Weddings can get pretty dramatic, especially in the months and weeks leading up to them. Tales abound of entitled bridezillas making the most outlandish requests, sure, but when family members get involved things can go sideways fast.
Someone recently asked the internet, “What’s the most unhinged thing a family member did before your wedding?” and netizens didn’t hold back with some of the wildest stories you might read today. Here’s our handpicked collection of the craziest.
More info: Reddit
Unhinged, but brilliant. My dad is such an ae. My wife insisted on him coming to the wedding, or at least inviting him, “because he’s family.” So we sent an invitation and he showed up with his wife. My wife’s cousin, the only one who took me seriously that my dad might be an ae to everyone, started a rumor that my dad had been “shot in a war,” and “couldn’t help himself due to the head injury.” None of that was remotely true, mind you, but my wife’s family then treated him like a war hero that was mentally slow. So when my dad was patronizing and a*****e like usual, people responded like, “awwww bless his heart,” like he couldn’t help himself. My dad wanted to upset everyone, and they just laughed it off like he was senile. He left soon after he arrived, probably pretty pissed off.
punkwalrus Report
Not really “unhinged” but, now I realize not acceptable… my MIL, she was diagnosed with terminal stage 4 multiforma glioblastoma (brain tumor the size of a peach) about 6 months before our wedding. At our rehearsal dinner, she wore an absolutely gorgeous white sequined pant suit with a 1920s style hat with a barely there veil. She was beautiful- and in good health (she was waiting to start chemo until after the wedding of her only son but had had the tumor removed and wore the hat to cover her shaved head and surgical scar). The picture of her from the rehearsal dinner is my favorite picture of her and I have it on my wall, almost 35 years later. Now days, people would say “any color except white would have been ok” and I say it was the rehearsal dinner, she was so happy, looked so beautiful. Less than 2 years later, she passed.
kswilson68 Report
When we announced the wedding date a year ahead of time, my husband’s grandmother told us she would be sick that day.
hopping_hessian , shurkin_son Report
No s**t my sister and I (F30) got in a fist fight 2 days prior. She got a concussion, I got a black eye. I’m extremely pale with almond wide set eyes. No amount of makeup or ice could help me. My husband and I re-did our wedding photos on our first anniversary and my sister helped pay for them. She was in a very bad place with her a*******n, but is now sober, and did a complete 180. I’m so proud of her. But the minute that she gets engaged, I’m signing up for boxing classes.
Western_Phrase3418 Report
My father in law was overheard telling one of the groomsmen that he didn’t know why we were wasting time and money on a wedding when the marriage wouldn’t last more than a year tops. Jokes on him, we celebrated our 26th anniversary this year.
GreatPumpkinBeliever , pressmaster Report
Not my wedding, my cousin’s. We flew all the way in from out of state. He had been delinquent in child support to his ex wife—missed all the overdue the payments and never tried to set up a plan to pay anything. Cops showed up after the vows because he owed over $20k and made no attempt to pay. They arrested him right after they walked back down the aisle. We awkwardly stayed for the reception where he was not present. The state was Idaho if you’re wondering.
Montuckette , nomadsoul1 Report
My MIL tried pretty hard to ruin the entire experience. She chewed me out, like ridiculously loudly, at my bridal shower because my husband and I were talking about getting a dog and apparently that was rushing things… with my husband. Whom I had known for 8 years at that point. She told my husband marrying me would be the biggest mistake of his life because I wouldn’t mail his sister (21 at the time) a birthday gift when we were seeing her in 3 days. (Neither SIL or MIL ever got me a birthday gift, to this day) She flipped out on me the morning of the wedding because apparently I didn’t tell her I would have breakfast for everyone while we got ready… I absolutely did tell her. It was in the info text I sent the week before. Everyone else knew. She was also over two hours late. At our wedding, she wanted a picture with “just her kids” not me, totally fine. I get it. Except my brother in law’s girlfriend was in said picture. They had been together for 2 months longer than me and my husband. They’re still not married 7 years later. A couple months after the wedding, I shared the wedding photos…. She screamed at me and then blocked my husband and I on everything because she didn’t think she was in enough of the photos…. At not her wedding. Yeah. She’s a lot. Our wedding day was still absolutely beautiful though.
highhoya , shurkin_son Report
My parents, who had been separated for over 25 years, decided to get drunk and have s*x. Loudly. I got calls from my older brothers telling me to come get my mother and that I was paying for everyone’s therapy. I said “Yeah. Mom’s always been the loud one.” Then laughed and hung up.
Signal-Comfort7078 , freepik Report
My mother demanded to know why my sister was allowed to wear a gown with a low back and I wouldn’t let her wear a see through outfit. I told her it was because my sister was 26 and not the mother of the bride 🤣🤷♀️🤦♀️.
WhyCantIBeFunny , freepik Report
My pregnant sister and her fiance showed up two days before my wedding where we lived (15 hours away) with no place to stay and no money. We invited family to our very small wedding with 0 expectations of attendance because we moved away from family several years before. Them showing up then became my problem to deal with. And they couldn’t afford to leave until he got paid three days after my wedding… It was great. If I could do it over id never have invited my family and just stuck with my two best friends as witnesses. Lesson learned. .
anhardin11 , freepik Report
Not before but during. MIL was standing behind StepMIL barking like a dog.
Diligent_Score4411 , EyeEm Report
We had a child free wedding which pissed off my husband’s cousin (hint: her kid was the reason for the child free wedding). So she tried to demand that my husband (you know, the GROOM) leave our wedding reception early to go pick her kid up from the babysitter my FIL paid for since she insisted on traveling with him. That did not happen.
MinuteMaidMarian , freepik Report
My dad pushed my husband off a roof.
DesperateToNotDream , EyeEm Report
My mom called me two days before the wedding to tell me to come over to my sibling’s house where she was staying for “a surprise”. Surprises coming from my mother are never, ever good. It’s always something manipulative. Her “surprise” was she had a friend make her a new top and skirt combo to wear. It looked like something you would wear to the office and like it was hand sewn by an 8 year old. Turns out that after spending two full days and going to probably a dozen stores shopping for a MOB dress (and finding an absolutely gorgeous two piece one I might add), my mother decided we were just tired of shopping and lied to her about how good she looked in the outfit we helped her pick out. Both my sibling and I said absolutely not, you can’t wear that and we spent sooo much time helping you pick a nice one out, it was really hurtful she did this behind our backs. She said okay, but when she packed she only brought the bottom of the nice outfit and “forgot” the top. I told her to get a friend to overnight it because I wasn’t going shopping again with her two days before the wedding and she couldn’t wear the new “outfit”. She got the top overnighted and wore the nice outfit. Everything was fine until she started other s**t after the ceremony, but whatever.
Liverne_and_Shirley , rawpixel.com Report
My husband’s “best man” (his best female friend for decades) ignored everything to do with the wedding. I planned his bachelor party, she just showed up and she even bailed on the best man’s speech. Good thing my sister had something prepared as my maid of honor. She got drunk many years later and apologized for hating me all these years and confessed she’s always wanted to marry him but now she could see I was actually a nice person 😐.
esmegytha4eva , freepic.diller Report
During my wedding, two of my aunts decided to leave and go shopping for home storage.
svcki , freepik Report
My future sil filled out the RSVP with a note that she would rather drink poison than attend our wedding. Custody drama over a niece. I saved that card for years in case she ever became violent. Never saw her again, and she’s dead now.
CoastalMom , freepik Report
Set the wedding date after being engaged a few weeks and then my brother decided he was going to finally marry his fiancé of 4 years, the week of our wedding. My mom initially supported the idea, so she wouldn’t have to travel twice.
brittrobsteve , prostooleh Report
My grandmother brought the woman she thought my father SHOULD marry instead to the ceremony. Then she locked herself in the bathroom so they couldn’t start the wedding. Joke’s on her, my parents were married 38 yrs and were together till they passed. Deeply in love.
Kickkit Report
My in-laws arranged our rehearsal dinner at a lovely restaurant and all the main dishes were things I am allergic to.
esmegytha4eva , stockking Report
We got married about 2 hours away at the beach and my own mother was like 2 hours late getting to town. Which means she left AFTER she was supposed to be there. On purpose. She did not get any better throughout the weekend and shortly thereafter we went NC 🤣.
Last_Ask4923 , The Yuri Arcurs Collection Report
Intelligent_Brief437 , The Yuri Arcurs Collection Report
An aunt did NOT want her son to get married until he was 35. He is her only child. Luckily my uncle got hold of some “happy pills” from her doctor. She was so s****d during the wedding and reception that she doesn’t really remember what happened. The bride and groom didn’t know. A few of us knew and were on auntie guard duty.
dMatusavage , Kateryna_Mostova Report
My brother’s in laws said they couldn’t throw a real reception because grandpa minister wouldn’t approve of a big party with dancing and drinking. Punch and grocery store cookies in the Sunday school classroom was it. My parents were appalled and threw a large after party for our side at the house, hired a band, rented a dance floor, prepped food for 100 people, brought in a bartender, bought a cake and all sorts of Italian pastries and cookies, chairs and tables, flowers and all the rest. Guess who showed up to party?
roadfood , pvproductions Report
My mom didn’t want to get ready with us bc she didn’t want to leave her boyfriend in the hotel alone. While we were cutting cake she was making out with her 26yo boyfriend. The only pictures of her at my wedding she has a grimace walking down the aisle with my brother and she’s making out with her boyfriend on the dance floor. When people ask about our relationship I mention those incidents first bc I have pictures to back it up 🙃.
1h0w4w4y , freepik Report
My mil told everyone her side of the family knew to dress like they were attending a Victorian tea party. It was just regular semi formal at a lovely coastal venue. Still makes me laugh.
brocoliniwitch , alexkich Report
My mother allowed me to store my wedding stuff at her house to keep it safe and organized. When she found out I was inviting my bio father (whom she had not seen or talked to in well over a decade) she dumped all of my wedding items, anything non-wedding items of mine, and anything I’d given her as gifts over the years in my shared back yard (my neighbor was my landlord, btw). I happened to pull up to my apartment as this was happening and did not want more of a scene, so I began to slowly drive away and she ran out in front of my car telling to get out of the car so she could fight me. I laughed at her and drove away. We later went to counseling and her excuse was that she already felt as though she wasn’t included in or wanted at the wedding, and inviting my father who wasn’t there for me throughout my life sent her over the edge because he didn’t deserve to be there… I had allowed her to throw the engagement party, assist with bridal shower, asked her to do a reading during the ceremony (which she declined), chose her to walk me down the aisle and give me away, came with me for wedding dress shopping, and was invited to the tasting with the caterer.
WellThisIsAwkwurd , EyeEm Report
My SIL argued with my husband and MIL because she told them she was wearing her own wedding dress to our wedding. Her dress wasn’t white, but it was very obviously a formal gown that was very fancy and all the guests on my husband’s side immediately recognised it. They weren’t impressed, but it was like they all agreed not to tell me, which seems a lot like they thought it was a good chance I would have a tantrum about that. I said it was a nice dress, and husband finally told me she insisted on wearing it, saying she wouldn’t come otherwise unless he bought her a dress. I think maybe she was angling to be a bridesmaid? (My bridesmaids wore dresses of their choosing but colour-coordinated with these fierce pink blazers that looked AMAZING.) Anyway, husband confessed the whole thing the day after the wedding when I told him his sister looked nice. I probably wasn’t offended enough by the move or see what kind of person that made her (she’s a bitterly failed reality show contestant, if that helps), but a few years later and we’re both NC with her for actions that are entirely in keeping with the kind of person who’d wear their own wedding dress to someone else’s wedding. Also on the day, when it came time for speeches, none of my husband’s blood relatives spoke, only his BIL (SIL’s husband), and husband explained that over the years his family has proved it values drama and is not above starting s**t at inappropriate times, especially if it involves an event where both his parents (who are long divorced) are in attendance, so they have like an unspoken rule that only BIL gives speeches. It was rather astonishing!
Elegant_Pea_4195 , freepik Report
My single sister in law to be was invited to dress shop with me (she was a bridesmaid) and took one of my top 3 dresses, went into the dressing room, tried it on in front of all of my friends/family, then said I couldn’t have it and she wanted to get married in it someday. I ended up picking that gown and she was livid. That was 13 years ago and she never got married after all. She’s crazy AF. We no longer speak, but that was just the tip of the iceberg.
craycrayintheheihei Report
We had a smallish wedding of about 60 people including the wedding party. My (then future) mother-in-law brought ALL my (soon to be) husband’s relatives to the wedding rehearsal. Thankfully the best man’s wife dragged all the aunts uncles and cousins who I had never met off to the lounge so that the rehearsal was for the wedding party, not half the guests. I think I need to thank her again for that (it was 40 years ago).
Ovenbird36 , standret Report
My MIL let her lease go and, just weeks before our wedding, showed up on my soon to be husband’s doorstep, saying she needed a place to stay. He said ok, as long as she was moved out by the wedding. She agreed. The night before our wedding she had not left, nor made plans to. She was settling in for the long haul. He had an argument with her and told her that after the wedding we would be on a week long honeymoon and when he returned he would be bringing his wife to his home to live and she had better be gone. We returned from our honeymoon and she was still there, all her things were moved in. He told her she had to be out by that night and started packing her things and throwing them outside. She moved her things to a storage unit and went to stay with friends for a couple of days before renting her own place again … and has forever played the victim, saying her son threw her out in the street and that our wedding was the worst day of her life.
raffriffs Report
Unhinged? Unsure. But rude as hell & unexpected? My mom…she had been with a tour group to Paris the week before our wedding-she came home two days before the wedding. Her feet were “so swollen,” she didn’t move at all during the reception. At all. She sat and stayed there. My dad was volunteered to make the cake but forgot. We got a ready made cake from the grocery store that no one else could pick up. My sister and BFF were supposed to stand with me. I had paid for my sister’s flight from another state, bought her dress, shoes, everything. I made us appointments to get a spray tan and nails done the day before. She didn’t show up. At all. And ignored my calls. When I finally did get a hole of her, she had been shopping all day with my mom the day before, told me my husband to be was s**t, and she wasn’t coming to the wedding at all. I cried. Cried away my spray tan and ended up having to shower it off bc my face was streaky. She showed up. She still hates my husband and it’s been 18 years of marriage. There was a lot more leading up to the wedding, too. Good luck!
nothathappened , freepik Report
My MIL… 1. Tried to get me to use all the vendors she booked and lost deposits on from when daughters eloped after mom planned everything without her daughter’s input. 2. Gave me a list of about 100-120 people to invite who I’d never met or heard of and who my husband hadn’t seen in at least 10 years. 3. Planned the whole rehearsal dinner based on what she wanted then asked her ex husband (husband’s dad) to pay for half.
SanJoseCarey Report
My mother didn’t understand that my wedding dress alterations would make my dress fit to my form so suggested that I didn’t eat for the next 6 days leading up to my wedding… or eat at my wedding… or eat the wedding cake… My dress “suddenly being tighter” after being tailored really seemed to break her brain.
BlueberryNebula24 , freepik Report
This one sad and tragic and angrifying…. after years of being a childless doting aunt my SIL told her openly gay for years nephew that due to her and her husband’s Seventh Day Adventist beliefs they didn’t support his choices and wouldn’t be attending his marriage… but oh she still loved them. We’ve been all stunned at this sudden declaration and very very sadly the close relationship she had with nephew’s mother is no more:(.
Sharp-Watercress-279 , freepik Report
My mom graciously gave me $5k towards the wedding…. And then invited 10 people I barely knew (old friends old neighbors.) meh not unhinged, but just everything comes at a cost. My FIL, best man, and other friend gave amazing speeches and had the full attention of the room, laughing and in tears. My mom out of nowhere goes “give me the mic!” And stands up and says “I want to sing this song I used to sing my baby,” and she proceeded to sing a lullaby I’ve never heard in a very shrill voice and it was so hilarious and unexpected. I remember being annoyed by it for a few years but now I just laugh. She just couldn’t let there be a glow of attention without stepping into it. And surely everyone saw how weird it was.
croissant_and_cafe Report
The day before my shower my MIL called me and said she refused to come because she didn’t get to help organize it - the shower my mom organized for me. She also refused to tell me or my husband what color her dress was. I was panicking thinking she would wear white. But instead she had a bright red strapless dress with a slit all the way up her leg.
sunnyday314 Report
Right before the ceremony, my oldest brother turned to my groom-to-be, and said: if you want out of this, I’ll drive you wherever you want to go.
Bazoun Report
LeslieJaye419 , freepik Report
My cousin ,who was my best friend, who told me they would do anything they could to help us with the wedding and that they were there for us ended up dropped out of the wedding party two weeks before the wedding. They still came to the wedding for the ceremony and pictures and then took off. I have only seen them one other time since the wedding 4 years ago.
sKYwalkersoLO22 , prostooleh Report
A family member I had no contact with found my fiancés phone number (they’d never met) via internet sleuthing and called to ask for an invite.
PurpleOctoberPie , Ycazac Report
Called me at 10:30pm the night before saying they wouldn’t make it to give me away…
timid_turtle_ , freepik Report
Well, some of my uncle’s relatives disapproved of him marrying my aunty and threatened to kidnap him and/or create a disturbance during the wedding. My grandfather (my aunty’s father) was sufficiently concerned so as to request (and receive) a police escort for the bridal party on the day of the wedding The whole thing, plus one or two other incidents, was enough to create sufficient bad blood between that side of my uncle’s family and our family that lasted for decades and only really fully healed in recent times.
Old_Association6332 Report
My mom ate a cockroach because she was drunk and looking for attention. And the story goes like this now “remember when your mom ate a cockroach and you cried” When my sister got married it was a huge family event and a big party at my moms the night before, she lived less than a mile from sister. Sister asked me to take her home early (10ish) so she’d be rested for the day and things were getting crazy and she wanted to get away. We headed home with some of the other girls in my car. My now ex BIL was talked into dropping my wasted parents and a few family members off at our place with no car to get back home. When we told them they had to leave and she says “what’s the big deal? “ Slaps a cockroach off the wall and eats it. What the actual fk. After we get them to agree to leave they have no ride so they take my jeep Cherokee that I need the next day to pick up stuff and rip the door handle off it. Wont answer calls next day. I walk a mile in Texas heat with my hair and makeup done to get it and then they denied breaking the dn door. Cool cool cool.
Pretty-Investment-13 Report
My ex BIL was a POS who liked to prove his masculinity through drinking and trying to bond through drinking with my male relatives. He was jealous about my sister who was my MOH. When we rocked up to the ceremony, he came up to the car drunk and opened the door and tried to assert his dominance over me and her. He also cut in on the bridesmaids and groomsmens dance due to jealousy that my sister was dancing with another man. The thing I’m really angry about though is that my cousin let himself get caught up with BIL and was absolutely s*******d from the start of the ceremony and basically was blacked out at one of the tables all throughout the reception. My dad had died earlier that year and I had no brothers and he was meant to walk me down the aisle but never did because he was so drunk and barely conscious. I walked myself down the aisle.
Jolly-Indication6357 Report
Week of the wedding - - cousin dropped out after telling me a million times he was coming - his parents also dropped out (due to illness) but asked if they could come again the day before but “understood if we filled their seats” (which we did because it was over $300 a person) and proceeded to publicly shame me on social media and show private text messages to other family members and tell me how horrible I was the day before my wedding (!!!!) after they said they weren’t coming (!!!!) - brother was going to sneak in his gf who we did not invite due to his really disrespectful/hurtful behavior so we uninvited him lol - grandpa also got a “stomach ache” and just didn’t fly up.
Front_Technician4208 Report
My family had been falling apart for a few years (now completely disintegrated, but we are much happier without the dead weight.) The teams were sister and BIL and brother and SIL vs Mom, dad, fiance, and me. I felt compelled to have my sister as MOH because I was her’s (before the family issues really came to a head.) She threw me a shower and filled it with games trying to prove fiance and I didn’t know each other well enough and weren’t ready to be married. With my religion, there’s nothing really for the MOH has to do during the ceremony so all she had to worry about was the reception. My SIL was pregnant with the first grandchild and my MOH spent the entire reception taking care of SIL. Literally never said a thing to me. I should have had my best friend be my MOH. As a bonus, my dad took fiance aside before we started planning and said he would give us the cost of the wedding to use as we pleased if we wanted to elope instead. He wasn’t pushing for it, just offering it as an option. Fiance thought I had been dreaming of the perfect wedding my whole life and didn’t want to deny me that, so he declined. I found this out a few years into or marriage and was a little angry. I totally would have taken the money! The whole wedding and reception was one big anxiety because of my stupid family. Edit for paragraphs.
Wild_Caramel_9557 Report
We had to hop on a zoom call with some family members the week before to hash out family drama. And then half of that family didn’t come to the wedding for other reasons.
mcbingie Report
My MiL spent hours painting an empty paint can and bedazzling Ace Hardware trucker hats with our names on them the night before - she told us she couldn’t finish helping us tear down because she was up until 2 am. I think this is funnier and more unhinged without context but will elaborate if asked.
pinkcatlaker Report
I had to demote my matron of honor when she cheated on her husband and was bringing their toddler around the guy she even introduced us to him with her toddler all while her husband had no idea she was cheating it was awful I felt so bad for him and couldn’t believe my own best friend would do that. Then at the wedding no one was helping clean up I was in my wedding dress and putting up chairs and tables while they all stood around and drank until my sister who was helping said to all our friends why is the bride putting stuff while you guys all stand around and it shamed them and they started helping lol. That was my wedding to my ex. No drama at my wedding to my now husband it was beautiful.
skullsnroses66 , prostooleh Report
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