Groomsman's Plus-One Shares Her Experience at the Weirdest Wedding, Bride and Groom Skip Vendors and Make Wedding Party Work the Entire Reception

Author image for Isabella Penn
Isabella Penn
Oct 5, 2024 2:00 PM EDT

Three days before the wedding, the wedding party got hit with some unexpected news. They weren't just guests—they were also the staff. The bride and groom, in a questionable move to skip hiring any actual vendors, handed over all responsibilities to their wedding party. Bartending, serving, cleaning, even bathroom duty...it was all up to them. The schedule was a total mess, leaving them with zero time to actually enjoy the event. 

Things got even more awkward when the wedding party left to take photos. The guests were left hanging for an hour, with nothing to do, since the "staff" had all gone to pose for pictures. And let's not forget the poor plus-ones who were left to fend for themselves. The Original Poster (OP), who has been married to one of the groomsmen for ten years, at least knew a few people, but some plus-ones had to fly solo all night because their dates were busy working. Meanwhile, the bride and groom kicked back, enjoying their stress-free reception while the chaos unfolded around them. It made for an unforgettable wedding, but definitely not in a good way.

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  • 01
    r/weddingshaming • 2 PestisAtra Bride and groom make wedding party serve food to the guests, bartend, and serve as bathroom attendants.
    via u/PestisAtra
  • 02
    {My role in this story: the "plus- one" of a groomsman. } It started off great; the bride & groom had a quiet engagement. They didn't want a bachelor party or stag do, much to the relief of their 30+ yr old friends.
    via u/PestisAtra
  • 03
    In the year leading up to the wedding, members of the wedding party kept asking if there was anything they could do to help, or what expectations would be on the day of the wedding. All were assured that a rehearsal dinner would be held
    via u/PestisAtra
  • 04
    the day before so that everyone felt oriented. 3 days before the wedding, an email to the wedding party outlined that no outside services were contracted and that the wedding party of 10, along with their plus-ones would be
    via u/PestisAtra
  • 05
    expected to host the wedding in its entirety, including: • Set up & tear down of the venue, including the sound system, place settings, game booths, and a floral arch.
    via u/PestisAtra
  • 06
    . Serving food to the guests, . bartending and serving as bathroom attendants. • Ensuring garbage bins were emptied regularly and bathrooms cleaned once per hour during the reception.
    via u/PestisAtra
  • 07
    The itinerary was absolutely bonkers, with examples like: . • Access to the venue just 1.5 hours before the scheduled photoshoot. Needless to say, not everything was ready and arriving guests had to roll up their sleeves to make it happen, delaying
    via u/PestisAtra
  • 08
    the ceremony for over an hour, and wedding photos revealed shiny foreheads & wrinkled shirts from the group's efforts to make an entire wedding happen in under two hours. • After the ceremony, the . wedding party took off to a
    via u/PestisAtra
  • 09
    separate location for photos and guests were left alone to fend for themselves without anyone to man the cash bar. A charcuterie table and a selection of juices were left out, along with some lawn games and folks had to entertain themselves for over an hour.
    via u/PestisAtra
  • 10
    Comfort of the guests was not a consideration, as the outdoor ceremony had no cover from weather, and guests were asked to carry their chairs from the ceremony site across a farm field to the barn where the reception was held. Plus-ones of the wedding party were not welcome
    via u/PestisAtra
  • 11
    for the entire day and had to drop their spouses off in the morning and entertain themselves for 5 hours before getting themselves to the venue to help set up. I have been married for 10 years, but there were two new dates who didn't
    via u/PestisAtra
  • 12
    know anyone and were now volun-told to show up and wait tables?! These poor souls were then seated apart from their dates for dinner, as the head table was reserved for the wedding party only. As an introvert I deeply resented this, but at least I was familiar with some of the guests.
    via u/PestisAtra
  • 13
    Before anyone considers that perhaps the couple could not afford a wedding, the groom is wealthy enough that the bride does not work. This couple did not even pitch in when it was clear that the party was falling apart; they just expected to show up and enjoy the party.
    via u/PestisAtra
  • 14
    Other gems included: several tasteless cash grabs and no electronics on the threat of being asked to leave so that the couple could enjoy exclusive content for their failed YouTube channel.
    via u/PestisAtra
  • 15
    • nj-rose 22h ago Who leaves a cash bar unattended? That means open bar to me. 1.3K Reply
    via u/nj-rose
  • 16
    shedrinkscoffee 23h ago • I cannot believe multiple people went along with this nonsense. I would have noped outta there so fast.
    via u/shedrinkscoffee
  • 17
    I just declined an invite to what would almost certainly have been a similar undertaking for a wedding overseas. Destination wedding and bridezilla isn't a winning combo lol ↑ 771 Reply
    via u/shedrinkscoffee
  • 18
    • jatemple 23h ago This sounds SO much like a wedding I went to about 5 years ago minus the gems at the end. The sheer audacity.
    via u/jatemple
  • 19
    Tasteless and tacky. And, yeah, in my case, they had enough money to shell out for vendors but chose not to, too. When did this become a thing?! 249 Reply
    via u/jatemple
  • 20
    lilyofthevalley2659 • 22h ago • I'm shocked people went along with this. I would have bowed out after receiving that email. 244 ☐ Reply
    via u/lilyofthevalley2659
  • 21
    Cheezburger Image 10412427008
    via Unsplash (Getty Images)

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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vendors bride Groomsmen date groom wedding party job work plus one wedding entitled bridezilla Reddit reception entitled people
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