Being a bride is often associated with innocence and wholesomeness. Wearing a white dress can be symbolic of a bride’s purity, and in many cultures, it has traditionally been assumed that the bride and groom are young, perhaps even naive, individuals finally entering the next stage of adulthood by tying the knot.

Today, however, these beliefs seem pretty outdated. Nowadays, brides and grooms can wear whatever their hearts desire at their weddings, and there’s rarely an expectation that they need to be young and “pure.” In fact, some have gone so far in the other direction that they've turned into rude, selfish and entitled brides and grooms-to-be. And unfortunately, it seems that many people have experience with couples who seem to throw their manners out the window after getting engaged.   

To learn more about this bad behavior that many brides and grooms are guilty of exhibiting, we reached out to Jhona Yellin, Editor at Bespoke Bride, to hear her thoughts on the topic. First, we wanted to know if it’s expected for brides and grooms to have some level of entitlement when planning their big days.

“Now, it's perfectly natural for couples to have a vision for their big day, to want everything just as they envision it in their minds,” Jhona told Bored Panda. “But, where do we draw the line between reasonable requests and over-the-top demands? Well, a bridezilla demanding her bridesmaids all dye their hair to match the wedding color scheme. Is it a touch eccentric? Perhaps. But is it downright unreasonable? Absolutely.”

We also asked the expert if she had any advice for brides and grooms who have become a bit too controlling when planning their weddings. “We usually call it the bridal illusion of control,” Jhona noted. “Sure, you can try to micromanage every aspect, from the dress code to the flower arrangements, but at the end of the day, something's bound to slip through the cracks.”

“Our advice? Embrace the chaos. Let go of the reins (just a tad) and allow a bit of spontaneity to seep into your special day,” the wedding expert shared. “Trust me, it'll make for a much more enjoyable experience for everyone involved.”

“We actually wrote a piece a while back about how it's okay to tell your guests what to wear to your wedding when, with various scenarios where it's perfectly acceptable to let your guests know that there's a specific dress code,” Jhona added.

Jhona also noted that, despite what you might believe, there is hope for even the most entitled of brides and grooms. “It all boils down to one magical word: compromise. Yes, that's right – the art of give and take,” she says. “Also, we always recommend that brides and grooms prioritize together. Sit down together and prioritize what aspects of the wedding are most important to each of you.” 

The wedding expert also urges couples to set realistic expectations. “Not everything will go according to plan, and that's okay! We always recommend making a wedding planning checklist, and even adding the psychological issues there,” she added with a smile.

“And to all the friends and family members of entitled couples out there, we say this: tread carefully, but tread with love,” Jhona noted. “Listen to their concerns, offer your support, and gently guide them back to reality when necessary. After all, isn't that what love is all about?”

While it’s easy to judge brides and grooms who post on Facebook expecting donations for their weddings or who expect bridesmaids to wear strapless dresses in the middle of winter, it’s important to remember how stressful planning a wedding can be. No, it certainly doesn’t have to be, and that shouldn’t be an excuse for bad behavior. But it might explain some of it. Considering that the average wedding in the United States costs around $35,000, it’s safe to assume that most couples are probably on edge about their finances while planning their big days.

According to Verywell Mind, some other major sources of stress while wedding planning can be creating the guest list, finding a venue, sending out invitations, coordinating with vendors, following up about RSVPs, making decisions about your look for the day, creating a seating chart, planning the honeymoon, managing expectations and more. There can be a million things bouncing around the bride and groom’s heads leading up to the big day, and they’re likely working full-time and juggling all of their other responsibilities at the same time as well.

We hope you’re enjoying this list featuring examples of bride and groom-zillas, pandas. While we’re well aware that the vast majority of engaged couples do not behave like this, it’s nice to remind others to stay grounded while wedding planning. I’m sure your big day will be absolutely lovely, even if all of your groomsmen don't have the exact same haircut. Keep upvoting the pics you find most ridiculous, and then if you’re interested in seeing even more examples of entitled brides and grooms, check out this Bored Panda piece next!