35 Wedding Shenanigans That Made Guests Realize The Couple Wasn’t Meant To Last
Signs guests picked up on at the wedding that the marriage was doomed.
Whoever enters into a marriage. or attends a wedding, usually does so with full hopes for the success of the union. A wedding is both a celebration and a show of support, helping the couple begin a new life together. Guests shower the happy pair with gifts, financial contributions, and warm wishes as they send them off on a fresh start. Yet some weddings include moments that quietly signal to witnesses that things may not go so smoothly for the newlyweds.
Recently, one Redditor asked, “As a wedding guest, what was your ‘this marriage isn’t going to last long’ moment?” The question sparked a wave of responses from netizens, and we’ve rounded up a few stories that highlight some glaring red flags in the gallery below.
Image source: SundayMorningTrisha, Ryan Franco
We were only at the reception. The bride was 5 months pregnant and drinking. The groom was extremely intoxicated from multiple substances. They danced once, but not for the whole song, and spent most of the reception apart, with their respective friend groups.
Image source: alwaysboopthesnoot, Katy Warner
Watching the groom smash cake in his brides’s face, then be frog-marched out of the venue by her father and brothers, only to be brought back in looking like he’d gotten into a fistfight with all of them.
It lasted a little while longer, but still that was too long; she remarried later on to a very nice man and her ex died of a heart attack very young. He was a druggie and a drunk by then. Maybe he always was.
They only married because she was pregnant but she regretted that choice—pushed on her by her very religious family—every day of her life. And she was tied to him for decades, because they shared a kid together. .
Image source: on_the_nightshift, Getty Images
I was the groom. A bunch of friends/coworkers (military) gave us 6 months at our courthouse wedding. We had dated for 6 months, 2 of which she was deployed.
Our 30th anniversary will be this April. Frick those guys, lol.
Image source: Sea_hag2021, amitdabas83
They had two fights during the ceremony.
One was during the vows, he was wearing sunglasses (outdoor wedding) and she ripped them off and said “you will look me in the eye when you say this.” The second was during the ring exchange. He said he couldn’t wear it because he couldn’t wear it at work and she said “well you aren’t at work now, are you”
Other highlights of the wedding: he wore jeans, a leather vest, no shirt; all the bridesmaids were barefoot; the ONLY drinks were bud lite in the bed of the pickup which was filled with ice (there were kids at the wedding but frick their needs I guess); and a motorcycle shaped grooms cake.
People do not believe me when I say how redneck my family is.
Image source: Ok-Challenge-2218, hype2art
None of us had met my friends fiancee prior to the wedding. We all immediately knew, but especially when we were all hanging out after the ceremony and someone mentioned something during a story she (the bride) was telling and she yells "DO NOT INTERRUPT ME WHILE I AM TALKING!", and then goes back to telling her story. Everyone froze, including her friends. My friend who married her claims thats the first time he really saw her true self (they only dated 6 months before getting engaged).
Surprisingly the wedding lasted 5 (miserable) years.
Image source: BigMadBigfoot, Curated Lifestyle
When the best man (groom's roommate) gave a 30 + min toast about how much he was going to miss living with the groom, how horrible it would be not having him in his life everyday, started crying and kept talking about how much he loved the groom. Both men were crying and hugging each other.
That marriage lasts 2 years. The Best Man and groom have been married about 5 years now last I heard.
Image source: Redd889, freepic.diller
In both vows, they apologized for previous and vow not to commit domestic v****e anymore
Everyone was mouth open in shock.
Image source: Superb-Steak4052, Curated Lifestyle
If the groom smashes cake on the brides face, even a little bit!!!
Image source: Karumph1, Polina Kuzovkova
The Bride's daughter (6yo from previous relationship) asked the bride for water and she screamed "Shut Up! You are the reason I am in therapy!" in front of a big group of guests, then the bride went back to socializing.
Image source: neal144, Cara Shelton
When the groom shoved wedding cake into his new wife's mouth hard enough to give her a bloody lip and kept pushing her backwards until she fell and broke her wrist.
Image source: WinStark, Getty Images
We were placing bets in the parking lot before the reception, and then the groom's mom introduced me to some family as "the one M should have married". I was married holding my infant, and M and I had never dated. Lasted about a year (their wedding, mine is 19 years and counting, happily!)
Image source: CHamsterdam, A. C.
The bride’s vows were all about how much she loved him. The groom’s vows were all about how he had to tolerate her. He sucked.
Image source: Super_Ground9690, Getty Images
The bride was barely paying attention during their vows, messed around rolling her eyes while the vicar was talking about love and god and whatnot (it was her church), and only lasted about 30 seconds into the first dance before she went and danced with her friends instead. Turned out, to no one’s surprise, she was already cheating on him before they got married.
Image source: deafchihuahua, Emma Bauso
The bride decided to wing her vows. She repeated most of what the groom said and then rambled on for another 10 minutes. It felt like she didn’t want to be there and was stalling the ceremony. It was so uncomfortable.
They divorced about a year later. Found out from a mutual friend they started dating when she was in high school and he was a substitute teacher.
Image source: Senseijcr, Hoi An and Da Nang Photographer
I sang at the wedding. As I went through the reception line, the bride hugged me and said, “That was lovely. You can sing at my next wedding too!”.
Image source: laugo, freepic.diller
I showed up to photograph the getting ready part of the day, and the mother of the bride came up and said, ‘The storm has passed! We’re good to go!’ I asked what she meant. Apparently the bride and groom got into a fight the night before (after the rehearsal) and said they were calling off the wedding… but never mind! They did not last a year.
Image source: _buffy_summers, Alireza heidarpour
The bride danced by herself to I Will Survive.
Image source: TellemTrav, Andrej Lišakov
We had a destination wedding to New Orleans and somehow the grooms mistress was on the same flight...
Image source: AffectionateWeb2389, Luke Bender
When I heard that the groom invited his best buddy and his gf to come on the honeymoon with them.
Image source: amandalovesart, Wedding Dreamz
When I and the other bridesmaids found out that the bride to be was still legally married to her first husband (apparently they were too lazy to get a divorce) and hadn't told her future husband. I think the marriage lasted about two months.
Image source: CatsMom4Ever, Vitaly Gariev
When the bride's brothers were discussing what to do better at her next wedding, while at the reception. Marriage lasted 3 weeks before she left the jerk.
Image source: samalynn, Towfiqu barbhuiya
The groom projectile vomited during her vows for a full 10 minutes... the bride kept going and said her vows to the guests lol.
Image source: gydot, Ahmet Kurt
The groom said I guess instead of I do.
Image source: Timely-Fudge-1878, Getty Images
When my cousin and his wife entered the reception to the WWF theme Let’s Get Ready To Rumble. The marriage lasted two months.
Image source: ChemistryOld1937, Hoi An and Da Nang Photographer
She cried and cried at the end of the night when it was time for them to go home. She just wanted to stay with us, her friends. She's married again now to an amazing guy and has a baby.
Image source: These_Angle6098, Jose Ricardo Barraza Morachis
Groom giving more attention to his mom than the bride.
Image source: pixiepython, 550Park Luxury Wedding Films
The groom was crying, the bride said "I really hope these are happy tears", but something just told me that they weren't. They were separated 3 months later.
#1
Image source: SundayMorningTrisha, Ryan Franco
We were only at the reception. The bride was 5 months pregnant and drinking. The groom was extremely intoxicated from multiple substances. They danced once, but not for the whole song, and spent most of the reception apart, with their respective friend groups.
#2
Image source: alwaysboopthesnoot, Katy Warner
Watching the groom smash cake in his brides’s face, then be frog-marched out of the venue by her father and brothers, only to be brought back in looking like he’d gotten into a fistfight with all of them.
It lasted a little while longer, but still that was too long; she remarried later on to a very nice man and her ex died of a heart attack very young. He was a druggie and a drunk by then. Maybe he always was.
They only married because she was pregnant but she regretted that choice—pushed on her by her very religious family—every day of her life. And she was tied to him for decades, because they shared a kid together. .
#3
Image source: on_the_nightshift, Getty Images
I was the groom. A bunch of friends/coworkers (military) gave us 6 months at our courthouse wedding. We had dated for 6 months, 2 of which she was deployed.
Our 30th anniversary will be this April. Frick those guys, lol.
#4
Image source: Sea_hag2021, amitdabas83
They had two fights during the ceremony.
One was during the vows, he was wearing sunglasses (outdoor wedding) and she ripped them off and said “you will look me in the eye when you say this.” The second was during the ring exchange. He said he couldn’t wear it because he couldn’t wear it at work and she said “well you aren’t at work now, are you”
Other highlights of the wedding: he wore jeans, a leather vest, no shirt; all the bridesmaids were barefoot; the ONLY drinks were bud lite in the bed of the pickup which was filled with ice (there were kids at the wedding but frick their needs I guess); and a motorcycle shaped grooms cake.
People do not believe me when I say how redneck my family is.
#5
Image source: Ok-Challenge-2218, hype2art
None of us had met my friends fiancee prior to the wedding. We all immediately knew, but especially when we were all hanging out after the ceremony and someone mentioned something during a story she (the bride) was telling and she yells "DO NOT INTERRUPT ME WHILE I AM TALKING!", and then goes back to telling her story. Everyone froze, including her friends. My friend who married her claims thats the first time he really saw her true self (they only dated 6 months before getting engaged).
Surprisingly the wedding lasted 5 (miserable) years.
#6
Image source: BigMadBigfoot, Curated Lifestyle
When the best man (groom's roommate) gave a 30 + min toast about how much he was going to miss living with the groom, how horrible it would be not having him in his life everyday, started crying and kept talking about how much he loved the groom. Both men were crying and hugging each other.
That marriage lasts 2 years. The Best Man and groom have been married about 5 years now last I heard.
#7
Image source: Redd889, freepic.diller
In both vows, they apologized for previous and vow not to commit domestic v****e anymore
Everyone was mouth open in shock.
#8
Image source: Superb-Steak4052, Curated Lifestyle
If the groom smashes cake on the brides face, even a little bit!!!
#9
Image source: Karumph1, Polina Kuzovkova
The Bride's daughter (6yo from previous relationship) asked the bride for water and she screamed "Shut Up! You are the reason I am in therapy!" in front of a big group of guests, then the bride went back to socializing.
#10
Image source: neal144, Cara Shelton
When the groom shoved wedding cake into his new wife's mouth hard enough to give her a bloody lip and kept pushing her backwards until she fell and broke her wrist.
#11
Image source: WinStark, Getty Images
We were placing bets in the parking lot before the reception, and then the groom's mom introduced me to some family as "the one M should have married". I was married holding my infant, and M and I had never dated. Lasted about a year (their wedding, mine is 19 years and counting, happily!)
#12
Image source: CHamsterdam, A. C.
The bride’s vows were all about how much she loved him. The groom’s vows were all about how he had to tolerate her. He sucked.
#13
Image source: Super_Ground9690, Getty Images
The bride was barely paying attention during their vows, messed around rolling her eyes while the vicar was talking about love and god and whatnot (it was her church), and only lasted about 30 seconds into the first dance before she went and danced with her friends instead. Turned out, to no one’s surprise, she was already cheating on him before they got married.
#14
Not as the guest but as the "minister" (I got ordained online a few weeks before.) My best friend was marrying this guy that still hadn't told his family that she was 3 months pregnant or that they were getting married. So 20 minutes before the wedding in my living room, I was talking to the groom and he said, "yeah but what if it all goes wrong?" And I said, "totally fair. But what if it all goes right?" Left him to smoke his cigarette and call his mom who joined us on face time for the wedding. I remember asking my friend before all of this, "hey girl, I'm in no matter what, but are you sure?" Anyways she spent 5yrs trying to get divorced from him and he kept blaming the failing marriage on the lack of god at their wedding. Not the cheating, illegal substance use and financial control lmao. Image source: fkntiredbtch#15
Image source: deafchihuahua, Emma Bauso
The bride decided to wing her vows. She repeated most of what the groom said and then rambled on for another 10 minutes. It felt like she didn’t want to be there and was stalling the ceremony. It was so uncomfortable.
They divorced about a year later. Found out from a mutual friend they started dating when she was in high school and he was a substitute teacher.
#16
Image source: Senseijcr, Hoi An and Da Nang Photographer
I sang at the wedding. As I went through the reception line, the bride hugged me and said, “That was lovely. You can sing at my next wedding too!”.
#17
Image source: laugo, freepic.diller
I showed up to photograph the getting ready part of the day, and the mother of the bride came up and said, ‘The storm has passed! We’re good to go!’ I asked what she meant. Apparently the bride and groom got into a fight the night before (after the rehearsal) and said they were calling off the wedding… but never mind! They did not last a year.
#18
Image source: _buffy_summers, Alireza heidarpour
The bride danced by herself to I Will Survive.
#19
Image source: TellemTrav, Andrej Lišakov
We had a destination wedding to New Orleans and somehow the grooms mistress was on the same flight...
#20
The bride did a strip tease on the groom in the middle of the dance floor while all the wedding watched (half of the wedding were conservative Muslims the other half weren’t religious but still leaned more conservative) the groom was EXTREMELY uncomfortable. They were seperate before they got back from their honeymoon. She also insisted at being called the bride and wearing white to my wedding which was 2 weeks before hers. Image source: swearinerin#21
Image source: AffectionateWeb2389, Luke Bender
When I heard that the groom invited his best buddy and his gf to come on the honeymoon with them.
#22
Image source: amandalovesart, Wedding Dreamz
When I and the other bridesmaids found out that the bride to be was still legally married to her first husband (apparently they were too lazy to get a divorce) and hadn't told her future husband. I think the marriage lasted about two months.
#23
The bride was a drunk mess and clearly overcompensating with over-the-top fake niceness the entire night. The groom was in denial and kept insisting everything was fine, but clearly didn’t even believe himself. They were divorced about 20 months later. I am the groom. The groom is me. Image source: SmokeyMcDoogles#24
Image source: CatsMom4Ever, Vitaly Gariev
When the bride's brothers were discussing what to do better at her next wedding, while at the reception. Marriage lasted 3 weeks before she left the jerk.
#25
Image source: samalynn, Towfiqu barbhuiya
The groom projectile vomited during her vows for a full 10 minutes... the bride kept going and said her vows to the guests lol.
#26
Im ordained and have done a good amount of weddings. The biggest indicator to me has always been mismatched guest lists. Like she has 8 bridesmaids and 100 guests and he has Tyler from middle school and his Mom. Its not that she has too many people or that he's doesn't have enough, its that they are not even enough. That always works out to be that the one with a bigger social group going out far more frequently while the other sits at home and grows resentful. That resentment grows until the relationship is over. Image source: Fat_Bearded_Tax_Man#27
Image source: gydot, Ahmet Kurt
The groom said I guess instead of I do.
#28
Image source: Timely-Fudge-1878, Getty Images
When my cousin and his wife entered the reception to the WWF theme Let’s Get Ready To Rumble. The marriage lasted two months.
#29
When the doves he spent so much money on (and bragged about endlessly) refused to fly during their ceremony kiss. the handler was awkwardly pushing the doves out of the cage to try to encourage them to fly and they just hopped onto the ground and walked around looking for crumbs. something in me just knew the universe was making a point. Image source: sweetbabyjosi#30
At a different wedding. I just met the groom for the first time (I was living out of the county). The groom was completely off his face said to me in front of his mates. “If it was not my wedding today. I would take you to bed tonight” Sir that would never happen for a million reasons! Image source: Every-League-1626#31
Image source: ChemistryOld1937, Hoi An and Da Nang Photographer
She cried and cried at the end of the night when it was time for them to go home. She just wanted to stay with us, her friends. She's married again now to an amazing guy and has a baby.
#32
Image source: These_Angle6098, Jose Ricardo Barraza Morachis
Groom giving more attention to his mom than the bride.
#33
The groom kept calling his wife a “stupid woman” to her face. . Image source: antwauhny#34
Image source: pixiepython, 550Park Luxury Wedding Films
The groom was crying, the bride said "I really hope these are happy tears", but something just told me that they weren't. They were separated 3 months later.
#35
I've got 2 for you (from different weddings): 1) The Groom was so drunk he couldn't even walk in a straight line down the aisle. The Bride was absolutely mortified. That was the START of the day... the rest didn't get any better. 2) The Bride was on her third marriage. At 25. Neither one lasted a year. Image source: Dazzling_Line_8482DE
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