'What happened to manners?': Newly married coworker uses company holiday party to swindle wedding gifts, leaves with top prizes

Author image for Isabella Penn
Isabella Penn
Dec 25, 2024 5:00 PM EST

Don't worry, the season of work holiday parties is almost over. But with them have come some seriously juicy coworker drama that we get to unpack. Work parties typically boast about free food, questionable dance moves from upper management, and—if you're lucky—a holiday gift worth bragging about. But every now and then, someone shows up with an agenda. Like this entitled coworker who treats the holiday party like a personal shopping spree.

In most workplaces, gift exchanges are a lighthearted affair. You cross your fingers, hope for a decent gift card or maybe some yummy Christmas cookies, and call it a day. Well, this office decided to do a raffle instead of the traditional gift exchange. And for one newlywed coworker, this party wasn't about holiday cheer. It was about recouping wedding costs. After spending months talking about her extravagant destination wedding (complete with a cash donation option instead of a registry), she arrived at the party ready to stake her claim on the biggest prizes.

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    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.

  • When the raffle kicked off, this bridezilla had already mentally staked her claim on the most coveted prizes, including two big-screen TVs, an espresso machine, expensive speakers, and more. She had already prepped all of her coworkers with some sob story about how the gifts they received from their wedding was barely enough to furnish their apartment. PSA: your wedding guests are not supposed to furnish your entire place, especially if you have two apartments, like this bride. 

    But heaven forbid when another employee won one of the items she had her eye on. What followed was a serious case of entitlement, strategic trades, and sheer determination to leave with as many top-tier prizes as possible. And she did not leave empty-handed. Keep scrolling for the full story of some seriously questionable party manners.

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    r/weddingshaming • 2 Supe_scienceskilz Newly married coworker uses company holiday party to swindle wedding gifts
    via u/Supe_scienceskilz
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    Background: One of coworkers had a rather lavish destination wedding over the summer. She spent months talking about the arrangements for the affair (somehow she worked it into every conversation). Three weeks
    via u/Supe_scienceskilz
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    before her wedding, the women in her department had a small bridal luncheon at work and her boss invited everyone to an after work party as well. For those of unable to attend, there was an option to make a cash donation since she did not have a wedding registry (hmm!)
    via u/Supe_scienceskilz
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    The company sent out an email stating that the annual holiday party would be the best ever held with real prizes and the guarantee that every person leaves with a prize from the raffle. Prizes included two televisions, $400 cake mixer, nice bedding and a number of gift
    via u/Supe_scienceskilz
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    cards from$50 to $250. Skip ahead to last Thursday evening. During the cocktail hour, she goes around with this sob story about how she wished she had gone with a registry because the amount of money received was nowhere near enough to cover most costs and furnish their dual apartments (in 2 different states).
    via u/Supe_scienceskilz
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    Come raffle time, she has staked out her favorite gifts and was determined to leave with them. I had the unfortunate luck of winning one of her coveted prizes and thus ended up on the hit list. I have been to some crazy work holiday parties. But I have
    via u/Supe_scienceskilz
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    never attended one where an entitled bride stalked others and myself for raffle prizes. What happened to manners? 1/3 of us barely know and 2/3 have no clue who you are. You are a name in a directory of a few hundred people.
    via u/Supe_scienceskilz
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    EDIT I tried to keep the original post short. But others suggested I put some information here. The coveted prizes were 2 large screen Roku televisions (65 and 48 inches), a high quality expresso machine, kitchenaid cake mixer, and Bose tv speaker.
    via u/Supe_scienceskilz
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    Next level prizes were wireless earbuds, some products from Brookstone, a nice air purifier, and a mini fridge. I won the 48" tv and she won a back massager that she traded for a charcuterie board set from Crate and Barrel that according to my husband probably cost more than the TV. She managed to leave with two other gifts.
    via u/Supe_scienceskilz
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    Supe_scienceskilz OP • 1d ago Her 'work' bridal lunch was held in one of the cafeterias. There was flowers and a cake. I did not attend. The after work affair was held at restaurant close by. Her boss put the meal on her corporate card. A card was sent around with a note specifying that said coworker was not
    via u/Supe_scienceskilz
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    registered anywhere but a cash donation could be made as a wedding gift. I've been there 7.5 years and several of my coworkers have gotten married (I got married 3 years ago). I didn't announce it, send out a link to my registry, and no cafeteria party. Most people found out
    via u/Supe_scienceskilz
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    about the wedding when I returned from my short honeymoon or noticed that my name changed in my signature. I had zero expectations. Maybe it was the way I was raised (and how I raised my own), but I would not go around a work function saying I need this and this for my residences. "Hey would you give me your gift?" It's a raffle. You take your chances.
    via u/Supe_scienceskilz
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    Amazing_Reality2980 Top 1% Commenter • 1d ago • I've never worked for a company that got involved in a wedding. shower like that with the expectation of all the employees going. I mean, I've gone to wedding and baby showers for coworkers, but it was not usually on company time and only the people they directly worked with
    via u/Amazing_Reality2980
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    were invited. And nobody was expected to go or to buy gifts. Honestly, though her behavior was awful, that whole fiasco was more on the company and the boss. And they should never have allowed her behavior. HR should have gotten involved and put a stop to it.
    via u/Amazing_Reality2980
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    Few_Durian_9795 • 1d ago Imagine how terrible she'll be if they decide to have a child. Baby shower, inflexible schedule for obligations, all the times her kid is sick - you all will definitely be carrying her workload.
    via u/Few_Durian_9795
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    Drix22 • 1d ago You can report her to HR, this is wildly inappropriate. When I got married I didn't get sh from the office, and I asked my team if they wanted invitations before sending them out to avoid any kind of harassment.
    via u/Drix22
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    Ok_Stable7501 • 1d ago HR. Stat. NTA
    via u/Ok_Stable7501
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    morgen28 • 1d ago 10 bucks says that when you're company has a chip-in for someone else in the future (wedding, baby shower etc) that she will pitch in squat. Greedy people like her are all the same.
    via u/morgen28
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    Ok_Day_8559 18h ago • I was one of the lucky ones when my company USED to have holiday parties. I heard them call my name and I was clapping saying, "Oh Wow, someone has my very unique name" so I'm looking around for them and my friend says "stupid, that's you". I won a XBox. So exciting to win.
    via u/Ok_Day_8559

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terrible coworkers christmas gift exchange bride work coworkers Office wedding entitled Holiday party karen holidays entitled people
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