Weird wedding vendors turn bride's evening into a disaster by hiding in bushes to intrude on couple's first look and closing up early without warning: 'I can't imagine what kind of person deliberately ruins a client's wedding day'

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Ely Bulnes • Writer and Editor
Sep 25, 2025 2:00 PM EDT

Weddings can truly bring out the absolute worst in people. It's supposed to be one of the happiest days of your life, but anyone who has had to pla one knows that somehow, somewhere along the way, there will be some drama. There is always a guest who oversteps, a relative with unsolicited opinions, or a parent that tries to live out their own unrealized wedding dreams through their kids. 

The place where you least expect this sort of thing is from the vendors. Most couples expect the professionals they hire to make their day easier, not harder. Unforunately, that's not always the case. I'm still a month away from my own wedding, but my first wedding planner gave me unforseen amounts of stress by refusing to stick to the wedding budget that we agreed upon. She also kept imposing her own decoration vision upon me instead of listening to what I requested. 

Similarly, one couple found themselves battling not rowdy guests or flaky friends, but the actual venue owners themselves. What should have been a smooth micro-wedding with 25 guests turned into a weird tug-of-war with two owners who couldn't decide whether they were vendors, critics, or uninvited guests. From giving their unsolicited two cents on the decorations to barging in on the couple's first look, they inserted themselves whenever they could and turned the special day into a stressful one. 

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  • 01

    Never imagined the biggest drama at my wedding would be the venue owners...

    Disappointed bride sitting at a table with her head resting in her hands
    via tomazl from Getty Images Signature

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    Hi All, We recently had our wedding at a venue close to a lake where 4 people were supposed to "work" for 25 guests - 2 of them being the actual owners who are distant acquaintances of ours.
    via u/csulkoslangos
  • 03
    They acted like guests the whole time, not like vendors. From the start they interfered with the décor, criticized that we wanted to have the welcome drinks and
    via u/csulkoslangos
  • 04
    snacks on the terrace ("flies will get into the snacks, it has to be inside"), and when we asked them to help with setup, we had
    via u/csulkoslangos
  • 05
    to ask multiple times. If they didn't like something, they'd make comments, complain, or just pull faces (e.g. at our wedding welcome sign).
    via u/csulkoslangos
  • 06
    Whenever we expressed our wishes, they either ignored us or got offended. They were very manipulative.
    via u/csulkoslangos
  • 07
    When we arranged the first look with our photographers (without telling them on purpose, so they wouldn't intrude), they literally barged in saying "here comes the
    via u/csulkoslangos
  • 08
    big moment." My maid of honor asked them to leave, and they HID in the bushes to watch. Yes, the 50-year-old owner hiding in a bush... After being asked again,
    via u/csulkoslangos

  • This is literally so creepy. Even if the vendors are acquaintances, the first look is supposed to be an intimate moment, not for random guests' eyes!

  • 09
    Woman peaking out from behind a bush
    via Israel Torres from Pexels

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 10
    they finally left, but later loudly said that since they're the owners, they have the right to be
    via u/csulkoslangos
  • 11
    there. (I actually asked one of them if they also planned to join our wedding night, since technically we were staying in a guest room owned by them...)
    via u/csulkoslangos
  • 12
    They sat among our guests, so often there was nobody at the bar to ask for a drink. Behind our backs, they made snide comments to our guests about us
    via u/csulkoslangos
  • 13
    - for example, about how "irresponsible" we were to have food served outside. And yet, when it came to leftovers, they wanted to just lock the cooked food in a room without
    via u/csulkoslangos
  • 14
    refrigeration. My husband had to tell them twice to put it in the fridge, and they even tried to argue against that.
    via u/csulkoslangos
  • 15
    A table of wedding desserts and snacks
    via I am the author of all products in my portfolio from Getty Images

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 16
    Around midnight they turned off the music and closed the bar without saying a word - even though beforehand they promised to stay as long as
    via u/csulkoslangos
  • 17
    needed. Nobody told them they weren't needed. At that point, my husband and I confronted them, saying how horrible their behavior was. Instead of
    via u/csulkoslangos
  • 18
    apologizing, they got offended again, saying "no one hurt them like this before." One of them even sais that her 4,5-year-old child didn't see her today
    via u/csulkoslangos
  • 19
    because of us........ We slept at the venue, the next day they barely said a word to us except when it came to taking our money.
    via u/csulkoslangos
  • 20
    It's honestly hard to process, because I can't imagine what kind of person deliberately ruins a paying client's wedding day.
    via u/csulkoslangos
  • 21
    And considering they were distant acquaintances, we would have expected them to behave even more respectfully. It was a beautiful day thanks to our
    via u/csulkoslangos
  • 22
    friends (one of them even took a cat home from the woods lol) - but the owners did everything they could to cast a shadow over it.
    via u/csulkoslangos

  • Who knows, maybe they are weird with all of their clients. Their behavior is so totally bizarre!

  • 23
    Barfignugen This might be a dumb question, but were you paying them to work and was that clearly agreed upon/ in writing before the day of? Because if not, I can see where the lines blurred. If so, then yeah this is insane behavior!!
    via u/Barfignugen
  • 24
    csulkoslangos OP Of course, we were paying them full price.
    via u/csulkoslangos
  • 25
    A beautiful wedding venue
    via Amar Preciado from Pexels

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 26
    cakivalue The phrase "Familiarity breeds contempt" was created with these people in mind. Their lack of respect for you and your spouse, the lack of boundaries
    via u/cakivalue
  • 27
    and lack of professionalism is simply mind boggling and egregious. For me, this association would be over. To be hired for money to provide a
    via u/cakivalue
  • 28
    service then instead of doing that very well and ensuring your day was a smooth and easy success, they decided to center
    via u/cakivalue
  • 29
    themselves in every single aspect of your wedding day. It's so icky and I'm so sorry you went through this.
    via u/cakivalue
  • 30
    Many happy congratulations on your marriage, wishing you both a lifetime of happiness
    via u/cakivalue
  • 31
    selftaughtgenius Even if that's the case, they still acted like complete weirdos and it sounds like they didn't entirely hold up their end of the "bargain".
    via u/selftaughtgenius
  • 32
    Pamperme-Daddy That's exactly the point.... Even if there was a discount or it was framed as a "favor," the bare minimum should've been professionalism and respect....
    via u/Pamperme-Daddy
  • 33
    Charging less doesn't give them the right to interfere, criticize, or ruin important moments. If anything, being acquaintances should've meant more care, not less....
    via u/Pamperme-Daddy
  • 34
    At the end of the day, OP was still paying ..contract or not, it was a service... Money can't buy manners, but the lack of professionalism here was pretty obvious....
    via u/Pamperme-Daddy

Tags

customer service bride groom wedding party AITAH wedding drama relationships venue wedding couples family relationship drama service industry
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