Preparing to tie the knot is an incredibly exciting time for any couple. Not only are they more in love than they’ve ever been before, they have a huge day to look forward to. Soon, they’ll be declaring their love for one another in front of all of their closest friends and family members, and they have a lifetime of joy and happiness to look forward to. But along with all of the excitement, there’s plenty of planning to be done. Dresses and suits must be chosen, cakes must be tasted, catering must be ordered, flowers must be picked, invitations must be sent out, venues must be booked and more.

So it’s understandable that brides and grooms often become overwhelmed with everything they have on their plates. Their loved ones are typically prepared to exercise more patience than usual and do whatever they can to help out. However, once the husband and wife-to-be pass into Choosing Beggar territory, they’re bound to be roasted online. This subreddit, which has an incredible 2.4 million members, is dedicated to calling out individuals “who are being way too picky when begging for things,” and clearly, there is no shortage of nuptial-themed content in the group.    

We’ve all heard the stereotypes of brides turning into “bridezillas” and going way over the top with demands for their big days, but where does this behavior come from? Perhaps part of it is the societal pressure to have a perfect wedding day and all of the stress that accompanies that. If everyone is expecting all of the details of your big day to be stunning and flawless, you might feel overwhelmed and have a strong urge to micromanage every single tiny detail. If the flowers aren’t perfect, you may have a conniption, and if your friends don’t RSVP by tomorrow, they’ll all be uninvited!

No one understands the stress of planning a wedding until they’ve been through it themselves, and even then, every ceremony is different. Brides and grooms can feel isolated when they’re on their own trying to pull together a huge celebration, meanwhile they’re supposed to be the happiest they’ve ever been at the same time. There’s no excuse for demanding free photos, ordering a wedding cake days in advance or requiring guests to all wear the same color, but it’s possible that some engaged couples put so much pressure on themselves that they stop acting like themselves at all. At least, I hope the individuals on this list don’t treat people like this all the time! 

Another reason why couples might put so much weight on their big days being perfect is because they’ve likely put an incredible amount of money into the ceremony and reception. The average wedding in the United States in 2022 cost about $30,000, with many couples taking out loans or optimizing their credit cards to fund the big day. If you spend the same amount of money on a single celebration that you could have used to purchase a new car, you might be feeling stressed too. Which is possibly another reason why many couples on this list are so cheap when it comes to paying for cakes, catering, photographers and more. Again, it’s not an excuse for their entitled and tacky behavior, but it might explain some of it.  

According to VeryWell Mind, some of the most common symptoms of wedding stress are being unable to focus, having difficulty making decisions, feeling overwhelmed or unable to cope, forgetfulness, constant worrying, irritability, depression, panic attacks, exhaustion, difficulty sleeping, changes in appetite, low immunity, digestive issues, muscle tension and more. But it’s the best day of your life, right? And of course, it doesn’t have to be this way. Planning ahead, staying organized, delegating responsibilities, avoiding comparisons, setting boundaries, practicing self-care and ensuring that the process is fun can help to alleviate stress. Maintaining relationships and resisting the urge to push people away with ridiculous demands can be very important as well! 

For a previous Bored Panda article, we got in touch with Shay Yellin, Editor in Chief of Bespoke Bride, who explained that many of the brides she’s worked with have been extremely demanding when planning their weddings. “We actually think it's quite normal and reasonable for brides to become unreasonably demanding. Let's face it, it's the BIGGEST day in life for many brides,” Shay explained. “They have very specific dreams of how this day will look, so if it's not perfect - they can easily get unreasonable.”

Shay also shared about one particularly demanding bride she’s worked with. “On our Bespoke Bride shop, we sell lots of DIY wedding accessories that can easily be downloaded and printed at home. These are very affordable items ranging from $4 to $6,” she told Bored Panda. “Once, we had a client bride that wanted us to redesign the entire item according to her very specific demands. We tried to help and do a few edits, but the more we did, the more she wanted us to edit again. We did a LOT of work for $6!”

When it comes to dealing with a bride who wants everything exactly her way, Shay says, “You have to be extremely calm and supportive of ‘unreasonable' brides, even if it's tough and can sometimes make you sick. When you understand the basic psychology behind it - that this is the BIGGEST day in their lives, it makes it easier to deal with. If there are items or things that you really cannot provide - you must come up with a smart answer that details all the reasons why you cannot provide them with the item or service. And most importantly - do it diplomatically, with lots of ‘I'm so sorry!’”

“We totally get the brides who become overwhelmed with stress when planning their weddings, even the most ‘unreasonable' brides,” Shay previously told Bored Panda. “We know how stressful it can get, but you need to always look at the other side as well. Wedding vendors will do their utmost to provide you with your wish, but it's not always possible to get EXACTLY what you want. You need to accept that and find creative ways to change your dream just a little bit.”

Personally, I love attending weddings, but I have to admit that if I encountered a bride or groom like those featured on this list, I would be quick to RSVP that I won’t be coming! We hope you’re finding some amusement in all of these ridiculous engaged couples, pandas, and be sure to keep upvoting the pics you find most appalling. Feel free to share any more stories of bride or groomzillas in the comments, and then if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda article that will make you hesitant to attend any more weddings any time soon, look no further than right here!