet them later after my wedding” “i sat through her wedding so she should sit through mine” “I mean… how ANNOYING is it that she cant come?” “I was even nice enough to add her husband since no one else gets a plus one if I dont know the partner” “She should just kindly decline the invite” (SHE DID kindly decline wtf). I told her hey you know a huge trip with 6 people planned over a year in advance is prob legit and she sends her regrets so let her and accept it and move on. She may even have time to invite someone else to fill the seat if that was such a problem. I think she came to the engagement party and the shower so far and has been nice so I dont think it was a lie to get out of it (not that its anyones business). Then at her shower, bride looked for that girl and her gift to make sure she “showed up properly”
Why are we keeping tabs on peoples family live around weddings! Why are we expecting gifts from people youre annoyed at! This is wild!
#20
Guests Waited For A Total Of An Hour And A Half
So the invite said it started at 1. I only found out after the fact that while the invite said 1:00, it was really set to start at 1:30. So they lied to all of their guests for starters for fear of family being late. I then found out that 90% of the guests were there at 12:45. The other 10% arrived by 1. Others were there a little early (11am) to help set up and get things in order.
Bride was having a lot of stress and kept saying she just needed a minute before walking down the aisle (not at all cold feet, just an inability to manage the stress of the day.) This meant she didn’t walk down the aisle until 2:30.
Also nobody went out to notify the guests that everything is okay and no one has cold feet, it will start momentarily.
This was honestly a really insanely frustrating day for me and I am so glad it’s looking like I won’t have to be a part of a wedding again.
#21
Bride Gets Mad At Me For Wearing A “Better Dress” Even Though She Approved Of It The Day Before
I 28F have a sister 23F who just got married. I was invited as a guest to her wedding. The day before her wedding I was showing her the dress I was gonna wear to the wedding and she said it was gorgeous. The dress was this little black dress with a little bit of sparkles and a corset. When I arrived to the reception she was a lil stunned and came up to me saying something in the lines of “oh wow I didn’t know you were actually gonna wear it” and than just laughed but I could see by her face that she had a problem with it. All throughout the wedding I saw her giving me these strange looks. And once during the wedding I saw her talking to some people and than at one point they all just stared at me and gave me a nasty look. She hasn’t really been the same to me ever since. I honestly don’t think I did anything wrong and think she was overreacting especially since she literally approved of the dress so I don’t know why she changed her mind so fast.
#22
Expected To RSVP Within 72 Hours Of Invite
Received a texted image of a wedding invite in a group chat from a couple for a wedding 3 weeks away and on the other side of the country last night. The bride has already texted twice saying if I don’t RSVP via the website on the picture she sent within two days she’s taking it as a “no” and there will be no food or seat for me and my plus 1. Her second text said if I respond via text “yes” it doesn’t matter, it has to be on the website for it to count and within 72 hours of “receiving” the invite.
Umm…. what?!
I knew the wedding was going to be in the summer so when I got the text invite I was expecting a September wedding not August 15. Also, guests are being asked to wear either magenta or apricot.
I’ve got 48 hours to decide if I take notice of the red flags and bail or if I go to see what happens. I can’t imagine it’s going to go well based on this.
Hot take: I’m all for being cheap and doing a digital invite but to just text a picture of a paper invite design (QR codes and all) is tacky. I can’t think of a more obvious way to announce that you either messed up your timeline/budget or call attention to me possibly being a backup guest. Honestly it would have just been better to text a link to the wedding website and say “please rsvp to our wedding via the link.”
#23
Walked Right Into A Hot Mess And Ran Out
Another story here triggered my memory of a bridezilla I once knew.
The bride was a friend of my sibling and not me, but I was always friendly as she was always at my house growing up. We ended up hanging out here and there while my sibling was away at school but I never considered her very close.
Fast forward a few months and she’s engaged to her fiancée who is also a very close friend of my sibling, they’re all in the same friend group. I was of course happy and took her out for dinner to celebrate, and instead of enjoying the free dinner she ended up costing me way more by asking me to be her bridesmaid. As many would be, I was so surprised and my brain went blank that I agreed.
Soon after that when the pressure came and I regretted my decision. The bachelorette party was the same night as a close family member’s wedding out of town. As soon as she was throwing out dates for it I said immediately I couldn’t be there because of the wedding. That turned into a multi day event of guilt and manipulation.
Then came the dress selection. The bride was a size 0 on a bad day, where I was plus sized at the time. And normally that’s never an issue for me, I was comfortable with myself, however she insisted I try on straight sized dresses and said they’d fit because I’m not that much bigger than her. I was very self aware and told her I’m not doing it and risking getting stuck or ripping the dress. So in the middle of the store she had a meltdown and had her equally unpleasant sister yell at me for being uncooperative.
I should have walked away at that point but I must have been really understanding because I didn’t back out just yet.
Around that time my mom was quite sick, and she took a turn and the outlook was not good. And then my car broke on me, so between having to buy a new car and worrying about my mom, I let her know that I need to back out. I was transparent about how between my mom and the financial burden this was becoming, ontop of having to now buy another car, I couldn’t do it. Silly me thinking she’d be understanding.
She put me on blast - over text of course because why be an adult now and have some empathy. She accused me of exaggerating about my mom’s health because my sibling didn’t tell her what was going on (who lived hours away whereas I lived minutes away from mom), and I should have saved for a new car and her wedding.
Needless to say, I told my sibling and he didn’t speak to her leading up to the wedding and then never again since.
They ended up divorcing soon after that, surprise surprise.
#24
Bride Pressured Me To Attend Wedding After I Declined, Then Seated Me At The Vendor Table Because She Was 'Jealous'
I was married to the best man at this wedding (now happily divorced). The groom was his childhood best friend, and since we'd moved abroad, we'd never met the bride. Their relationship moved fast - dating to wedding in under a year.
I'm autistic and struggle with new social situations, especially around strangers. At this wedding, I'd only know the groom, his family, my then-husband, and one other groomsman. With everything else going on in my life at the time (high stress, on anti-anxiety meds), I realized this would be overwhelming for me. Plus, I wouldn't be seated with the wedding party and would essentially be alone all day while my husband was "on duty."
So my husband RSVPed that I wouldn't be attending. The bride completely lost it, calling my decline "disrespectful" and accusing me of "undermining her relationship." My husband and the groom pressured me until I agreed to come after all.
I paid for flights and attended this wedding were I spent the entire day exactly as I'd predicted- completely alone. They seated me at the furthest table with only the hired vendors (photographer, videographer, DJ, band)- none of whom actually knew the couple. I got a little time with my husband during dancing, but he was busy with best man duties.
The bride had multiple awkward public meltdowns throughout the day, including screaming at her new husband for getting her the wrong type of Advil and for "ruining her lipstick" with their kiss during the ceremony.
Since I over prepare for everything, when my husband suggested I might be able to help with her various crises, I ended up being her savior with my emergency kit (sewing supplies, blister plasters, you name it). She was incredibly grateful. By the end of the night, she was trying to spend more time with me than her own husband. While drunk, she confessed that she'd been "jealous and worried" I would take attention away from her ("you're so pretty"), which is why she'd seated me so far away. Her exact words shocked me: "You're so nice! I don't know why I thought you'd be a jerk!" (I smiled and laughed it off but wow.)
Oh, and in case anyone's wondering why the seating was so weird- she had zero female friends. Her bridesmaids were all relatives. Most of her guests were people she knew from school, friends of her parents or social clubs but weren't close to.
#25
Picked To Be A Bridesmaid Due To My Hair Color
This happened back when I was in college and everyone in the story was also that age.
A family friend from high school asked me to be her bridesmaid, which was a bit of a surprise because we had grown apart after moving away from our hometown for college. We hadn't really talked in a while and I hadn't seen her in probably 2 years. I said yes mainly for old time's sake. I was one of 6 bridesmaids.
The bachelorette party included friends who weren't bridesmaids and by the end of the night, apparently the bride told these friends that they weren't bridesmaids because they weren't brunette!! I didn't hear about this until after the wedding or I would have dropped out.
As one of the friend tells it, the bride told her that it was such a shame she had gone back to her natural blonde because otherwise she would have been in the wedding party. She said this in earshot of the other blondes. Apparently, the bride wanted to be the only blonde at the altar so she picked her bridesmaids from her brunette contacts.
I can only assume she reached out to me after so long because I am brunette!
#26
Expecting 2 Week Postpartum Bridesmaid To Show Up
I backed out of this wedding party for other reasons but the vibes continue. Wedding in October 2025; engaged May 2024 and the whole wedding was planned and pre paid by November 2024 per seat (150 people) in advance so they are desperate to fill seats as it would be $$ lost. Primary concern for wedding party: the procession will not “look balanced and now we can’t ask 2 more people to fill the slots bc it’s rude that they’re second choice” and they’re asking co workers to come to wedding to fill the 150 for those who RSVPed no haha
Her SIL is in the wedding and will be 2 weeks postpartum when the wedding comes; she was not pregnant at the time of the bridesmaid proposal as it was over a year ago and they announced it in the winter i think. She naturally got mad about it and pulled her brother aside to ask when shes due and if shes still coming. the SIL said she would LOVE to be there but it just depends on her recovery and how she is doing and how baby is doing. Bride got mad and said “stop popping out kids you already have 2” “just get a sitter its not that hard” then called me to jerk about it and I said its rude of her to assume that they can come and the problem isn't so much the sitter its just health/well being/needs of baby since 2 weeks pp is a lot to be in a wedding and be away from a newborn! Wedding is 2 hours away from their home).
#27
Dealing A Unrealistic Bride - Financially
My cousin is getting married, I’m MOH. Our side of the family isn’t well off, basically everyone is struggling including the bride. She also doesn’t have her parents in her life. She has a lot of monthly expenses already but she wants to do a big bridal shower, fancy bachelorette.
I’m trying to tell her to just focus on the wedding since it’s the most important day and I’m telling her she needs to be realistic and understand her bridesmaids situations (all in young 20s - broke) and when I say all this she says I’m bringing her down, being negative and acting annoyed. I just say things because I know no one else in my family will be honest and look out for her future and finances. I told her I can step down as MOH if I’m not meeting her expectations.
I figured if she doesn’t care to put herself in debt neither should I. I’m just gonna say yes and agree with whatever she says if she wants to pay for everything.
I know it’s typical for the bridesmaids to host the bridal shower, does the bride just show up or does she have a lot of input? Because the bride wants control of every little thing and I don’t even care to plan it anymore.
On social media she sees everyone having all these extra parties and she wants it to, she says “well everyone has a bridal shower, it’s nice to have a day to celebrate the bride” I told her that’s what the wedding is for isn’t it. I get the sense she just wants a bunch of days to feel special and be the center of attention. I’m honestly over everything, I kinda wish she told me not to be a MOH anymore.
#28
I Said No To Attending A Bachelorette Party, Now I’m Out Of The Wedding
I told the bride I couldn’t afford the Vegas trip. I’ve been upfront about my financial situation for months. She said it was fine, that she understood. Then I got a text saying I’ve been replaced as a bridesmaid because I’m “not showing up for her.” So showing up to her wedding isn’t enough? I didn’t know friendship was measured in flight points and bottle service.
I am sorry that I am too broke to spend 3K on your wedding :(
#29
Transport At Weddings… Great But Make Sure It Can Actually Get People Home
The year after Covid was ‘over’ we went to Slovakia for a uni friends wedding, it was okay, lots of food and drink but not much else, no music etc… so after a good few hours we and a lot of other guests decided it was okay to leave around 10pm(late enough to be respectful).
We went to get a cab and joined a pretty long queue, waited patiently for about twenty minutes then I went to see what was going on. As we were next to a station with a cab rank. Turns out the bride and groom very kindly had paid for transport back to the hotel we were all staying at… but it was just one cab doing round trips for 100 plus guests! We would have waited for hours!!
The bride was at the front of the queue arranging it all for some weird reason instead of enjoying her wedding, we gave her a hug and said not to worry about us and we would jump in one of the station taxis. Well she lost her S*!t, apparently that was so rude, they had spent money on transport for guests and expected us to use it. By then I was tired and over it so we very politely explained it’s a long queue and we’re really happy to just sort out our own transport. She ended up screaming at us as we walked off ‘well you have to pay for it!!!!’ Obviously- that’s exactly what we expects to do.. and it’s Slovakia! The cab cost £2.40 between 4 of us - we gave the driver a good tip and he left happy and I was happy to sink in to bed. We heard the next day a few guests did the same as us but a lot of people come home around 2am The bride was excitedly telling everyone her crazy party went on into the early hours but we’re all pretty sure it was just the cab queue…
#30
My Aunt's Family Friend Was Bridezilla... Nightmare Wedding
My aunt just came back from a wedding which sounded like a total nightmare. The bride is the daughter of my aunt and uncle-in-law's friend (so basically a family friend). It's her third wedding already and she's only 29 (she has two different kids with two ex-husbands). This woman seemed obsessed with weddings from the moment I met her and was only interested in talking to me about engagements, weddings, rings, etc (5 minutes after I met her for the first time, she proceeded to chastise me for not being married or planning my wedding yet, saying I'm "running out of time" even though we are close in age).
A few months before the wedding, my uncle-in-law took her for a dress-fitting, and since she couldn't afford the dress ($1000), he generously offered to pay for it and she accepted. Fast-forward to a few weeks before the wedding, she informed my aunt and uncle that she is cancelling the catering service to cut down on the budget and instead asked him to help her mom cook for everyone. He agreed, and was told that the "meal" would include precooked pasta that was reheated by putting it in plastic bags dipped in boiling water (barf!) and jello/pudding as a dessert. The venue was supposedly at a "castle" but it ended up being some tacky-looking house where dungeon-and-dragon fans go to cosplay. On the wedding invitation, it said "formal" but with no specification (black tie, white tie, semi-formal, etc), so my aunt and uncle picked out nice formal outfits which the bride's mom OK'd beforehand.
After they took a plane to fly to the wedding venue in another state, the bride immediately put my aunt and uncle to work shopping at Costco, etc, which they did. Then the bride threw a fit that my uncle-in-law didn't have a white shirt and black tie (which she did not say anything about in her invitation) and demanded that he go buy one before the wedding the next day, which he begrudgingly agreed to. The worst part is that her fiance (now husband) told my uncle that there's something she didn't tell him...she wouldn't be wearing the wedding dress which he spent $1000 on. Apparently a family member didn't know that he'd already bought her a wedding dress, and offered to pay for a dress and a dress fitting, so she did that instead without even having the consideration to tell him before or apologize for wasting his money. She just took $1000 for a dress that she didn't even use, and not only was she too inconsiderate to acknowledge that or apologize, but she demanded that he purchase an entire new outfit the day beforehand.
It sounded like a nightmare and I feel so sorry for her husband.
Related on Bored Panda
