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Original poster

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

313 replies

Turniptracker · 30/01/2020 21:32

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 Grin
Any "best things" for good reasons also welcome!

OP posts:
myplateisfullenoughthanks · 05/02/2020 12:54

best was a very relaxed garden party type reception. Buffet, Pimms, space for kids. Wasn't a first wedding so maybe that matters. But was fabulous

HoppingPavlova · 05/02/2020 12:56

MAFIL to be clear, the chicken nuggets are only ever the children’s dish. People never serve adult guests chicken nuggets! It’s just my adult child is really weird and tries to swap their normal adult dish for a child’s dish Blush. I wouldn’t even be surprised if they offer to pay a kid to swap in future as their youngest sibling is now getting too old to get away with the kids dish to swap with themHmm.

mytypeonpaper · 05/02/2020 13:09

Best- free bar, good food and not being hungry
Worst- too expensive bar and not enough food

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Weddings
mytypeonpaper · 05/02/2020 13:11

Or if not free bar then fair prices

Dyrne · 05/02/2020 14:11

MAFIL You’ve never been to a wedding with drunk people?!? Surely that’s half the fun of going to a wedding!!

You and I move in very different circles Grin Grin

I think maybe for me it’s because I don’t tend to go to the weddings of people I don’t really know? DP and I mostly have joint friends as we met through the same social group at uni. We tend to go alone to colleagues etc weddings; and neither of us really has thousands of cousins (and I’m the youngest cousin by quite some distance on my side so I went to ones as a teen but haven’t had any to go to as an adult).

So the vast majority of weddings I’ve been to have been where I usually know the bride and groom, love them dearly; and know a shit tonne of other people at the wedding so always have an amazing time and am so genuinely happy for my friends.

Dyrne · 05/02/2020 14:11

I just realised I changed thought mid post, so made it look like you can’t have a good time without drinking. Of course you can; I just moved on to musing about enjoying weddings in a general sense.

iklboo · 05/02/2020 14:41

Jewish weddings start at 3/3.30/4 followed by a reception then party. Usually finish by 11.30. That’s long enough surely?

We're non-religious. The wedding ceremony was at 4:30pm, we were in our hotel room by 11pm. That was knackering enough.

IrmaFayLear · 06/02/2020 09:44

It's fine to swap food - just not fine to complain.

When dn got married dsis received a call from a relative asking what was on the menu. Dsis said it was a buffet with a wide variety of food (it was in a vaaaiiir posh country club and the food was first class). Relative said her (teen) ds was very fussy and could they do him a steak? Dsis spluttered that she didn't think so, and relative persisted that she would ring the venue with the request. In the end Steak Boy was happy with the buffet, but can you imagine all 150 guests saying, "I'll have what he's having" !!

Fanciedachange1 · 09/02/2020 18:30

Not a wedding, but a large family meal to celebrate a marriage that had taken place abroad with no guests.

It was a busy restaurant (normal for a Saturday night) and the couple had agreed to pay, despite this the parents of the bride and mother of the groom however were instant on paying at least something towards the bill. The father of the groom however ordered the most expensive things on menu as soon as he heard it was free.

The worst part was he has been told numerous times by doctors that he is to avoid all spicy foods as he has serious health problems which are made worse by these. Of course wanting to be centre of attention he ordered the very spicy wings in addition to his meal. Created a huge scene getting red, sweaty, crying, snot running down his face, choking (not on meat but just the general spiciness) and coughing over everyone’s meals.

Yutes · 09/02/2020 20:23

One of the worst was when we’d quite happily been sitting at our table and then we were told by the venue that our table had to be moved (just our table) to make way for the dance floor. So everyone else had seats around their tables and we just looked like we were homeless. Was a bit rubbish. And the DJ wasn’t great.

MiniGuinness · 09/02/2020 20:33

I have also only ever been to one wedding without a free bar. They had paid a fortune on ridiculous and flamboyant extras that no one cared about, but couldn’t even provide a drink. I do think that is rude. If you invite someone you pay. I have always liked low key BYOB weddings, but if there is a bar, guests should never have to pay.

DoAsYouWouldBeMumBy · 09/02/2020 22:46

I've enjoyed most weddings I've been to - some more than others. The last one I went to had a glass or two of Prosecco on arrival, plus four bottles of wine per table, so we didn't need to buy any drinks. Gourmet buffet for the meal, plus cracking entertainment and close enough to walk home (through a field or two.)

Mine obvs was fab. I think we gave all the info in advance, so there were no surprises. Ceremony at 3, reception (in same venue) over by 7, in handy central venue in the city where most of our friends lived, Saturday afternoon, no bar, but more champagne and other wine than anyone could drink, all free. Very child friendly, very laid back. Lots of music from our pals. Whole thing cost us maybe two grand. We got lots of good feedback but probably the main thing was that we had a great time.

Cruddles · 09/02/2020 22:55

Speeches are a problem. Went to a wedding where the only speeches were done by the groom and his brother as best man, total 53 mins. And bar was closed so drink ran out early.

Another wedding where the bride had three much older brothers, who all insisted on doing long rambling speeches. None of them were interesting and they weren't public speakers. Fortunately the best man saved the day with his speech, but 30 mins was wasted.

Another bad wedding. Wife and her sister (plus partners) got invited to a wedding for their friend, 4pm start. We get there and discover it's the evening invite, no mention of this on the invite. So we expected a full wedding and meal but got a bigot l couple of glasses of fizz and sandwiches. We then go to get a drink, cash only bar, as in pay by cash, no card. This at the bar of one of those fancy country hotels. I'm sure hotel guests don't pay for rooms in cash so why doesn't the bar have card technology? BIL had to drive 20 mins to the nearest ATM to get cash for us.

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