Couples often have to take their time when picking their wedding guestlist. However, generally most people expect their attending friends and family to at least behave. But as experience shows, people often make questionable decisions.
We’ve gathered some examples of the worst, trashiest and most tacky wedding guests out there. We also got in touch with Jhona Yellin, Editor of Bespoke Bride to learn more. So get comfortable as you scroll through, prepare to get angry, upvote the most egregious offenders and be sure to comment your thoughts and experiences below.
More info: Bespoke Bride
This post may include affiliate links.
More For Attendees: Inappropriate Questions
Bride's Sister Made It All About Her
4 Weddings And A Cat Party
Tbf, a wedding full of cats does sound kind of amazing. But I wouldn’t force it on someone else 😅
Bored Panda got in touch with Jhona Yellin, Editor of Bespoke Bride, and she was kind enough to answer some of our questions. Naturally, given their extensive experience organizing all sorts of weddings every year, we were curious to hear if they have had any crazy stories.
“Yes indeed! After 13 years of covering weddings all around the world, our team has a long list of some crazy stories. I once attended a wedding where a guest got into the couple's open bar a bit too early. By the time the cake was being cut, this person was on the dance floor, trying to reenact Dirty Dancing — solo.”
Because Some People Can’t Have A Single Day That Is Not About Them
Mother-In-Law Hires Someone To Throw Red Paint On Bride's Dress
Telling My In-Laws It Was On Them To Explain To Their Guests Why There Weren't Any Places For Them At My Wedding Reception
“Trust me, no one was ready for a full-body interpretive version of "I’ve Had the Time of My Life." It was... unforgettable, but probably not in the way the couple wanted,” she shared. Even the most conscientious planner would probably not have a strategy in place for something like this and many people are not nearly as good at planning as they think.
If I Had To See This You All Do Too
Probably gonna get downvoted, but I would just throw out the gift, and then sterilize the area. Fingernails can carry disease, imagine 8 years worth.
Photographer Shaming A Guest
We had a no phone/no photo rule during the ceremony because we had 2 photographers. Then we shared pictures on a website.
Wedding Guest Hires Their Own Photographer To Accompany Her To Friends Wedding
“And then there was a wedding when one of the groomsmen — yes, a groomsman — managed to spill red wine on the bride's gown before the ceremony had even started. It was like a rom-com blooper reel, except it wasn’t funny in real life.” she shared with Bored Panda.
A Guy That We (The Bride And Groom) Had Never Met Before Proposed To His Girlfriend At Our Wedding
This takes the cake, and I don't mean the wedding cake. I would hate to be proposed to in front of a group of total strangers!
The Audacity Of This Wedding Guest And Their Mom! Plan Your Own Special Moment, Cheapskates
Father Ambushed Me To Walk Me Down The Aisle
I'm so sorry that this bride had her choice taken away from her. Some people have no sense!
So we were curious to hear just how often the happy couple actually plans for the sort of things on display in this list. “Now, when planning a wedding, you'd think maybe couples would consider these disasters, but surprisingly, wedding crashers or misbehaving guests aren't always top of mind.”
"I Just Thought Your Wedding Was The Perfect Place For My Child's Birthday Party"
Bridesmaid's Tale Of Her Wedding Date Trying To Bring A Date
She Looks Absolutely Gorgeous, Except She’s Not The Bride
“It’s more like an afterthought, you know, that moment of "Oh, maybe we should have a backup plan in case Uncle Frank brings that friend again." I’ve seen a few couples add "no crashers" security at some venues — smart move, by the way, especially if you’re having a high-profile event or if your family has a reputation for a little too much fun.”
A Guest Filled 7 Tupperware Containers With Food From The Wedding Reception And Gave The Couple 5 USD As A Gift
You’re Probably Wondering Why This Is Shame Worthy. Well How Do You Feel Now That You Know She Was Not The Bride
I will never understand why some people think this is appropriate! Oh, and they look pathetic too, don't they? I imagine other guests are shaking their heads...🤦🏻♀️ Oh, wait! They're attention seekers, but too stupid to realize the attention is negative.
My Dad’s Extremely Embarrassing Announcement At My Cousin's Wedding Celebration
She was willing to provide some resources in case someone needed some extra help planning. “We always recommend couples to plan their wedding well, also for horrible events like the ones above. For example, they can read this bride's tips on how to throw a wedding your guests will love.”
I Went To A Wedding And Found A Decent Seat With A Good View. This Lady Sat Down In Front Of Me And Did Not Care One Bit That Her Fan Blocked The View Of Every Person Sitting Behind Her
Yeah, that fan would be a pile of straw if it was there after asking her to lower it.
Kid Wants To Dress Up As A Lion To Their Wedding. Also Told To Change Their Centerpieces As Kid Doesn’t Like Balloons. Kid Is Mother’s Best Friend’s Child
Wedding Guest Shaming - It’s Not Always Dealing With Bridezillas
Lastly, we wanted to hear if she believed weddings bring out drama in both the guests and couples alike. “Definitely! weddings do seem to have this strange effect on people. It’s like the heightened emotions, the romantic energy, the pressure to look perfect... it all simmers together, and for some people, it brings out their inner drama queen (or king).”
Guest Invited Their Parents, Who We Haven't Met, To Our Destination Wedding
A Wedding Guest Outdressed The Bride In The Philippines. A Little Too Revealing, And The Color Is A Bit Off For My Taste. What Do You Think?
I Can’t Believe How Entitled People Can Be
“Think about it: You’ve got family tensions, old exes, bitter bridesmaids, and so much more happening in one place. It’s not surprising that some people snap under all that. The wedding scene is almost like a pressure cooker for drama, and all it takes is one person to tip it over the edge.”
Inviting 20 Extra People To A Wedding
How presumptuous is that? The bride and groom really want to pay for 20 extra meals for people they don't know.
My God. This Poor Couple. Not Even A Clueless Close Friend. Maybe A Child Wrote It. One Can Hope
The Best Way To Make Your Ex Realize They Made The Best Decision Of Their Life
“And honestly? A bit of drama makes for a way better story afterward. Who wants to remember a perfectly calm and uneventful wedding, anyway? For brides (or grooms) that really get stressed in the days before, we recommend reading our post about how to manage pre-wedding stress.”
"Thank You Sooooo Much For Sharing Your Special Day With Us"
Someone Crashed My Wedding And Ruined It
It was the DJ's fault too, YOU paid for him to play whaterver you like, not that cringe guy. He could've asked you about it at least.
A Perfect Time To Propose. Bridesmaid's Friend's Wedding
Starting My Wedding Ceremony Before My Mom Showed Up
Guest At My Cousin's Reception Changed Into This Outfit Halfway Through The Night
Stealing The Top Layer Of A Wedding Cake
I had petit fours for guests at my wedding as our wedding cake was a single layer and I explicitly said that the cake is not to be eaten. Came back from the honeymoon to find out that the cake was eaten. The intent was the cake was for us (wasn't big, like a normal, round birthday cake size) and the pieces we didn't cut at the reception was to be packed up and the petit fours were for the guests. It was a very low budget wedding, but I think the solution was good, until we didn't have any wedding cake to eat :( We divorced but it was still a nice wedding ... despite the cake. This post just reminded me of that. Who freaking does that? Taking the top tier?
Creepy Aunt
MLMs are pyramid schemes and they’re cults. Their members are fully brainwashed. To lack such class & decorum along with an inflated self-importance & misplaced value on the crappy product, to the point of sacrificing someone’s big moment, highjacking the program for a sales pitch and forcing the cheap makeup onto the couple is downright crazy. I feel just as bad for delusional & brainwashed aunt, too.
Maid Of Honor Too Busy Texting To Watch The Ceremony
Oh God. I Found It On Facebook. Even Matching Pearls
Brother’s Best Female Friend Pledged Her Love For Him At My Wedding Reception. He Was Already Engaged To Someone Else
Brothers poor best friend didn’t realize life isn’t a Disney fairy tale or a Lifetime rom-com.
The Random Couple Who Crashed My Sister's Wedding Left A Card With $11.54 Inside
Halfway through a great wedding, I see my dad's best friend hauling a drunk couple out of the reception. We thought it was hilarious and thought nothing more of it until today when they opened their gifts and found a card from "Uncle David and Aunt Nancy". There's no David or Nancy in either family and the underlined bits are just in-your-face trolling.
"Cheers to a life filled with many special memories. We feel so blessed to have been witness to your beautiful wedding. We wish you all the best in life!"
"This Is Why Guys And Girls Can’t Be Friends"
‘Men and girls’ can absolutely be friends, but ironically ‘girls’ who are getting married are (I sincerely hope) ‘women’, and this is very much the reaction of a ‘boy’, not a ‘man’. Especially she he wasn’t invited in the first place, and I totally understand why.
I Look Good In White, And That’s What Matters At Someone Else’s Wedding
The only way other guests would not notice is if they are also blind. Sheesh!
Someone Stole A $300 Gift Card From Our Card Table At The End Of Our Reception
Or... maybe the bridesmaid is secretly an evil genius :) She just placed an empty envelope in the box, already torn open, and let everyone know what was supposed to be inside. When the envelope is found, it will look like someone stole the gift, which was never there in the first place. Not only does bridesmaid save money, she also gets sympathy from everyone else muahahahaha!
Groom's Mother: "I'm More Important Than You"
Boot Barn???? Ann Taylor???? No, Boot Barn!!!! How I would have loved to have been perched on a hay bale atop the rafters of the barn with a bucket of popcorn to watch the other “BS” unfold. YEEHAW!
A Guest Asked If They Could Bring Their Pets To My Wedding
To be clear, she’s absolutely right about service dogs in training. I live between two states, one (there are 4) which has zero state recognition of service dogs in training (Hawaii) and another that codifies into law service dogs in training to have similar access as trained service dogs (California). For the latter, the training service dog must be visibly marked as being in training as a service dog, whereas in all states the the superseding federal law requires zero markings for trained service dogs. For many of us with legitimate service dogs (as opposed to emotional support animals or personally trained pets) , we welcome identification markings. That way there are no qualms about how (tirelessly & costly) well-trained our service dogs are.
Almost One Year After Our Wedding And It Is Official None Of My (Groom) Friends Gave Us Gifts
Trashy Reverend's Wife, Not Even A Guest
There's that guy who does photoshop requests, but takes them very literally, so be careful what you ask for...
My Mom Was Going Through Her Old Wedding Mementos And Found This Response Card From A Relative. How Tacky Can You Get?
"Sorry, i'm strapped for cash trying to start my own business - if you're interested in feeling better through natural nutrition in 30 days money back guarantee, let me know... I'll ship you info or products postage free!
Thanks for the invite!"
The Groomsmen’s Wife Wore White And Caused Drama The Whole Wedding
Friends Of Ours Get Married Saturday. They Posted This Message On Facebook That They Received From A (Now Ex) Guest Yesterday
No great loss. Actually, I'd call this a win since you now know just what kind of person they are.
Disney Adults Make Everything About Them At His Brother’s Wedding
Absolute lack of awareness. Also, Disney musical? I swear The Mouse is responsible for the vast majority of idealized relationships and overall delusion.
Groom Party Had An Interesting Take On Attire
So happy with the way hubby and I did it. Decided we didn't want our toxic family around, but didn't want a burden on our friends so... we opted to invite our closest friends to our favorite pub, and when they all arrived we said "surprise, we're getting married". Best friend officiated on the outdoor patio, pub provided free champagne. We bought food for everyone, and they only had to pay for any extra drinks they wanted. No pressure to dress up, no gifts, no expenses or stress on anyone's part. Of course we both wore really nice clothes, but not "wedding" clothes. We had a ball and there was no stress whatsoever! Almost an elopement except our best friends were all there.
If I had to do it again, I would elope. MIL was late to wedding because she had 2 glasses of champagne at rehearsal dinner and was so hung over (she doesn't drink) the next morning that she was refusing to come. Her daughters essentially made her. She looks miserable in all photos. My FIL invited some family friend that he ran into and hadn't seen in a while, who showed up with his daughter both wearing ratty jeans and t-shirts. FIL hijacked my photographer to take a bunch of photos of his family sans me/husband, but including the jeans wearers. Hired photographer to do some work photos, then talked him into giving him all my proofs because he would "deliver to me". In the meantime, he let his whole family (family business where everyone but my husband was employed) and they wrote their "orders" on the back of each print in grease pencil, which rubbed off on photos when they stacked them. No surprise that 30+ years later and we are LC or NC with all of them.
As a guy I learned that a wedding is very special esp for the bride as it's something she most likely always dreamed of and it's her good right. It should be her special day and only hers. No distraction from her, no fancy other dresses, no proposing, no birthday, nothing. Have bad news? Keep it to yourself. Need attention? Leave. Want to bring up something unpleasant from the past? Don't. Let her and them have their special day. Common sense.
Yes, exactly. People should be able to behave decently for one day and let the bride and the groom have their day. I've been a matron of honour. Main task: keep everyone who bitches, whines, complains or who is otherwise a nuisance, far away from the bride. I'm build like a line backer from years of playing water polo, so it was a piece of cake.
Load More Replies...So happy with the way hubby and I did it. Decided we didn't want our toxic family around, but didn't want a burden on our friends so... we opted to invite our closest friends to our favorite pub, and when they all arrived we said "surprise, we're getting married". Best friend officiated on the outdoor patio, pub provided free champagne. We bought food for everyone, and they only had to pay for any extra drinks they wanted. No pressure to dress up, no gifts, no expenses or stress on anyone's part. Of course we both wore really nice clothes, but not "wedding" clothes. We had a ball and there was no stress whatsoever! Almost an elopement except our best friends were all there.
If I had to do it again, I would elope. MIL was late to wedding because she had 2 glasses of champagne at rehearsal dinner and was so hung over (she doesn't drink) the next morning that she was refusing to come. Her daughters essentially made her. She looks miserable in all photos. My FIL invited some family friend that he ran into and hadn't seen in a while, who showed up with his daughter both wearing ratty jeans and t-shirts. FIL hijacked my photographer to take a bunch of photos of his family sans me/husband, but including the jeans wearers. Hired photographer to do some work photos, then talked him into giving him all my proofs because he would "deliver to me". In the meantime, he let his whole family (family business where everyone but my husband was employed) and they wrote their "orders" on the back of each print in grease pencil, which rubbed off on photos when they stacked them. No surprise that 30+ years later and we are LC or NC with all of them.
As a guy I learned that a wedding is very special esp for the bride as it's something she most likely always dreamed of and it's her good right. It should be her special day and only hers. No distraction from her, no fancy other dresses, no proposing, no birthday, nothing. Have bad news? Keep it to yourself. Need attention? Leave. Want to bring up something unpleasant from the past? Don't. Let her and them have their special day. Common sense.
Yes, exactly. People should be able to behave decently for one day and let the bride and the groom have their day. I've been a matron of honour. Main task: keep everyone who bitches, whines, complains or who is otherwise a nuisance, far away from the bride. I'm build like a line backer from years of playing water polo, so it was a piece of cake.
Load More Replies...