There are some wedding traditions that are… not everyone’s cup of tea. And are often set aside by a couple soon to be married. The newlyweds still might be surprised to find out that their relatives were so determined to impose their favorite wedding games on other people’s ceremonies that they organized it even if it meant going against the couple’s own preferences. And then, everyone is left to deal with the consequences of these “games,” as happened in the story of this Redditor’s mom of the most awkward wedding she has ever witnessed.

More info: Reddit

A couple decided to get married in a small ceremony, but the bride’s sister didn’t accept their plan

Image credits: Danik Prihodko (not the actual photo)

The bride’s sister questioned every decision the couple made with a focus on a bride kidnapping game

Image credits: u/SparrowArrow27

Image credits: Thang Văn (not the actual photo)

Image credits: u/SparrowArrow27

The couple refused to even consider these games, and eventually, the sister stopped asking

Image credits: Andrew Neel (not the actual photo)

The wedding was going well when suddenly groomsmen grabbed the bride and carried her outside

A woman shared with a Reddit community the most awkward wedding story that her mother got to experience back in the ’90s. It all started when after dating for ten years, a couple decided to tie the knot in a small wedding ceremony and reception.

While their families wished the ceremony was bigger, they seemed to accept the couple’s plans, only the bride’s sister kept questioning every decision of theirs concerning the wedding day.

The bride’s sister apparently was really into traditional wedding games, or, to be more precise, specifically into the bride’s kidnapping. Which consists of some male guests “kidnapping” the bride, with the groom fulfilling a certain task to get her back.

Either way, the couple refused to even consider this game, and eventually the bride’s sister stopped asking. Not that she stopped thinking about it, apparently.

The ceremony went off without a hitch and the reception was a pleasant affair until suddenly, the groomsmen grabbed the bride, lifted her up and carried her outside despite her protests.

As the bride’s sister turned to the groom, telling him it was time to get the bride back, the groom looked her dead in the eye, telling everyone “Whoever took the bride can return her” and poured himself more coffee.

While most guests stood around awkwardly and the bride’s sister was trying to convince the groom to cooperate, the groomsmen returned sheepishly without the bride, as apparently the bride blew up on them and left her own reception.

The groom simply poured himself more coffee, while the bride blew up and left her own reception

Image credits: nikki gibson (not the actual photo)

The groom left as well, while both mothers of the newlyweds kept screaming at the bride’s sister

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Well, the groom finished his coffee, thanked everyone, suggested that anyone having problems with the sudden cut-off approach the bride’s sister, and left as well, while the groom’s and the bride’s mothers kept screaming at the bride’s sister.

According to the story, this was (almost) the end of the sisters’ relationship as the bride cut her sister out of her life almost completely, yet she did attend her sister’s wedding and gave a speech, asking why kidnapping wasn’t on the schedule for her own wedding.

Alyson Kruegger for Brides addressed the issue of toxic behavior from one’s family members during wedding planning, which might include giving unsolicited opinions or pressuring the couple to do things a certain way, and asked mental health counselor Landis Bejar for some strategies to deal with it.

Bejar gave her recommendations on how to respond to toxic family members, and suggested to start with addressing the issue because it might be an easy fix and some people are clueless about the impact they have on others, therefore it is important to start with simply identifying and pointing out the problem. She also names this step – giving the benefit of the doubt – trusting the other person to care and apologize.

However, naturally, it is not always enough or even possible simply to address the issue, as people tend to minimize the experience of others, get defensive about their behavior, or manipulate the conversation to change the topic, and in cases when addressing the issue does not help, usually, the second step is setting firm boundaries, which doesn’t necessarily mean cutting them off completely, but creating distance.

Finally, Bejar addressed the topic of cutting ties with a toxic family member, when addressing the issue and creating distance leaves you with the same level of stress, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation. She brought up top strategies to cut ties with one’s family members, which included writing an email, a letter or doing it in any other form of one’s choice.

She suggested highlighting the specific behaviors that have elicited pain, in addition to pinpointing specific feelings you have experienced as a result and explaining why you need to take a break by stating the need to prioritize your mental health and the positive relationships in your life. Bejar emphasized the importance of surrounding yourself with supportive people who can provide unconditional love and understanding.

Finally, Bejar explains that it often is a good idea to reach out to a professional when feeling any kind of distress instead of waiting to hit rock bottom, as it might help to gain insight and skills needed to discern between a helplessly toxic relationship and the one that might benefit from better communication and other relationship skills.

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