Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Anyone ever cancelled their wedding on the day because they were ill?

79 replies

SnarkyBag · 26/08/2021 16:04

Am lying in bed on day 3 of a mammoth migraine. Have been sick twice and also on day two of hideously heavy period.

It occurred to me this morning when I crawled out of bed to be sick that if today were my wedding day that I’d spent thousands of pounds on I would literally not be able to pull myself together to at least make it through the day.

I know obviously people do cancel weddings but just wondering how ill would you have to be to cancel on the day and alternatively how ill were you if you managed to struggle through regardless?

OP posts:
silentlight · 26/08/2021 20:55

Kinda off track, but have you looked at getting any help for your migraines? There are some excellent medications and options now.

To answer your question, pre meds I could not have done a wedding with a migraine, post meds easy peasy!

Original poster
SnarkyBag · 26/08/2021 21:08

@silentlight

Kinda off track, but have you looked at getting any help for your migraines? There are some excellent medications and options now.

To answer your question, pre meds I could not have done a wedding with a migraine, post meds easy peasy!

I do need to go back to the GP to be honest. I was having physio for a while as they seem linked to a neck issue and that did help reduce the frequency. I should probably start the physio again but at £55 a session it’s pricey. I could do with something better than codeine for the pain when they do come as it really doesn’t help with the sickness!
OP posts:
Scarby9 · 26/08/2021 21:15

A friend's daughter got married with chicken pox.
She looked like death and just sat through the meal and reception, then they postponed the honeymoon and she took to her bed.
She had only started with it the day before and they felt it was too late to cancel the wedding.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Weddings
halandpeeno · 26/08/2021 21:20

The sheer fear of this happening made this happen to me. I was retching, had terrible diarrhoea, every time I stood up my legs were going and I felt like I was fainting.
My hair and make up were barely done as my head was down the toilet. All the photos of me at home I am sat on the floor as I couldn't stand up. I end up 30 mins late as I couldn't physically make it out the door.
It all kicked in the minute I realised that I literally couldn't be ill as this day couldn't be rescheduled and so many people were relying on me.

spicychickenwing · 26/08/2021 21:24

I do know someone who was so ill on their wedding day and into their honeymoon that they describe it in terms of having 'got through it'. It was a very expensive wedding too and it was just bad luck. But i think its helpful in terms of reminding us its just one day and shit can happen.

silentlight · 26/08/2021 22:16

@SnarkyBag the new sumatriptan type medications are brilliant, for the headache and the sickness. They have changed my life. They are not painkillers and I have few side effects from them these days (but I did have some side effects at the start). I only take one as I feel it starting and then I’m all good.

Original poster
SnarkyBag · 26/08/2021 22:21

[quote silentlight]@SnarkyBag the new sumatriptan type medications are brilliant, for the headache and the sickness. They have changed my life. They are not painkillers and I have few side effects from them these days (but I did have some side effects at the start). I only take one as I feel it starting and then I’m all good.[/quote]
Thanks I’ll definitely make a GP appointment. I’m off for the school holidays at the minute and although I haven’t had one this bad for a while I’m worried about needing time off work for future ones

OP posts:
OatyBarKid · 26/08/2021 22:25

I also had a miscarriage on the day of the wedding. Started the previous night, nothing to be done and the wedding was low key so we decided to go through with it. I was fine until the best man loudly presented me with a jar of baby food he picked up while out for smokes, thinking he was being funny, almost shouting 'First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage'. He didn't know but it was just so poorly timed and crass I've never forgiven him.

CheersToTheWe3kend · 26/08/2021 22:36

I suffer from hemiplegic migraines which mimic a stroke, where I am also rendered blind for days on end and so confused I am unable to tell people who I am, where I live or my kids names. I hadn't had a migraine attack since 2012,and got married in 2019, had a migraine attack back in January and was hospitalised and I had exactly the same thought of 'shit, I got a bit lucky that they've come back now and not on my wedding day!'

CheersToTheWe3kend · 26/08/2021 22:37

I second the sumatriptan!! Had a whacking great injection of that stuff when my usual tablets didn't work. And propanalol for prophylactic use

mynameiscalypso · 26/08/2021 22:40

I got married a couple of weeks after having my gallbladder removed. Was very sexy on my wedding night when I had to get DH to change my bandages 😂

1990s · 26/08/2021 22:43

@Favouriteworstnightmare

Outing but my ex husband & I flew to my home area to get married followed by his family amongst whom was someone carrying a bug which ripped through the wedding party in the run up.

My husband to be and various other family members ended up in out of hours for anti sickness jabs. We had to pause the ceremony so he could be sick and we finally sat through our meal when he promptly fainted when he cracked open a bread roll. Ended up in a&e in my dress for several hours. Got back to the party and no one had saved me a bit of pudding. Was disproportionately gutted about that.
We broke up 9 weeks later as he was in love with his best female friend. Which was nice.

I had a similar selfish family member bring noro or similar to my wedding! I thought hoped I was the only one.

Flowersupnorth · 26/08/2021 22:44

I am an event florist and one wedding I was working on the bride and her children has norovirus that started that morning. They managed the ceremony then had a go back to the hotel room for the rest of the day and leave their guests to it.
Local radio heard about it and they organised a second reception for them which was so nice.

whatanightmare123 · 27/08/2021 07:48

Not a wedding but the death of my father. NC for this as it is very outing, but my elderly, very frail DF caught nono at his nursing home. The drs advised us that he was unlikely to survive it, and myself and my siblings gathered round his bedside to be with him at the end. And within 24hrs had all caught his bug and were completely floored by it. We had to struggle through taking it in turns to sit with him while regularly having to run off and vomit. We can laugh now about Dad's parting gift to us, but my god that was a hard few days!

BaringasMare · 27/08/2021 08:01

This is what wedding insurance is for!

I think you’d have to be feeling very seriously ill to cancel. Adrenaline and excitement would carry you through a lot.

StCharlotte · 27/08/2021 08:49

@mynameiscalypso

I got married a couple of weeks after having my gallbladder removed. Was very sexy on my wedding night when I had to get DH to change my bandages 😂
Someone I know was rushed to A&E for surgery on haemerrhoids (sp?) two days before her wedding. She had one of those doughnut cushions sewn into her dress (big Princess Di job fortunately).

This all happened while the groom was at home having drinks with his mates so they all knew about it. The were on pain of death not to mention it on the day but they were nearly floored when it came to "with this ring I thee wed"...

Loyaultemelie · 27/08/2021 09:08

I was 25 weeks pregnant, just off bed rest for bleeding and high blood pressure and had a migraine the day before and morning of. I was throwing up in the car on the way to the ceremony and hadn't eaten for 2 days (luckily a relaxed Gretna Green with only 10 including us) but I made it through.

BiddyPop · 27/08/2021 14:17

DH was still in bed 90 minutes before the (afternoon) ceremony, and both of us spent the first 2 days of our honeymoon laid low. But we managed to get up and going enough for the ceremony, photos and dinner. We didn't have evening attendees, and no dancing, so we were able to slip away at a reasonable hour to our bed in the hotel. Cancelling didn't enter our heads that day - but it was exhaustion and regular bad winter coughs/flueyness rather than serious illness (and we weren't throwing up, just felt like shite, and not proper flu either).

Whinginadeville · 27/08/2021 14:21

I had viral pneumonia and spent most of the day with my head spinning trying not to faint. I kind of wish I'd cancelled it as I really should of been in hospital. The insurance would have covered it and I barely remember the day and definitely didn't enjoy it. Still very very happily married though so that's a plus

Millionnewnames · 27/08/2021 15:09

My cousin gave birth a 03:40am on the morning of her sisters wedding. She discharged herself and amazed everyone by managing to be a bridesmaid at 2pm that day!
Not the same thing but that’s sisterly dedication for you. New baby slept through the whole ceremony in granny’s arms. It added something magical to the day !

peachgreen · 27/08/2021 15:40

DH had a bad chest infection (that triggered his eventual heart failure) and I had the beginnings of the flu on our wedding day. We made it through! Both felt pretty rotten though and there was certainly no sex! He had to feed me tea the next morning because I was shaking too much to hold the cup!

SunshineCake · 27/08/2021 16:07

[quote silentlight]@SnarkyBag the new sumatriptan type medications are brilliant, for the headache and the sickness. They have changed my life. They are not painkillers and I have few side effects from them these days (but I did have some side effects at the start). I only take one as I feel it starting and then I’m all good.[/quote]
You are who I need to talk too.

Been in bed over a week with constant headache. Finally got seen at hospital and diagnosed tension headache/ migraine and given Imagran50. I have one left. Feeling better but not headache free at all. Duty medic is ringing at some point to discuss. Any advice would be much appreciated. TIA.

CatalinaCasesolver · 27/08/2021 16:17

I went to a wedding where the bride went into Labour and off to hospital to give birth! We just enjoyed the free bar and they eventually got married a other time!

Tara336 · 27/08/2021 16:43

My DH was intensive care the week before his DD wedding, I was told at one point he might need a tracheotomy, thankfully that didn’t happen but he was terribly ill. He dragged himself to the wedding and was so frail, he missed the reception. His DD wasn’t particularly interested in whether her DF was ok or not as it was all about her (she had already told me she thought it inconvenient that her DF was in intensive care) they no longer speak.

silentlight · 28/08/2021 07:42

@SunshineCake imigran is sumatriptan. Your headache may be a one off, but if it’s not then it’s worth asking if you can have a prescription and keep sumatriptan on hand at home. You need a special card to buy it over the counter at a chemist.

I would also advise you to use an app called migraine buddy to track your headaches, triggers and medications (especially so you don’t overuse sumatriptan).