Latest news with #weddingguests
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bride and Groom Charge Their Wedding Guests for Water at Sweltering Hot Outdoor Wedding
A guest, who shared the story on Reddit, said they were "drowning in my own sweat" after sitting in the sun for the ceremonyNEED TO KNOW A bride and groom charged their wedding guests for water at their wedding, which was held outdoors on a hot and humid day One of their guests, who shared the story on Reddit, said they were "drowning in my own sweat" after sitting in the sun for the ceremony The guest also griped that they got sick from the buffet food at the receptionA bride and groom tied the knot in an outdoor ceremony on a sweltering hot day — and their thirsty guests were forced to pay for their own water. One of the guests detailed what they described as the "disaster of a wedding" in a post on Reddit's "Wedding Shaming" forum. They wrote that the event was "a mess" from "start to not-even-finish" because they ultimately ended up bailing and leaving early. "It was an outdoor wedding on a humid 95° and sunny afternoon (thought it was indoor because I looked up the venue)," the OP (original poster) wrote, describing how guests — who were given little information about the event setup — differed in their approaches to dressing for the occasion. "People were in shorts, tees, and slip-ons, and others were in floor-length gowns. One lady was in a full white dress," they noted. After sitting in the sun for the ceremony, the OP said they were "drowning in my own sweat" by the time the cocktail hour began. "All I want is water," they recalled. However, when it was the OP's turn in line at the bar, they were disappointed — and taken aback — to discover that there were "no free beverages — not even water." The bar staff said a water would cost $2 — and only cash would be accepted. Things went from bad to worse during the dinner when the OP went up to the buffet and saw that the food was "homemade" and attracting flies. "There's flies ALL OVER the food. Seriously, all up in the food," the Redditor claimed. "I take the smallest amount possible to be polite. I was so hungry and desperate that I did take a few bites. Within hours, I was creating jobs for local plumbers," they continued, seeming to imply they got sick after eating the buffet food. As for the dessert, the OP said guests were left to eat it without plates, forks or napkins because the buffet equipment had been cleared. "So I watched as people walked around holding dessert in their hands," they wrote. The unfortunate series of events culminated during the speeches, when the groom got into a fight with a relative that "got taken to the lawn," according to the OP. Needless to say, the OP took that occasion to "slip out" and go home. "I truly don't feel like this was real life. Like this had to be a practical joke, right??" they concluded their post, adding, "I may politely decline invitations I have no information about moving forward." In the comments, many readers were shocked by the OP's story, particularly the lack of free water. "Yikes. I'm glad no one got dehydrated and passed out or worse. I'm both glad and amazed," one person wrote. Another wrote, "How could they subject their guests to an outdoor wedding in the heat & humidity & not provide any free water? There should've been beverage dispensers placed throughout the venue so nobody would have to wait in line for a drink of water." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "I don't care how small your budget is, those are details that should not have been overlooked," the same commenter continued. "People could've gotten heat stroke or food poisoning. I wouldn't want that to be the memory of my wedding day." Attempting to make light of the OP's bleak wedding experience, another reader joked, "This wasn't a wedding. It was a survival challenge." Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
People Are Calling Out The "Rudest" Things You Should Never, EVER Do At A Wedding, And I Hope You're Not Guilty Of These
We recently asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us the "normal" things wedding guests do that are actually rude, and you miiight want to take notes. Here are the eye-opening results: 1."Have the courtesy to RSVP. If people send paper invitations, they come with a SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED RSVP. There is literally no excuse for you not to send it back. Also: 1) Don't say yes and then not show up (outside of the rare occasion when something outside of your control happens to prevent you from attending)." "AND 2) Don't say no or not respond at all and then show up expecting to have a seat and eat for free." —mishybp73 2."Bringing your kid to a child-free wedding, thinking that somehow your circumstances or your child's excellent behavior will make you an exception to that rule. This isn't your day; it's the couple's. Your little angel may be your universe, but the actual universe will not stop if your child doesn't go to a wedding they aren't wanted at to begin with." "It's hugely disrespectful to the couple to disregard their wishes, hugely disrespectful to the other adults who may have wanted a peaceful getaway from their kids, and makes you look entitled to be the only one there with a kid running around when everyone else listened and left theirs at home." —misaamaneyagami 3."Getting plastered at the reception. Just because it's an open bar doesn't mean you have to drink your weight in vodka. Have some cocktails and enjoy yourself, but have some self-control." —mishybp73 4."Getting a gift that isn't on the registry. There are some exceptions, but unless you know the couple INCREDIBLY well, it's best to stick with what they requested. I'm speaking from personal experience here. Many people who attended my wedding/showers know that I love to cook and bake, so I was overwhelmed with kitchen gadgets I didn't ask I already had them!" —stephaniep461d11578 5."I HATE when everybody takes out their phone as the bride walks down the aisle. First of all, what will you do with that picture? Post it on socials before the bride gets to do it? Your arm/phone is probably in somebody else's face while you're trying to get a pic, and the bride gets to look at a sea of cellphones on what should be the most special walk she ever takes. Just be in the moment for once, damn." —Anonymous, 35, Indiana "I think having your phones out to take videos and pictures during the wedding ceremony is rude. There are usually designated photographers, and the couple usually doesn't want random guests taking crappy photos of them during the most important part of their wedding. And it just seems like those people aren't being present for the actual vows because their heads are stuck in their phones — and blocking other people's view." —Anonymous 6."Asking the couple when they're having a baby. And not asking if they're having a baby. So instead of, 'Do you think you guys want kids?' It's, 'So, when are you guys going to have kids?' It's slight, but it always annoyed me. My wife and I have been getting that question for years, especially on our wedding day. We're very happily kid-free." —flyerboy6 7."Leaving before the couple. I know it's late, and you're tired, but you agreed to share their special day with them. No couple wants to walk out and see half the party is gone!" —Anonymous, 25, Texas 8."Not adhering to the dress code. If it says cocktail attire, don't wear shorts or sweats. Women should NEVER wear white, unless it's specified that it's OK. If the invite says pastels, wear them. If you are expected to wear something out of your comfort zone, and you're uncomfortable, don't go." —Anonymous, 56, California 9."Dragging people onto the dance floor. What can be seen as encouraging by some can feel like a lot of pressure that can be very uncomfortable. If you have an injury, upset stomach, or aren't in the headspace to dance, having five people trying to cajole you onto the floor at the same time can seem intimidating. Some folks aren't interested in dancing, and making them get on the floor when they don't want to or can't is really rude. Let them enjoy watching the dancing from their seat!" —Anonymous, 30, Washington 10."Trust me, nobody wants to hear your seven-minute speech about how drunk the groom got in college, or how you and the bride cried over ice cream after breakups in the past. The speech should be 45 seconds to a minute tops. Honestly, speeches are drawn out and almost always about the speech giver rather than toasting the couple." "Also, you most definitely don't need to bring your emotional support dog to a wedding." —Anonymous, 38 11."Sneaking their own alcohol into the venue. Not cool." —Anonymous 12."Proposing at a wedding is the most selfish and tacky thing you can do. You are not only taking away the focus from the couple getting married, but you are using all the hard work they put into making their day special to make your own moment special. There are 364 other days of the year. Put in a little effort, and make one of those days special for you instead of stealing someone else's." —catsarebetterthanpeople21 "It's also not okay to ask permission to do it. The bride and groom have enough going on without worrying about hurting feelings for saying no or saying it's okay when they really think it isn't." —mishybp73 13."Wedding planner here. Moving floral/decor!!! Putting aside the creative aspect that we spend working on with clients, you risk breaking something. A guest won't care, but that expense will be passed onto the couple, not to mention the potential mess that could also be caused." —Anonymous, 35, Washington, D.C. 14."Showing up several days early and expecting pre-wedding events specifically for them. My husband and I had out-of-town guests come five days before the actual wedding (they were notified of the dates for the wedding multiple times) who were upset to find out that we didn't have brunches and dinners and other events set up for them." "I understand that sometimes travel can be tricky, but if you are planning to arrive early, understand that the burden is on you to entertain yourself before official wedding activities." —Anonymous, 32, USA 15."[Making entitled requests.] Our church is very large, and we also have an even larger room for parties, so we rent the sanctuary and party room frequently for weddings. My daughter and I supervise during these rental events. We go out of our way to accommodate almost anything the couple and their families want. The guests are another problem altogether! During these rental events, we have had guests make strange requests." "For example: 'Where is the church nursery so I can drop off my children?' Answer: 'Ma'am, the nursery has not been rented for this event.' 'Where are the rest of the bathrooms?' Answer: 'We have ten stalls altogether in the building. The line should shorten as we get closer to the ceremony.' 'We will be requiring a wheelchair for Uncle Bob.' Answer: 'I'm sorry, we don't have a wheelchair on the premises.' (We do have one now.). 'Where is the bar?' Answer: 'This is a church, sir, even the communion wine is Welch's grape juice.' And finally, 'Where can I smoke my cigar?' Answer: 'Outside.'" —Anonymous, Indiana 16."When pregnant guests make a huge fuss about the champagne toast. Please just take the glass, raise it high, toast the happy couple, get the group photo, and THEN PLACE IT on a table or gift it to your partner. You audibly fussing, fighting, resisting, opposing, or dramatically waving off the waitstaff while rubbing your belly in protest, is a whole lot of rude, selfish energy." "You likely just had YOUR stagette, YOUR wedding, YOUR baby shower. This moment isn't about you, babe. Just take the damn glass!!!" —Anonymous, 42, Canada And finally... 17."Being late for any reason that isn't related to the function of the wedding. A handful of people always walk in so close to when the bride walks in. People usually expect to see her, but instead, some late people walk in, all bashful. If you're late, just skip the ceremony and catch the reception. Save yourself the awkward entrance and eye rolls." —Anonymous Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity. Honestly, YIKES. What are some other common things wedding guests do that are actually rude? Tell us in the comments, or if you prefer to remain anonymous, you can use the form below. Solve the daily Crossword
The Sun
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Bride mercilessly mocked over ‘diabolical' wedding surprise for husband as they say he must be looking for an annulment
WHEN people share videos of their wedding day, it's often met with praise and swooning over the happy couple. But one bride has been mercilessly mocked after sharing the surprise she had in store for her husband and wedding guests. 2 Alexis Jennings decided to share the surprise on social media, three years after her big day. She wrote over the clip: "That time I performed a dance on my wedding day knowing my religious family would look down on it.'" In the clip, the brunette bride danced to Beyonce 's End of Time while wearing an all-white tracksuit and a black shirt underneath. Her husband, who was mostly out of the shot, could be seen sitting still watching her moves. While she is dancing, children run past the stage and some wedding guests can be seen completely ignoring her. The awkward dance saw her two-step left to right, pretending to march and whipping her hair around. "Debated doing this for so long that by the time I convinced myself to do it, I only had less than two months to learn the choreography," she captioned the post. "DO WHAT YOU WANT ON YOUR WEDDING DAY LADIES. My man loved it. "To further explain, I purposefully wore this covered up outfit and played down the dance moves out of respect for said religious family." But her 'religious family' at the wedding seemingly didn't have much to say about her moves - some members even recorded her and looked excited. I wasn't going to spend thousands on a wedding dress so got an Oh Polly one for £75 - no one would know it wasn't pricey Instead, it was the people in the comments of her TikTok that were quicker to judge the dance. The clip has since gone viral on her TikTok account @ alexojennings with over 14 million views and people didn't hold back with their opinion. One person wrote: "He's googling annulment facts as soon as this clip ends." "That man deserves the world for not laughing," penned a third. Meanwhile a fourth said: "Painful to watch. Hope you had fun though." "The best part is that you didn't have to do this at all,' claimed a fifth Someone else added: "The fact her friends let her go ahead with this tells me she needs better friends." Despite the nasty comments, the bride stuck to her guns over the controversial dance. "Y'all roasting me is killing me, she commented. "The mean comments are only telling me what I already know - you're not gonna hurt my feelings. It's TIKTOK doing its "thang." It's all love." In fact, she was so unbothered by the hate that she posted a second clip of the dance as a response. In this follow-up video, she continued the solo dance to Beyoncé's Upgrade U. Alexis had similar right-to-left movements, something she chalks up to having to 'improvise' due to forgetting the moves.
Daily Mail
05-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Forget toasters… surprising new wedding gift couples want says everything about today's America
Many newlyweds are aware of just how much it costs to buy a home. Stubbornly high mortgage rates, along with soaring home prices and a rocky economy have been preventing thousands of people from purchasing their first home. Add a costly wedding to the mix and you could be starting a life together in debt. No one wants that. Couples are now asking wedding guests to hold the appliances and kitchenware and contribute to the down payment on a house instead. It's no longer taboo to ask for cold hard cash — and couples are turning to their registries to ask for help. Casey and David Gaddy, from Pennsylvania, married last year in Mexico. They politely suggested to guests that if they were going to be giving a gift, would they think instead about contributing to a fund that would go towards helping them buy their first home. The couple was shooting for a $20,000 boost to their savings for a down payment and help with closing costs. 'We got married in Mexico, and it was it was beautiful. The reason that we made that decision was because it would be less expensive than doing a big local wedding,' Casey Gaddy told the Daily Mail. With wedding planning and house hunting happening simultaneously in October 2024, Gaddy says they decided to combine the two financially. 'We originally felt kind of uncomfortable but decided the way we approached it was "we're buying a house and we're getting married so any contribution we would be thankful for,"' he said. 'That was the most stressful time of my life, but the guests contributing helped make it easier. 'From parents and from friends and relatives we landed between $25,000 and $26,000, so that gave us enough to buy our house.' In the end people were relieved to not have to buy something impersonal, he said, and many even told the couple how happy they felt to help them start their married life together. 'It was nice to have them involved in the big transition in our lives and buying the house and it was cool to have so much support,' Gaddy said. The couple planted roots in Philadelphia, where they bought a three-bedroom, three-bath home, they're 'super happy' with. Gaddy added: 'It's beautiful, we have extra room for my parents to come or the in-laws to come stay whenever they want, or my grandmother. 'And we have two cats and now we just added a beagle to the family and have extra room.' Gaddy also said that as a realtor, he's seen other young couples hopping on the trend. Some registries now offer options for guests to gift a couple cash under headings like 'Home Down Payment.' According to wedding website Zola, the percentage of couples adding at least one cash fund to their registry is now 87 percent. After purchasing a home, renovations and paying down debts were popular additions to registries. These choices are a reflection of how modern couples are thoughtfully planning for their economic future. The average wedding now costs a whopping $36,000, Zola reports, and the average home down payment is $55,000 reports real estate firm ATTOM. For first time home buyers, 60 percent are using at least two sources to come up with their down payment — savings and gifts from family or friends. 'Society has really moved in that direction and generally people are very comfortable giving cash, especially when they know what it's going toward,' said Emily Forrest, a spokesperson for Zola. Financial experts say the request is a really good move. 'The value of the typical home in the U.S. right now is about $350,000. That means a couple would need to come up with $70,000 if they plan on putting 20 percent down,' says Amanda Pendleton, Zillow's home trends expert. Pendleton says that a new analysis from Zillow Home Loans and The Knot finds the share of couples including 'home funds' as part of their wedding registry has increased 55 percent since 2018. 'Nearly 20 percent of all couples registered on The Knot are asking their guests to help them with the down payment on their first home,' she said. 'Affordability remains the number one challenge for aspiring first-time home buyers, and saving up for a down payment is one of the biggest hurdles. 'It now takes nearly 12 years for a typical first-time buyer to save up for a down payment, compared to nine years prior to the pandemic.' Pendleton added: 'It's no wonder 38 percent of all mortgage buyers use either gifts or loans from family and friends to help fund their down payment. By crowdsourcing those funds in a wedding registry, newly married couples can get an even bigger head start.' Besides home ownership, opening joint bank accounts, figuring out how bills will be paid and tackling debt together are all things that need to be discussed — before the wedding. Because even if guests do generously chip in, the costs don't stop there. A 2024 Bankrate study found the true cost of owning a single-family home — excluding the mortgage – is $18,118 per year, thanks to property taxes, insurance, repairs and utility bills. Pendleton says asking for cash on your registry for all of the above is smart. But she advises there's a polite way to ask. 'Couples shouldn't feel ashamed to request cash contributions for a down payment,' she said. 'Most close friends and family members want their wedding gift to be a meaningful contribution to the couple's future – and nothing is more meaningful than helping them with their first home. 'Using a registry platform with a "home fund" option helps normalize the ask. And it's important to make it personal. Tell your guests what the dream of homeownership represents to you as a couple, and how this gift will help you achieve that dream.' She predicts even more couples will ask for down payment contributions in the future, saying people are getting married later in life and already have their blenders and silverware. 'What they truly need is a leg up in today's housing market,' she said.
The Guardian
28-06-2025
- The Guardian
How wedding guests are coping with rising costs: ‘the total will come to £3,000 this year'
By the time Layla had paid for flights, booked a hotel, bought a dress and contributed to the honeymoon fund, her friend's wedding had cost her more than £1,600 – and it is just one of three she is attending this summer. With more couples planning bigger celebrations – often with multiple events, and with some away from home, guests are left footing ever bigger bills. Travel, accommodation, outfits, pre-wedding events, gifts and childcare can add up and push the costs of being a guest into the hundreds, and even thousands, of pounds. So how are people managing? And what does it tell us about the expectations that come with being part of someone's big day? Guests are spending more than £2,000 a year, on average, to attend weddings and civil partnerships, according to research from the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS). The biggest costs, MaPS found, were travel and accommodation, followed by new outfits and gifts. Those aged 25 to 34 – the cohort who are most likely to be invited to several weddings in a year– spend about £740 a time on average, adding up to nearly £4,500 a year. One 33-year-old, who lives in south-east London, went to 11 weddings last year – and his weekends for much of this summer involve hopping between celebrations. 'I love going, but I'm at an age when everyone seems to be doing it,' he says. 'I have four weddings in four weekends over July, and the total for the year is eight.' Three of the weddings, plus a stag do, involve long or overseas journeys. He estimates the total cost of being a guest this year will come to almost £3,000. 'The cost doesn't tarnish the experience for me, but when there are at least a couple of foreign weddings each year then it starts to add up, and to eat into your holiday allowance,' he says. One woman in her 40s, who also preferred to remain anonymous, estimates she has spent £1,750 so far on her sibling's wedding, which will take place in a small city in England next year. The total covers the cost of accommodation for three nights for her and her family, suit hire for her teenage sons, a dress, hair and make up. As a close family member, she says, she 'would like to look half decent' for the photographs, and then there is the price of travel to and from the venue. 'They got engaged in February 2023, then announced the date in June – they have given us two years, for which I am very grateful. I have been saving since the announcement,' she says. 'Life is expensive these days – we live in different cities, and it is their wedding, so their home town makes sense. At least it is not abroad.' Increasingly, couples are opting for multi-wedding formats, which can hike up costs, says Zoe Burke, a wedding expert and the editor of the website Hitched. 'With more and more couples choosing celebrant-led weddings over traditional religious ones, it means the legal bit needs to be done ahead of time [because celebrant weddings are not yet legal in England and Wales],' she says. 'This is where we are seeing couples opting for 'micro weddings' for immediate friends and family – at a register office to do the legal bit, followed by what a 'typical' wedding looks and feels like.' The 'double-do' has left some guests relying on credit to get them through the wedding season. Research by the credit reference agency Experian found that 14% of wedding guests had acquired, or worsened their debt, through attending someone else's celebration. Almost half (46%) said they met the costs of attending weddings, and stag and hen dos, using money they had in a current account. About a quarter said they saved up specifically for the event, and 17% dipped into savings already earmarked for something else. John Webb, a consumer expert at Experian, recommends thinking twice before accepting invitations if it is really going to stretch your budget. 'If you're borrowing money to cover the cost of attending a wedding, make sure you've got a plan to repay it,' he says. 'You should always try to avoid taking credit you can't afford to repay, or putting yourself under extreme financial pressure just to attend.' When couples tie the knot overseas, guests are often left with a much bigger bill. Research from the credit card provider Amex suggests 40% of UK wedding guests will attend a 'destination wedding' abroad this year, with the average cost now £1,956, according to Experian. That is enough to make some guests think twice before ticking 'yes' on the RSVP. About 29% of people in the UK have declined an invitation to a wedding outside the country in the past year because they could not take the time off work, felt the destination was too far away or were unable to afford the transport or accommodation, Experian's research shows. For Ellena, who is 27 and based in Amsterdam, making it to her friend's wedding in London involved careful planning and compromise. 'A destination wedding can have quite the [carbon] footprint, right? So my partner and I were thinking about that. We wanted to get the Eurostar, but it was way too expensive. 'We opted to fly because it was going to save us so much time and so much money,' she says. But there were limits to how cheaply they could travel: 'If you're bringing a suit, and a dress, the carry-on won't do,' she says. Next year, she has been invited to another wedding, this time in Mexico. 'With the engagement, you immediately have all this excitement, and then the day comes around, where you have to start thinking: 'How do I get there? What gift do I get? What do I wear?'' She has not looked into the costs yet, but says: 'We will just make it a holiday, I guess, but we wouldn't have originally gone to Mexico next on a trip.' Assessing your budget and the costs involved early on – to see whether the wedding is feasible – is key, Webb says, and that avoids those awkward last-minute dropouts, or unnecessary debts. He recommends you speak to the couple sooner rather than later. As he says: 'Money conversations can feel awkward, but it's important to be honest about your situation. Most people would rather you be upfront than silently struggle. 'You could suggest joining part of the celebration, such as a local reception, instead of the full trip, or sending a heartfelt message, or gift, if you can't make it,' he says. Burke advises focusing on the main day and not feeling obliged to attend everything. This way, you don't end up resentful or let 'other people spend your money for you', she says. 'This is especially relevant for destination weddings. And you don't have to attend every single hen or stag do, bridal brunch or engagement dinner that you're invited to,' she continues. 'If you can only afford to attend the wedding, then just attend the wedding. 'Honesty means nobody gets hurt. 'I'm not able to afford both your destination wedding and the hen do, so please let me know which one you'd most want me to be at so I can plan for that' is clear and polite, and it perfectly explains your situation.' The same goes for multiple pre-wedding celebrations, Burke says. 'Saying: 'I'm really sorry that I can't afford to attend all three of the events, but I really want to celebrate with you, so please let me know which one is most important so I can prioritise' simply lets them know your situation without going into too TMI [too much information] territory, or making them feel like you resent them for having multiple events.' If an invitation says 'no children', and your childcare costs would be too high, you should let the couple know. She says in this case, she would say something like: 'Thank you so much for inviting me, however, I'm sadly unable to arrange childcare. I hope you both have the best day ever, and I'll be raising a glass to you at home. 'Can't wait to see the pictures!'
