Post by irene adler on Apr 21, 2015 8:34:22 GMT -5
One of my friends from grad school got married, and it was a very lovely diy affair.
EXCEPT for the very type a friend who volunteered to help with venue decor/cleanup. We met her at a cocktail party the night before the wedding and agreed to help decorate the next morning. Fine, nbd
That is how I learned there is a way to decorate incorrectly. My friends and I were ready to kill her. And she threw a fit when we left and didn't want to stay for part 2 of tyrannical decor: the clean up.
We left with the words "I guess I'm the brides only true friend!" Ringing in our ears.
No bad weddings that I can remember as a guest, but as a catering director, uh yeah.
-Snow for an October wedding that the bride REFUSED to let us move the ceremony inside even though she agreed to a back-up plan in the contract. The guests were not impressed. -The Bi-polar bride that had a meltdown at the head table and then chased me to my office screaming at me because the plates at the reception were different from the tasting, even though we discussed it and showed her the actual plates in advance. They were off by an inch or two I forget. Her friends came to tell me later not to worry and then her parents came to see me the next morning (with a card and a large check) and an apology because stressful situations made her difficult. It was really sad and I wish I had known before hand. -The group that insisted on family style service and then were upset because the wedding guests didn't get the concept. We warned them and tried to discourage it, but then insisted that they wanted it their way. Epic Fail. -The cake delivery that starting melting because it was 100 degrees and the cake inside was not made to support the icing. Our chef fixed it with some dowels and flowers. -The wedding cake that didn't show up on time....the GM and I went out and bought cheese cakes.
v if a martini bar descending from the ceiling in a cloud of smoke of wrong I don't want to be right!
I should say -- having seen the episode of Four Weddings before we went to the wedding, I would have been DEVASTATED if the couple had opted out of it.
I already posted about the girl decided to have a destination wedding at the last minute, charged everyone a venue fee, and then paid for no accommodations, food, etc. (Not even during the reception!)
The next one that comes to mind is the couple who didn't have enough seating or food. The venue was tiny and the tables were so close that people couldn't even get to their chair without asking the people at the tables around them to move. About 1/3 of the guests had no seating whatsoever and the food ran out about halfway through. We only stayed 30 minutes.
One of the best budget weddings was at 2 p.m., followed by cake and punch and chit chat, and then everyone left. I'd take that over an evening reception with no seating and crappy food.
I was in a wedding for my best friend's daughter (BFF is 15 years older than me and daughter is 5 years younger than me) in February that to this day no one believes the stories I tell them happened. Mind you my H and I took three days off from work and paid $800 in flights down for this shitshow. Looking back I should have known better than to accept but was a little caught off guard when I was asked and I have been there for 10 years of bride's life so it meant a lot to her that I accepted. Below are just highlights, there was so much more shit that happened in between that it would be a novel if I wrote it all.
Highlights include:
1. The wedding being cancelled at least four times in the two days leading up to the wedding.
2. Bride informed me the night before the wedding that she had changed her mind about group BM hair and makeup appts and we were now on our own...umm okay thanks for letting your OOT BM know...in the end she called her hair stylist at 9 pm Fri night to get us in with her on Sat.
3. The groom being locked out of the house without his tux by bride at 10 am on day of wedding.
4. Bride missing her hair and makeup appts because she was having a temper tantrum.
5. Bride arriving to the ceremony site after the wedding was supposed to start and she was drunker than a skunk.
6. Bride couldn't find her shoes and bra so groom left ceremony site to go back to house to find them.
7. Guests waited TWO HOURS past the ceremony start time for bride to walk down the aisle.
8. The groom actually bawling his eyes out with happiness when she did walk down the aisle.
9. More than a 1/3 of the guests left right after ceremony, another 1/3+ left right after eating, and within two hours into the reception the only people left were the bridal party and immediate family.
10. Groom and his brother ended up getting into a fist fight.
I can't think of anything crazy bad but when DH was a GM for a HS friend I hadn't met before it was awkward at the reception. They did a dollar dance and 1) I didn't bring any cash 2) I HAD NEVER MET THE COUPLE
DH's friend, the groom, called me out right then and there.
Post by keweenawlove on Apr 21, 2015 9:28:28 GMT -5
DH was best man in a wedding last fall. It was October up north where you could it could be 70 and sunny, snowing, or anything in between. They said it was outdoors rain or shine. It was 40 and raining on the wedding day. They ended up putting up a tent for the ceremony last minute but not everyone fit under it so groom's BIL and I ended up standing in back under an umbrella. Reception was in a barn that was not heated (they had a few space heaters out). I'm glad I just wore a dress I had because I ended up wearing my winter jacket the whole time.
On the plus side, they did provide plenty of food and good beer.
I am too lazy to read all these. Can someone tag me when we get to the part where people start saying that they go to weddings to see their friends on their special day and don't need alcohol to have fun? Because we haven't done that in a while.
I would say that the rudest thing we've experienced first hand is the couple who had a wedding at an all-inclusive in the Dominican Republic, and put a note on the invitation that if you did not stay at that resort, you would be charged to attend the wedding. I had no interest in staying at that resort, so that was the end of "Should we go or not?" for me.
My cousin did the same thing at a different island in the Caribbean. We weren't too thrilled on leaving the hot, humid Midwest in June for a hot, humid island so it was an easy decision to skip.
... Groom's parents weren't there due to a restraining order (they had offered groom $60k to leave his fiancée and then tried to stab him with a meat cleaver when he refused) ...
In more bridal party shenanigans, I will be 8 months pregnant in a wedding this fall. There is a maternity BM dress available in the same designer/material/length, but the bride wants me to match the other 6 girls. So no maternity dress for me; she wants me to order the regular dress in however many sizes up I'll need, instead of a dress that might actually fit(ish) my proportions at the time. I'm really skeptical that this is going to go well.
Oh man, that's crazytalk. Can you back out? I would be pissed.
I didn't know this at the time, but a friends H was having an affair with friends friend which started while they were engaged. Many people at the reception knew he was off banging the other chick in one of the back rooms at the hall.
The B& G should also consider out of town guest hotels when they get married. We went to a wedding out in the middle of nowhere-like the closest town was another 2 hours away. The hotel they suggested was HORRIBLE. It was non smoking but the whole place smelled like a cigarette. There were empty beer cans under the beds, holes in the curtains and mold in the bathroom. We asked to be switched to another room and it wasn't much better. My DS was only 4 mo old at the time and had allergies. Meanwhile-the bride and her family were staying at the other hotel in town which I guess was quite nice. We should have left right after the ceremony as they also had a cash bar. A glass of soda was $6 or $7 and the only thing they had for free was tap water (shitty hotel was attached to the reception venue).
Post by RitzyHeifer on Apr 21, 2015 10:04:12 GMT -5
Couple eloped, then decided to have a reception 3-4 months later (no big, I'm down for a party). Food was like grocery store deli sandwiches and dessert was cut up energy/protein bars. Bride/groom make the rounds telling us to be sure to stay for a "special presentation" after dinner and did we notice how awesome dessert was? Because it's the protein bars they sell through their MLM scheme!
We quickly realize what the "special presentation" is and jet out to go have a real dinner.
So yes, the entire reason they had a reception at all was to recruit people for their MLM company - they'd gotten involved with it about a month after the elopement. They also followed up with us at our house about a week later bc we had skipped the presentation at the reception!
Couple eloped, then decided to have a reception 3-4 months later (no big, I'm down for a party). Food was like grocery store deli sandwiches and dessert was cut up energy/protein bars. Bride/groom make the rounds telling us to be sure to stay for a "special presentation" after dinner and did we notice how awesome dessert was? Because it's the protein bars they sell through their MLM scheme!
We quickly realize what the "special presentation" is and jet out to go have a real dinner.
So yes, the entire reason they had a reception at all was to recruit people for their MLM company - they'd gotten involved with it about a month after the elopement. They also followed up with us at our house about a week later bc we had skipped the presentation at the reception!
Winner. This is amazing. I am dying at the cut up protein bars.
I am too lazy to read all these. Can someone tag me when we get to the part where people start saying that they go to weddings to see their friends on their special day and don't need alcohol to have fun? Because we haven't done that in a while.
When have we ever been more zen than judgey?
(Free) for all!
I EXPECT A FULL MEAN AND A CHAIR, DAMMIT!
I love shitshows. They're funny and make good for stories.
I'll be sad when we reach the "I go just for my very special friends' very special days" or "My friends/families aren't animals like all of yours so every wedding I've been to has been attended by Emily Post and then featured in Martha Stewart Weddings" part of this thread.
I had a friend whose sister and FI called off the wedding, while everyone was in the church. The dad came out and told all the guests but still had the reception because he had paid for it. It was called the 'family reunion'. The worst part is that the B&G obviously did not come to the reception event, but instead jetted off on their honeymoon and ended up getting married there.
I had a friend whose sister and FI called off the wedding, while everyone was in the church. The dad came out and told all the guests but still had the reception because he had paid for it. It was called the 'family reunion'. The worst part is that the B&G obviously did not come to the reception event, but instead jetted off on their honeymoon and ended up getting married there.
Whaaaat?
Yep, they still ended up getting married (and eventually divorced), but they did it on their honeymoon, instead of the day of the wedding. I don't think my dad would ever forgive me if I had done something like that.
They sort of joke about it as a family but you can still feel the awkward tension if it comes up.
Oh, and there was also the wedding where, during the maid of honor speeches, one of the bride's friends and the bride's brother dressed up in Scooby Doo and cheeseburger costumes and danced around outside (there was a window right behind the maids of honor, and that's where they danced). They spent quite a bit of time on the dance floor in those costumes. The last song at that wedding was All I Want For Christmas Is You. The wedding was in July.
The dry wedding where they ran out of food before all of us had eaten, and then the speeches were just an ongoing "they're having SEX TONIGHT!" montage that went on for a couple hours... that's about as bad as I've been to. If you're not going to let me drink, for the love of God, have enough mashed potatoes.
Post by badtzmaru22 on Apr 21, 2015 10:35:46 GMT -5
I went to a wedding with two receptions. The first was in the church hall after the ceremony, and was just cake and punch. Bride and her sisters get up on stage during the first reception, and lip syched to Any Man of Mine, with costumes and props, while Groom sat there looking scared.
Reception #2 was at the country club afterward, and apparently not everyone was invited to this one. Dry wedding, fine. We all had seats and (dry) chicken. But the worst was during dinner, they had this bowl with slips of paper with all the couples who attended, and when your slip was drawn, you had to go up to the head table and demonstrate a kiss for the B&G- so her sister with a million kids gets up with her H, and they kids with all their kids hanging off them, and then the B&G have to imitate. We were at a table with Groom's aunt and uncle who had not yet announced their separation, and they were freaking out they would be called up to kiss. Luckily, they were not. I think it had dragged on long enough, so they finally quit pulling names.
I am too lazy to read all these. Can someone tag me when we get to the part where people start saying that they go to weddings to see their friends on their special day and don't need alcohol to have fun? Because we haven't done that in a while.
I'm awkward as fuck, so alcohol is pretty much a requirement in order to enjoy my company.
v, is that place in Brooklyn? I think I may have been there for an e-party, but the couple skipped all the special effects. Very classy party. Eight entree choices table side - EIGHT! Just for an e-party! We very nearly wore jeans because we never thought it'd be that fancy, so thank goodness we went business casual at the last minute.
I am too lazy to read all these. Can someone tag me when we get to the part where people start saying that they go to weddings to see their friends on their special day and don't need alcohol to have fun? Because we haven't done that in a while.
v, is that place in Brooklyn? I think I may have been there for an e-party, but the couple skipped all the special effects. Very classy party. Eight entree choices table side - EIGHT! Just for an e-party! We very nearly wore jeans because we never thought it'd be that fancy, so thank goodness we went business casual at the last minute.
It is in Howard Beach. I think you're talking about the same place. There were a LOT of entrees to choose from (8+ sounds right to me) and the waiters changed into new jackets after every course.
I went to a wedding with two receptions. The first was in the church hall after the ceremony, and was just cake and punch. Bride and her sisters get up on stage during the first reception, and lip syched to Any Man of Mine, with costumes and props, while Groom sat there looking scared.
Reception #2 was at the country club afterward, and apparently not everyone was invited to this one. Dry wedding, fine. We all had seats and (dry) chicken. But the worst was during dinner, they had this bowl with slips of paper with all the couples who attended, and when your slip was drawn, you had to go up to the head table and demonstrate a kiss for the B&G- so her sister with a million kids gets up with her H, and they kids with all their kids hanging off them, and then the B&G have to imitate. We were at a table with Groom's aunt and uncle who had not yet announced their separation, and they were freaking out they would be called up to kiss. Luckily, they were not. I think it had dragged on long enough, so they finally quit pulling names.
They asked people to do this and there was no alcohol served?
Post by jillboston on Apr 21, 2015 11:37:10 GMT -5
what stands out the most is a super rude insulting best man toast at a BFFs wedding. It is true that she issued ultimatums to the groom, thought she was "marrying up" and is 100% miserable in the marriage lo these 18 years later.. But the best man had some balls to stand up in front of everyone and say - boy Annie sure knows how to get what she wants and then rambled on (including crying ) about how f'ing awesome the groom's parents are - not a word about the family of the bride who paid for the *very* expensive wedding.
My sis attended a wedding for her BFF's granddaughter who tried to raffle off a tv - granny put a swift stop to it
I was a "reception greeter" at a wedding. The bride had assigned seating for family (aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents), everyone else could seat themselves at unassigned tables. I was supposed to ask everyone if they were family and inform them of their assigned seating or say they can sit at a non reserved table. Weird enough, but then they also invited every 2nd through 4th cousin in the world, who would tell me they were family, then get pissed at me that they didn't have an assigned seat. A wedding that had A and B groups for the reception -- A group could come to dinner (although not enough seats for everyone), then 2 hours later the B group showed for cake and dancing, but dinner was not finished when they started arriving so it was super awkward. I was a BM in a wedding, no transportation provided between venues. I left something at the church, and the bride and groom were there alone. They hadn't arranged transport even for themselves! Good thing I went back. My mom was also a "cake server" at this wedding and had to spend an hour of the reception cutting and serving cake.
I helped a friend coordinate weddings for extra cash in college.
I saw a lot of weird shit. The worst was a super chill Bride/Groom who basically told vendors to do whatever they won't object. So the DJ starts to play music as the groom walks down the aisle. Apparently he never told my friend he was a widow and that was his first dance song with his 1st wife. Grooms parents were really upset.
I went to a wedding with two receptions. The first was in the church hall after the ceremony, and was just cake and punch. Bride and her sisters get up on stage during the first reception, and lip syched to Any Man of Mine, with costumes and props, while Groom sat there looking scared.
Reception #2 was at the country club afterward, and apparently not everyone was invited to this one. Dry wedding, fine. We all had seats and (dry) chicken. But the worst was during dinner, they had this bowl with slips of paper with all the couples who attended, and when your slip was drawn, you had to go up to the head table and demonstrate a kiss for the B&G- so her sister with a million kids gets up with her H, and they kids with all their kids hanging off them, and then the B&G have to imitate. We were at a table with Groom's aunt and uncle who had not yet announced their separation, and they were freaking out they would be called up to kiss. Luckily, they were not. I think it had dragged on long enough, so they finally quit pulling names.
They asked people to do this and there was no alcohol served?
YEP. Bride's family was really into it. I was a friend of the groom.
Post by dr.girlfriend on Apr 21, 2015 12:12:16 GMT -5
Urgh, the worst I've seen was a friend of DH's. His mom and dad had apparently had a pretty bad divorce -- dad cheated, etc. The dad asked to be a big part of the wedding, and asked for many of his friends to be invited. They all RSVP'd "yes" and then stone. cold. no-showed. It was horrible...they delayed the ceremony and pictures waiting and waiting, and then ultimately it became apparent that it was a deliberate ploy to screw the couple (and I guess the mom by proxy) by rsvp-ing yes and then "boycotting." 1/3 of the tables at the reception were totally empty. It was painful. I can't imagine someone doing that to their kid, regardless of how they feel about the divorce, etc.
My friend also married someone from a very close-knit family (just the mom and the two brothers came over from Ecuador). The family really hated the bride, and the best man speech was all about how it used to be the two brothers doing everything together and now the groom was "leaving us," etc. Yikes.
My cousin was married by a family friend. It went okay, until he created some off-script part of the ceremony about how a man is not like Mr. Potato Head, in that you can't change him, and so if you want to change someone here is an *actual* Mr. Potato Head to change. He then handed her a Mr. Potato Head doll. Every time she tried to put it down he was like, "No, hold it up!" So all her ceremony pics have the stupid Mr. Potato Head in them.
Oh, a final one. My very liberal friend agreed to marry in her DH's very conservative church, with the stipulation that she was introduced as Mr. John Smith and Dr. Jane Doe since she was keeping her maiden name. The priest went on a tirade about women who were not appropriately submissive, and insisted on working instead of doing their duty and bearing children, etc. etc., and then ended by introducing the couple as "Mr. and MRS. JOHN SMITH" with such emphasis that you knew it was a big 'f-you' to the bride.