20+ Couples whose weddings didn't go as planned: 'My cousin's wedding was "Bring your own food"'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Mar 27, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

If you were invited to a wedding where you had to "bring your own food," would you still go? 

Yes, that's right: one person's wedding was memorable for all the wrong reasons. They decided to ask their guests to bring their own food, and I just don't see how that could go well. Are you telling me guests would be showing up with armfuls of Tupperware or plastic baggies full of sandwiches? They'd probably need somewhere to refrigerate that food. Other people might interpret this as an invitation to bring fast food or restaurant take-out dishes, so now the wedding would smell like burgers or chicken wings. There would probably be some people who just wouldn't bring any food, and would then be hungry for the whole night. If you can't afford to feed your guests, you'd better have a pretty short wedding so that your guests aren't famished. 

These people shared a bunch of wedding mishaps, from light faux pas to relationship-ending debacles. Some couples were stopped by weather that just kept getting worse and worse until it basically destroyed their wedding tent. Other people were so delayed to their own wedding ceremonies that the event started hours later than anticipated. Check out a bunch of wild stories below from couples who had more than their fair share of wedding-day woes. 

Next, read about the person who "uno-reversed a malicious compliance" with an entitled customer who paid a $250 fine with quarters. 

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  • 01
    'Their wedding was in the middle of August in the sweltering heat. In the middle of the woods. Mosquitoes as far as the eye can see'
    via A. C. For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02

    "Did you ever attend a wedding that was a complete disaster? What happened?"

    km... Recently attended a wedding this past September. Bride and groom have been together for 11 years, high school sweethearts, could not possibly be more excited to marry each other. Ceremony went great, quick, emotional, everyone cried. They used the same venue for both the ceremony and reception, and the bridal
    via u/kmp514
  • 03
    party were taking pictures when my boyfriend (who was in the wedding) asked if I could bring him out a drink. As soon as I got out there all the groomsmen were standing around while the bridesmaids and groom were flocked in a circle around the bride. She was sick to the point where she couldn't stand and had to be helped into the reception. This came out of NOWHERE.
    via u/kmp514
  • 04
    So they came in a did their first dance, danced with their parents, served dinner, and made an annoucement that they were going to the hospital. They missed their entire reception. The wedding continued on well into the night (because that's what they wanted) and as we were getting ready to leave
    via u/kmp514
  • 05
    we ran into them coming back to the hotel. Turns out it was a kidney stone. Not so much a disaster but....Just....after 11 years and all the days for that to happen...what bad luck.
    via u/kmp514
  • 06

    What a disaster... you never want to have hungry, bored guests waiting around

    siz... The hotel brought the wrong main meal during the reception, and rather than just shrug it off and get compensation later, the bride insisted they cook the whole thing from scratch. For 100 people. This essentially brings the reception to an end as now all the guests have to wait an extra 2-3 hours to get
    via u/size_matters_not
  • 07
    dinner, pushing back the speeches to the end of the night. The evening guests waited in the bar all night, then went home without ever seeing the happy couple. There was no time for dancing. That marriage didn't last.
    via u/size_matters_not
  • 08
    fea... Not a complete disaster...but the bride's mom wore what was basically a wedding dress & insisted on walking her daughter up the aisle with her father (they were divorced). There was not enough room for all three people to walk comfortably.
    via u/fearlessandinventive
  • 09
    After the wedding, we found out that the photographer had become enamored with the MOH & at least 50% of the pictures he took were of her & there were zero portraits of just the bride & groom.
    via u/fearlessandinventive
  • 10
    BVsaPike The priest during the ceremony kept calling the bride "Elizabeth" despite her name being Kristin. The bride and the maid of honor tried to correct him but he was so old and hard of hearing that he just kept continuing calling her the wrong name. This wedding also had that parents of the groom show up halfway through the ceremony.
    via u/BVsaPike
  • 11
    au... My cousin's was a SHSHOW. To be fair, we all knew it was going to be something because his girlfriend (now wife) is completely psychotic. Anyway, their wedding was in the middle of August in the sweltering heat. In the middle of the woods.
    via u/aud7
  • 12
    Mosquitoes as far as the eye can see. Most people didn't have a place to sit and those that did, had a nice splinter- filled wooden table. Like you'd set up for camping. Their toddler was screaming throughout the entire "ceremony". She (the bride, not the toddler - edited for clarity) was 9 months. pregnant, cursing the entire time how hot it was (NO SH ). She smacked her dad
    via u/aud7
  • 13
    as they walked down the aisle because he stepped on her toe. My brother's job was to walk up two goldfish to put into fish bowls as a "sign of partnership" or whatever the fl meant. Except one of the fish were de d. So he dropped in one live fish and one de d fish. Need I say more?
    via u/aud7
  • 14
    pa... I supposed any wedding where the bride and groom successfully get married can't be considered a COMPLETE disaster, but this one came pretty close. A couple friends of mine had already been JOP (Justice of the Peace) married but wanted to have a nice reception with all the trimmings. I started to have a bad feeling about it when
    via u/patentspatented
  • 15
    the bride insisted that this January wedding in Virginia should take place outside under canopies. "But January is cold," I told her, and she said "we will have space heaters though." The tents she wanted were canopies without sides, so essentially she intended to heat the entire Earth with space heaters?
    via u/patentspatented
  • 16
    Well the date came around and it wound up being one of the big storms (that struck 6~ years ago, not this most recent one) -- Snowpocalypse or Snowmageddon, I can't remember. I was not able to attend the wedding because I couldn't make the trip in the snow, but according to what I saw on Facebook, one of the outdoor tents collapsed in the snow and
    via u/patentspatented
  • 17
    the other had to be taken down as it started to blow away. The wedding and reception were instead held inside the house whose yard they were originally intending to use, which was the groom's aunt's hoarder house.
    via u/patentspatented
  • 18
    So the bride in her beautiful gown was photographed standing in front of a stack of boxes filled with trash. Those are her wedding pictures. I felt bad.
    via u/patentspatented
  • 19
    Ka... My second cousin got married in Vermont in the spring time and the weather report called for "chance of showers." As a result, they rented a huge, circus-sized tent to put up covering the entire meadow they were going to have the reception in. It easily covered all 80 attendees and tables and chairs. It was massive. The meadow was also next to a
    via u/Kahzgul
  • 20
    pond, which will come into play a little later. There ceremony beforehand was in a church about two miles away. The bride arrived via motorcycle as her dad was in the local Harley Davidson club. During the ceremony at the church, it started to rain outside. Just a drizzle, no big deal. The bride and groom hopped on to the backs of their motorcycle
    via u/Kahzgul
  • 21
    escorts' harley's and rode off to the reception venue. About a minute after they started off, the light drizzle turned into full on tropical storm winds with sleet and hail. They did not turn back, but rode through the storm to the venue. When the rest of us arrived, we found quite a scene. The tent had come off of its moorings. The groom and groomsmen all had their shirts off and were wrestling the tent back into
    via u/Kahzgul
  • 22
    place. The bride was completely soaked through her white dress and was covered in all of the groomsmen's jackets while she waited for her change of clothes to arrive (she was actually very calm and cool the whole time, even laughed it up a bit - she's a pretty rad chick). The wind was blowing so much that the pond had two foot
    via u/Kahzgul
  • 23
    waves crashing over it's edge and splashing one of the tables near the bridesmaids. The rest of the guests and I all ran up to help with the tent, and just as we were getting it back in place, the wind gusted in the opposite. direction and literally blew one of the bridesmaids into the pond.
    via u/Kahzgul
  • 24
    So things did not go as planned. The bride and groom, however, remained jovial the entire time; they were terrific and never stopped smiling. The wind di d down about 20 minutes later and we were able to have the reception, with the only downside being that there was about an inch of water throughout the meadow for a while.
    via u/Kahzgul
  • 25
    Everyone got drenched but we all had a good time, and two beautiful people got married.
    via u/Kahzgul
  • 26

    This one is extra egregious

    galwaygirl3 My cousin's wedding was BYOF... BRING YOUR OWN FOOD and the wedding cake was a slab cake from a grocery store. I should also note my sister is a chef and offered to provide food, desserts, etc.
    via u/galwaygirl3

    One of the best (and most memorable) parts of going to a wedding is eating some delicious food. Asking guests to bring their own is just kind of sad. Even a pot-luck-style wedding feels like it's asking too much of your guests. After all, they're already buying you a gift, wearing an expensive outfit, and taking time from their weekend to celebrate you. The least you can do is feed them. 

  • 27

    How bad could the weather possibly get? Just you wait and see...

    MadLintElf Elaborate outdoor ceremony, they had tents. set up and a string quartet playing. Just as the bride and groom reach the altar dark clouds start rolling in with distant booms of thunder. We were in huge tents, about 200 people so we felt safe, then as they were about to take their vows it
    via u/MadLintElf
  • 28
    started hailing golfball sized hail. For the most part they bounced off the tents, but the downpour was so heavy and the winds so strong that you couldn't hear a word they said. The lawn turned into a slippery mud pit, the dance floor was floating away. As they got to the I do part lightning hit nearby and everyone's ears were ringing. Part of the tent
    via u/MadLintElf
  • 29
    collapsed and everyone ran for the main house or their vehicles. They finished up the vows in the main hallway, and the marriage lasted 6 months. I think someone was trying to tell them something and they wouldn't listen.
    via u/MadLintElf
  • 30
    wjbc I have four: • The bride's father was sick but attended the rehearsal dinner anyway. He was well for the wedding, but everyone else in the wedding party was sick, they cut out all the music and everyone washed very well after congratulating the
    via u/wjbc
  • 31
    bride and groom, who could barely stand, we all felt awful for them. • The wedding was held in a chapel at the top of a skyscraper, nice view. The problem is that the building engineer wasn't told about it, and didn't turn on the air conditioning. It was 95 degrees outside and must have been 120 degrees inside, just like a sauna.
    via u/wjbc
  • 32
    • The wedding was held outside on the shores of Lake Erie in June. Unfortunately, the weather turned foul and there were 50 mile per hour gusts off the lake and rain, they had a tent but the rain was coming in horizontally.
    via u/wjbc
  • 33
    • The groom backed out at the last minute, an hour before the wedding. Much drama, wedding and reception canceled. The couple didn't return any presents, had a private wedding six months later.
    via u/wjbc
  • 34
    Cheezburger Image 10486650880
    via A. C. For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 35
    CripzyChiken After dating for 4 weeks and another 4 weeks of being engaged, girl from my high school decides that long enough for the wedding. Emails out invites on Tuesday for the Sunday wedding - in her mother's 'backyard' which is actually the common area for the trailer park.
    via u/CripzyChiken
  • 36
    great start, let's go! Starts at 12pm on Sunday (to be finished before the football game starts). No chairs for the guests to sit on. Ceremony takes about 45minutes as each the bride and groom reads 3 different sets of vows/poems/inspirational thoughts they found on google. Groom is in camo and jeans, bride wear a traditional white - tshirt that wasn't even stained!
    via u/CripzyChiken
  • 37
    For the 'reception' that only had 15 minutes left before football started - delivery pizza (4 pies), super market fried chicken wings (2 boxes of 20 each), and 3 bags of chips. There were close to 40 people there. No silverware, plates, napkins, drinks (but one guy was selling pretty moons }). good
    via u/CripzyChiken
  • 38
    Come 1pm, the dad of bride comes yelling for people to leave so he can focus on the game. I wanted to stay around, figured a pig wrestling match or something was up next, but everyone else left so I went to get lunch.
    via u/CripzyChiken
  • 39
    Couple 'divorced' less than 3 months later. I use quotes, b/c apparently they never realized you had to file for a marriage license - the state just magically knew.
    via u/CripzyChiken
  • 40
    [deleted] I went to a wedding where the groom had dated the same girl for like six years (and we all loved her), they broke up, and he married his jump-off piece like six months later. When people got the invite, they glanced at it and assumed he was marrying the long-term girlfriend, got to the chapel and were like "who the f is this?"
    via u/[deleted]
  • 41
    It was an insanely expensive wedding with probably 200 people but basically not everyone was treated the same I found out at the - reception that only some people were given +1s. I wasn't one of them, so my then-fiance had to stay at home while I went to this wedding where I knew absolutely no one. (I was okay with it because I thought it was a small
    via u/[deleted]
  • 42
    wedding but then I got there and started talking to people and we realized some folks were allowed to bring dates. and others weren't. Awkward.)
    via u/[deleted]
  • 43
    Just to top it off, they did the whole "take pictures between the ceremony and the reception" thing, which is fine, except it took FOUR HOURS and they didn't serve any food until the wedding party arrived. They were split within a year or two anyway. Good people, don't get me wrong, but holy sh that was a bad wedding.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 44
    chambow Groom stands up at the post-wedding dinner. "Can any one with a red-sticker on their name-tag please stand up" 7 guys rise from their chairs. Groom says "I would like to thank all 7 of you for Alice for the last 6 months. My lawyer here will void the marriage. Bye for now." Then he walks out. Actually that was amazing!
    via u/chambow
  • 45
    Cheezburger Image 10486652672
    via Wesley Tingey on Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 46
    FreckleConstellati... Posted this about a year ago to a similar question. It applies, so I figured I'd share again. My cousin got married in an Eastern Kentucky small town (more of a holler, really). It was at least an hour drive from any hotels. Their wedding was in late June. In the middle of a field. In full sun. His wife "designed" the
    via u/FreckleConstellation
  • 47
    flowers and decorations, which amounted to some really sad looking shade plants wilting in the sun, still in their plastic pots with hooks attached, just sitting in the aisle. It was above 90 degrees out, and they were forty five minutes late starting the ceremony. While we were sitting there, cooking in the sun, sweating through our nice clothes, they provided
    via u/FreckleConstellation
  • 48
    bottled water to help us cool down. But no one brought ice. The bottles were stored, warm, with no ice, in bright orange 20 gallon buckets with rope handles. Which were placed on either side of the aisle. They did not do any kind of insect treatment to this field before the event. Mosquitoes and chiggers. Everywhere.
    via u/FreckleConstellation
  • 49
    The reception was held in the middle school cafeteria just down the road. They reused the prom decorations for their reception. Because in this holler, apparently the high school prom happens in the middle school cafeteria. It smelled like old macaroni and cheese. The provided meal was quartered squares of bologna and ham sandwiches on wonderbread
    via u/FreckleConstellation
  • 50
    with a spread of condiments. The wedding cake was a sheet cake from Wal-Mart with the Broncos logo on it. I should specify at this point that money was not an issue. They had a fairly large budget. They just thought this was good.
    via u/FreckleConstellation
  • 51
    mrkmpa This was a bad one that I remember. Military guy and non military girl getting married. Guy invites all his buddies from the service, CO was there, lots of dress uniforms in the house. Time to cut the cake and do the part where you smash cake into each others face. Girls takes the piece and rakes the cake over the guys left
    via u/mrkmpa
  • 52
    chest and smears all his ribbons. Couldnt believe what happened. Most of the dress military folks just left. The wife to be thought it was hilarious. Guy was embarrassed as f Marriage didnt last.
    via u/mrkmpa
  • 53
    Cheezburger Image 10486651904
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 54
    suitology I voulonteered at a hospital and they rented out the one hall for a weding. I was in the kitchen that day as they needed people to carry heavy things. The bride was very excentric and was being a bit of a bridezilla. she wanted over 200 candles on the front table. We approved 50. anyway she got her way and has what looks to be a bonfire in
    via u/suitology
  • 55
    the middle of the room with that many candles on such a small table. The groom took his spot and she came walking in. she clipped the table sending hot wax and fire to the floor. We tried to play it off by quickly throwing a rug over it but it burned threw and we had to make a scene with a fire extinguisher. she keeps walking and on the alter someone points out her dress is smoldering. the
    via u/suitology
  • 56
    groom pats it out and says. something along the lines of "told you you're smoking hot" I laughed as well as did other people. she did not. The ceremony was canceled and pushed to another day at another venue and she attempted to not pay the hospital for the wasted food and staff. She also blamed us for the fire. I feel bad for that poor groom.
    via u/suitology
  • 57
    The_Imp I've posted this before, but here we go. We had a fair number of unexpected surprises at my wedding. On the day of the wedding, we had the following "adventures": •I forgot the carefully made up wedding programs and the bubbles at the hotel. My brother's girlfriend at the time (now wife) and my
    via u/The_Imp
  • 58
    cousin went to the hotel to retrieve them. They got lost and caught in bad traffic and didn't make it back until the ceremony was over. •There was a mix up with the rings, and we almost didn't have them in hand by the time the priest called for them. (They were in my wife's mom's purse at the back of the church. - Thankfully we noticed in time and my sister got them
    via u/The_Imp
  • 59
    during the ceremony and handed them to the best man about 2 minutes before the priest asked for the rings.) •Between the wedding and reception, my wife got grease from the door of the antique rolls on her dress as we were getting out for pictures.
    via u/The_Imp
  • 60
    •My wife had an allergic reaction to the shrimp during the reception, and broke out in hives all over her face. We had a couple doctors in the place, so we got a some benadryl and an epipen for the honeymoon. •In an effort to maximize honeymoon time (I was in the middle of my 3L year in law school), we got a 6:00 am international flight to Cancun the day after our
    via u/The_Imp
  • 61
    reception that ended at 12:00. That meant we had to be there at least 2 hours early and the airport was about an hour from home. We got less than 2 hours of sleep that night:) It was not the rainy season, but it rained every day but the day we got there and the day we left. And through all this, my wife smiled and was positive and still views it as a perfect day.
    via u/The_Imp
  • 62
    She will literally say to me: "remember how perfect it was?" Even when she was sitting in the bridal suite covered in hives from the shrimp, she just didn't want people to fuss with her, she just wanted to go back out there and have fun and dance. As an aside, she had never really reacted that way to shrimp before. It has only
    via u/The_Imp
  • 63
    happened a couple times. since. The allergist tested her negative for shellfish allergies, but said some things trigger allergies you don't normally have, like stress or vigorous activities such as running or dancing).
    via u/The_Imp
  • 64
    We have since noticed that if she does any type of active physical activity after eating shrimp, she will get hives. If she eats shrimp, she is ok. if she eats shrimp and then goes for a jog, she will have a reaction.
    via u/The_Imp

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