What are the best/worst things you've experienced at a wedding?

[Turniptracker]

Just started planning a wedding and it got me thinking about the best and worst things about weddings I've attended in the past. The worst was a wedding where we kept getting moved from room to room for each stage of the wedding, we were kicked off the dining tables after our last mouthful of dessert and had to stand up in a cold stable with no chairs to juggle coffee and chocs (hello indigestion). Best by far, but for all the wrong reasons, was watching a groomsman rip his trousers through vigorous dancing and he was so drunk he proceeded to just rip all his clothes off and dance in his pants
Any "best things" for good reasons also welcome!

Marking my spot

Seen a groom so off his head he forgot to wipe his nose for the speeches...

Worst- expecting guests to pay for alcohol/soft drinks. Don't invite guests if you can't afford to provide for them.

Worst - hanging about in the bar while the main reception room was set out, then again between wedding breakfast and evening do.
Best - outdoors on an airfield, marquee and hangar, food from street food vendor vans brought in.

Worst - waiting around with nothing to eat for hours while the wedding party took photos.

Best - informal, personal to the couple, Good but unpretentious food in quantity, plenty to entertain guests while pics are done (or very little picture time)

Oh give over Brokenlightfitting. I don’t mind at all if I have to pay for my own drinks.

That's not exactly fair is it @Brokenlightfitting. A free bar can cost thousands, are you saying people who can't afford that shouldn't get married? Nobody has a free bar these days.

Best thing for me is always the entertainment. A wonderful singer or band really creates such a lovely atmosphere.

I wouldn't expect a free bar at a wedding. It's lovely when it happens but it's not the norm, especially not all night.

Nobody has a free bar these days

I go to many weddings- I have only been to 1 where the drinks were not provided. It was awful-no-one expected it and so had not come prepared. There wasn't even water provided. They did have the arrival of the groom on a horse!, a sweet shop trolley, balloons with stuff in, pinatas and gave all the guest flip flops! But no drinks provided. Fur coat and no knickers.

Best - the one where a mate of the groom had arranged for another mate with a pilots licence to fly aerobatics and draw hearts in the sky.

Also best - the one where we all tucked into takeaway pizza and home made salads.

Which just goes to show that "best" can occur at either end of the cost scale!

I've only ever been to one wedding with a free bar. I was amazed

Worst, defiantly the waiting around with nothing to do, limited seating and extortionate priced drinks.

Went to one wedding, ceremony was at 11am, done by 11.45. Nothing until 3pm, then really bad food.

We left at 5pm, hungry and bored.

I like your @AChickenCalledDaal because you've chosen two "bests" and no worsts - what a nice person you are!

I’ve never been to a wedding with a free bar unless it was in the kind of venue where you provide your own drinks.

Best - nothing

Worst -actually getting married

Best. One where they obviously kept their guests needs in mind. Late afternoon ceremony so obviously we had lunch beforehand. Then a lovely ceremony, very quick photos, then full entertainment, food and drink for the next few hours, great band. Not a free bar, but lots of wine and beers provided with the meal so we were not in need of too much more.
It was a lot of fun.

Best - A roulette and blackjack table. Bride and groom hadn't told anyone so it was a nice surprise for the reception.

Worst - Cake made of cheese. I felt robbed

I've never been to one with a free bar!

The worst are the ones where it's all under one roof. You have the ceremony, then have to hover around hours waiting for the wedding breakfast. Then after that you're waiting hours whilst it's all cleared away for the evening do. You spend all day standing around bored for very little action.

I like a good Hindu wedding and the bottles of spirits including black rum on the tables.

Being invited to the ceremony and the evening do with a 6 hour gap between the two and in the middle of bloody nowhere. Literally nowhere to go locally to kill the time so drove for half an hour to find lunch. When we arrived at the evening do at the stated time, discovered there was no food, just a pay bar serving crisps and nuts. We basically weren't on the receiving end of any hosting whatsoever.

Hanging about
Costing a fortune in hotels etc
No alcohol
250+ guests i was DH's plus one. I met the groom once. I never met the bride. We have not seen them since. Pointless.

Best - amazing band, big group of friends at one massive table so no small talk with strangers.

Worst - after the service, waiting around for more than an hour in a hotel foyer with no seating. Then being put out there again between the wedding breakfast and the evening do...
Best - a small wedding in Scotland. Lots of fun, all in one place and lots of food and drink.

I have been to many bad weddings.

The one where they had a very small buffet and called the tables up one at a time in order.... we were table 15. I was training for a marathon and had run 18 miles that morning - it was not a joyous experience!

The one where the bride and groom spent all their money on a fancy venue, but in order to afford it had their wedding at 11am on 27th December, a Sunday in the middle of nowhere, meaning everyone had an utter fucker of a journey to get there due to no trains and most guests had to shell out for 2 nights in hotels due to the early start, then despite an 11am wedding provided no food until 5pm and not even a free glass of champagne for the toasts.

The multiple weddings where the bride and groom fucked off for photos for hours and hours leaving the guests with nothing to do.

Best:
A very low key but lovely wedding which was the village church then a marquee in a field. Pimms and BBQ - just lovely, relaxed and charming!

Children's entertainer in separate room during the main meal.

Free bar = great if you can afford it
Reception drinks and wine on table= Minimum requirement to not appear stingy
Not providing your guests with a single drink and demanding the bar stays closed on a 30degree bank holiday wedding, when spending £6k on decorations= Horrific

Best - reception in a big pub with live music from friends of the couple.

Worst - not really any such thing but hanging around while the photographer dicks about and no drinks isn't the best.