One thing that people don’t expect on their wedding days is for things to go wrong, like in the following stories. Some people in these stories lost loved ones on their special day, while others had to kick their parents out for not putting them first.
Weddings are usually events where families bond and celebrate their loved ones. However, things sometimes don’t go according to plan, as in the following five stories.
A wedding sign surrounded by plants | Source: Pexels
Man Abandon’s Wife after Divorce and Later Tries to Marry Someone Else, but His Mother Intervenes
A woman who is a mother revealed that her son, Mike, got married at a very young age to his then-girlfriend, Jane, because he got her pregnant. The wedding was rushed, but Mike’s mother adored Jane from the moment they met. Jane was the typical girl next door and got along great with Mike’s mom.
Months later, the original poster’s (OP) first grandson, Tommy, was born with Down syndrome and the most beautiful blue eyes ever. Tommy’s condition changed everything for his parents, and Mike ended up cheating on his wife, and their relationship ended in divorce.
Baby clothes laid out on a surface | Source: Pexels
Tommy was left to be cared for by his mother, but Jane’s former mother-in-law still availed herself to assist with anything she and the boy needed. However, things were different, with the OP believing children needed both parents if they were still alive.
Mike didn’t bother helping or trying to see his baby, and OP couldn’t believe her son was so heartless. She begged him to return or help Jane, but he repeatedly shut the door in her face.
A divorce agreement on paper | Source: Pexels
One day, the woman’s nephew, Liam, came over to pick up some cake for his mother and told her Mike was getting married again, leaving his mother astonished. She was surprised, as she wasn’t clued up about his life anymore. She had little contact with Mike and didn’t even know about his new job.
It seemed he’d met someone new and hadn’t bothered inviting his mother to their nuptials. OP asked Liam for the address, and he gave it willingly. All she could think about was Jane and Tommy. OP decided to take matters into her own hands by inviting herself to her son’s wedding.
A cake topped with fruit | Source: Pexels
She strolled into the church, holding Tommy on her hip as Mike said his vows. He looked up mid-sentence and grew pale with shock when he spotted her. With a fierce grimace, OP blurted: “Before you say, ‘I do’ again, Michael St. John, meet your first ‘I did’ and the family you abandoned.”
The bride had a look of distress on her face, which made the woman feel terrible. The officiant quickly requested a break, and the guests were told to go outside to get drinks before the ceremony continued. Mike’s mother breathed a silent sigh of relief because although she wanted to embarrass her son, she didn’t want to hurt his bride more than necessary.
A bride and groom standing at their wedding venue | Source: Pexels
Only a few people chose to leave, but most of Mike’s family remained, amused by what his mother had said. The bride’s family gasped in shock as OP spilled everything about her son’s past marriage. She even warned the bride to be careful about what she was signing up for.
OP insisted she hadn’t raised the groom to be the man he was and revealed how his ex-wife was more of a daughter to her than Mike was a son. She told Mike that Tommy deserved a father who wouldn’t walk away from him and described her son as “horrible.”
A bride’s wedding dress and shoes on the floor | Source: Pexels
OP then walked out, leaving a room full of stunned guests, a son in shock, and his fiancée re-evaluating the man she fell in love with. A day later, Liam and his mother (OP’s sister) came over for coffee. Liam revealed Mike’s bride had burst into tears as OP left before throwing her bouquet at the groom and leaving the ceremony with her family.
Mike was embarrassed, furious, and bewildered in front of the guests, who were rooted to their seats, probably waiting for Jane to appear. OP knew her actions had been drastic but felt she had to teach her son a valuable lesson.
A woman bathing a child in a bathtub | Source: Pexels
She wanted him to return to their family as her son and a father, or at the very least take care of Tommy financially. Hopefully, Mike chose to do right by his family, unlike the fiancé in the following story, who vanished on his wedding day.
The back-view of a bride standing outdoors | Source: Flickr
Bride’s Groom Fails to Pitch on Their Wedding Day
Taking to Reddit’s “Relationship Advice” subreddit, a 28-year-old woman revealed that her life was turned upside down when her 32-year-old fiancé, Derek, disappeared on the morning of their wedding. The incident happened two years before her post went up.
She revealed how shocked and heartbroken she was when her calls and messages to Derek went unanswered. Her special day was ruined, and she returned alone to an empty apartment in her wedding dress. Luckily, she wouldn’t have to keep wondering what had happened to the groom.
A bride crying at the altar | Source: Getty Images
Derek’s mother gave her some closure when she tearfully revealed that her son had rekindled his relationship with his ex-girlfriend days before his wedding to OP. He then chose to abandon the woman he had planned to marry. The truth left OP feeling anger, betrayal, and a devastating sense of abandonment.
She didn’t expect that Derek would show up three months later, deepening her unhealed wounds. He called her and apologized, claiming his ex had hidden his child from him, and he had finally found out about the young one. Derek explained that he wanted to be with them, with OP stating:
“That’s pretty much all that was said; I didn’t say much actually. I think I only said ‘hello.'”
A crying bride staring at her smartphone | Source: Shutterstock
OP was left feeling numb and didn’t care anymore. However, as time went by and she got support from her friends and therapy, she was able to undergo a journey of self-discovery and healing. A year passed, marked by sleepless nights and tear-streaked days, until she found the strength to leave her past behind.
OP then decided to leave her homeland of Australia for Wales, UK, hoping to have a fresh start. However, Derek suddenly started reaching out to her through Instagram messages. He said he’d heard about her plans to move and thought it was cool.
A young woman holding her phone mid-flight | Source: Shutterstock
OP’s ex shared how he was traveling to Cardiff toward the end of July. He also said he was deeply sorry about everything that happened at their wedding. It sent shivers down her spine that Derek knew her whereabouts, and his request forced her to confront a past she had painstakingly tried to forget. It turns out an old mutual friend had revealed her new location to Derek.
OP initially chose to ignore her ex-fiancé’s message. She turned to Reddit, where people said Derek was a red flag. By consulting other Reddit users, she was hoping to get advice on whether she should seek closure or avoid reopening old wounds.
A distraught woman sitting on the sofa contemplating her future | Source: Shutterstock
Derek later apologized for the disingenuous tone of his first message and explained that he was diagnosed with Avoidance PTSD. OP couldn’t move past the uncertainty he left her in for three months but agreed to meet with him.
During their short lunch, Derek revealed he was no longer with his ex, who had passed away, and confirmed that the child she had was his. He handed OP an envelope containing all the money spent on their wedding preparations.
A sad young man telling his story to the woman sitting next to him | Source: Shutterstock
OP finally had a sense of closure following the meeting, and it confirmed she’d moved on from her past feelings. While OP’s story was heartbreaking, the next one is arguably worse, since almost everyone in attendance sadly passed away.
Revan and Hannen Isho dancing on their wedding day | Source: YouTube.com/@SkyNews
Wedding Ceremony Guests Die at Venue
Iraqi couple Revan and Haneen Isho celebrated being joined as husband and wife by having their first dance. The couple had flares go up around them, with the sparkling explosions reaching to the roof of their venue as they twirled together. They looked at each other lovingly while embracing, but sadly, things soon started going wrong.
The crowd started to scream in panic and scattered in numerous directions as the venue’s roof caught fire and started to cave in. Revan grabbed Haneen and rushed her to the kitchen exit as other guests tried to get out, too. The bride was left with injuries on her legs because she was trampled by guests who wanted to escape the fire.
Flares going off as Haneen and Revan Isho danced at their wedding | Source: YouTube.com/@SkyNews
One video angle made it seem like the flares set the ceiling decorations alight, but Revan didn’t believe that was true. Authorities alluded to the wedding venue being built from cheap materials. Fourteen people, including the venue owner, were arrested in relation to the wedding hall’s destruction and the subsequent deaths.
The tragedy has left Haneen too devastated to speak. Revan lost his mother in the blaze, while his wife also lost relatives. Her father was said to have been in critical condition, and a guest said that almost everyone in attendance had lost someone in the fire.
The wedding hall where Revan and Haneen Isho held their reception is seen burning down | Source: YouTube.com/@SkyNews
Over 100 people passed away in total, and mass funerals were held in Hamdaniya. Thousands of people attended the funerals and mourned the loss of their loved ones. Many people arrived with pictures of those they had lost, often adorned with messages to the deceased and decorated with flowers and hearts.
Among the photos were people of all ages, with the youngest being only a few years old. Those who did not pass away but couldn’t escape the venue in time were severely injured by the fire. Now, Revan thinks it is time for him and his new bride to leave their city in search of lasting happiness elsewhere.
The caved-in roof of Haneen and Revan Isho’s wedding venue | Source: YouTube.com/@SkyNews
He felt they had to leave because every time they tried to be happy in their city, something came along and ruined their chance at bliss. As Revan talked to reporters about his feelings surrounding the fire, Haneen sat wordlessly beside him and stared out in front of her with him lamenting:
“It’s true, we’re sitting in front of you here alive, but inside, we’re dead.”
Drone footage of a mass funeral for the wedding guests | Source: YouTube.com/@dailymail
The couple and their surviving family members went into hiding, as many think they are responsible for the lives lost in the fire. The tragedy has marred the happiest day of their lives. A 17-year-old guest at their wedding who only sustained a burn to her hand shared her account, saying:
“We couldn’t see anything. We were suffocating; we didn’t know how to get out.”
Another guest said they tried to leave the building when they saw the roof collapse; however, even those who managed to exit had been “broken” by the inferno. A man at the wedding lost his son, wife, daughter, and mother in the blaze.
It was confirmed that 113 people perished as a direct result of the tragedy, and many more were injured. Those injured recovered in hospitals across Nineveh. We extend our heartfelt condolences to all those who have lost loved ones in the fire. The following story is about a bride who kicked out her father from her wedding after he walked her down the aisle.
Parents holding their daughter’s hand on her wedding day | Source: Shutterstock
Bride Kicks Father Out of Her Wedding for Refusing to Take a Family Photo
In February 2022, a Reddit user shared a story with the platform’s users to ask for advice about a specific dilemma. She revealed her parents were divorced and didn’t get along despite their efforts to conceal their conflicts. Their strained relationship forced OP to live two separate lives.
For her engagement, she envisioned having a grand wedding with her father and mother playing their traditional roles. She mainly wanted her mother to share in the pre-wedding preparations and her father to walk her down the aisle.
A father walking his daughter down the aisle on her wedding day | Source: Flickr
On the day of the reception, during the family photo shoot, the bride requested a single picture with her parents. However, her stepmother adamantly refused, asserting that the family was no longer intact and that it would be disrespectful to her, seeing as she was now married to the bride’s father.
She also wanted separate photos taken with her father, his wife, mother, and husband. In contrast, her stepfather had no objections. Still, OP’s father sided with his wife, declining to participate in the picture that would hold sentimental value for his daughter, with her noting:
“[My father] told me he loved me very much but that his wife wouldn’t be comfortable with it, and so he couldn’t. He said he would love to take more pictures of all 5 of us (dad, mom, SM, and SD) and more of just me and him, but I declined.”
A bride’s parents toasting to their daughter and son-in-law on their wedding day | Source: Shutterstock
OP felt deeply hurt by her father’s decision and confronted him. She told him she no longer wanted to share her first dance with him at the reception. The bride also insisted that she didn’t want to hear his speech and also didn’t want him taking a picture with her.
He expressed his understanding and a desire to engage in those meaningful moments with her, but she asked him to leave despite his genuine wish to stay. Even though her father had walked her down the aisle, she was so hurt that she kicked him out of her wedding.
A senior man wiping his tears | Source: Shutterstock
The next day, he called her, crying and saying he wanted to talk. OP responded by telling him it was fortunate that he had another daughter, the child he shared with his current wife, and that he still had the opportunity to be the bride’s father someday.
OP’s father assured her that she was irreplaceable and offered to do anything to make amends. She knew he was remorseful and sincere in his apology, leading her to question whether she had been wrong to ask him to leave her wedding. She also understood that his wife’s insecurities were beyond his control.
An upset woman sitting cross-legged on a chair while holding her head with her hands | Source: Pexels
Most commenters supported her and agreed that her request for a photo with her biological parents on her wedding day was reasonable. The last story saw a woman sharing how her mother gave her an ultimatum over a wedding dress she bought for her younger sister.
An angry bride in her wedding gear gesturing with her hand | Source: Shutterstock
Bride’s Mother Buys Sister a White Wedding Dress and Refuses to Change It
A Redditor wrote that she has two sisters, Amy, 21, and Abbie, 17. Her youngest sibling lived with a severe mental disability, which had been affecting her and OP’s family’s lives since she was young. The 23-year-old woman revealed she was getting married in a matter of months and had asked all of my bridesmaids to wear purple.
Abbie asked her older sister if she also had to wear a dress. The woman tried to accommodate Abbie by telling her she did have to wear a dress, but she could choose it herself. With wedding plans in full swing, OP asked their mother to buy Abbie a dress and gave her $200.
Three sisters posing for a photo | Source: Getty Images
However, she never expected their mother and Abbie to choose the dress they did. OP’s mother sent her a picture of Abbie in a wedding dress after they were done shopping, leaving her older daughter confused. Her mother explained it was the gown her younger sister would be wearing to her wedding.
OP couldn’t believe it and asked if it was a joke and where they got money for the dress because she’d given their mother only $200. Her mother said it wasn’t a joke and that she had paid for Abbie’s dress, leaving OP to lament:
“I told my mom I didn’t want anyone but me wearing white to the wedding and that we could pick the same dress for her out but in purple, but that it wasn’t okay that she thought that Abbie could wear white to my wedding.”
A woman looking at dresses in a store | Source: Getty Images
OP stood her ground on the matter and tried to ensure Abbie wouldn’t pitch wearing a wedding dress on her special day; their mother shocked her by being more assertive. After being extremely upset, OP’s parent told her that she had told Abbie to wear what she liked, and the teenager had chosen the white dress.
OP noted how her mother wouldn’t have allowed her sisters to wear white at her wedding and didn’t think it would be any different with Abbie. Her mother called her selfish and said she felt the teenager deserved “certain rights” because she was mentally disabled.
A wedding dress on a mannequin in a store | Source: Getty Images
After hearing this, OP told her mother that Abbie should not be treated differently in these situations and that she could not, under any circumstances, wear white to the wedding. Upon hearing her ultimatum, OP’s mother came up with her own, saying that either Abbie wore the dress of her choosing or they would not attend the wedding, leaving OP stunned.
Her shock at her mother’s response left the bride-to-be promising to think about letting her sister wear white. Instead, she reached out to Reddit users and asked for their opinions. Most people were on her side and told her that her mother was unreasonable and urged her to talk to Abbie directly.
An angry woman resting her head in her hand as a man comforts her | Source: Getty Images
Others encouraged her to tell her mother and sister that she was sorry they would miss the wedding and leave it at that. Sadly, OP wasn’t the only bride who had to contend with a family member who wanted to wear a white dress on their wedding day.