To ask how many of your wedding guests have died?

[NameChangeMay2026]

It's our anniversary this week, although we are getting divorced.

How many of your guests did you lose in the twenty years after your wedding? I feel like our losses are high. About 85 guests and 15 are gone. Is this normal? Or does it seem high to you too?

40 years here, 7 from the older generation. 1 who was younger than me and sadly died in his early 20s. And unfortunately, my wonderful husband just recently. All siblings and friends still alive.

Do you mind me asking what happened to your SIL? When I hear about people dying suddenly at my age I like to know, in case it's something I can get checked out for.

Got married in the early 2000s, divorced now so not in touch with everyone who was there. Total of about 150 guests, at least 6 no longer with us.
My step kids were teens and their mum came to the wedding, ex met her when they were at school so there were a few of their friendship group there. I insisted that the teens take the opportunity to have a family shot with both of their parents, even though his ex thought it was a bit weird in the circumstances. She later died of cancer and the kids have expressed gratitude for their precious photos..

20 years married, none died

but we only had 2 : his parents were the witnesses and guests. Now a few years further on, I’m the last man standing .

Doesn’t it depend on how old you were when you married? I married at 64 so I anticipate at my 20 year anniversary half will be gone.

Yes, that's definitely part of it. Someone who married at 20 will have fewer losses 20 years on than someone who married at 30.

Been married 15 years, definitely lost people like my grandparents, grand aunts etc. But we had 2500 ppl at the wedding so really can’t say whether it is a significant percentage to be concerned. If you have more older ppl at the wedding chances are they will pass at some time.

Married 12 years, 45 guests, 2 died- a grandparent and the priest.

we have had 4 children born out of those children who attended though

Married at age 22, been married for 14 years so far, 200 guests. Five have died - two beloved Grandpa’s, a wife of a pair of family friend, an elderly neighbour and the husband of a (different) pair of family friends. I’m deeply superstitious so tapping on all the wood the others keep going a long long time!

20 years here too. Had about 115 and two have died- my grandfather and my godfather. But the age profile of my wedding was quite “young” because I don’t have a big “birth” family so the guests were mainly my friends who are still all alive rather than my parents’ generation who are all pushing 80 now. I also only had one living GP when I got married so that had largely already happened.

similar to pp though, there are some people I have barely seen since the wedding. It’s weird to reflect that if I got married now there would probably only be 25-30% guest overlap - lots of new faces and some that have faded. It’s fine but just a bit odd to reflect on.

Yea and I wasn’t allowed to move from the bed for the first few days even to use the toilet, in case the clot travelled further like to my heart or brain.

Thank you. Yes it can be pain only, my leg looked totally normal. I tell everyone so more people can be aware hence my long post lol. And I’m only late 30s.

My friend who died a few months before that was mid 40s. She had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer a year or so before.

Grateful to be alive but as I said it’s got me thinking about death a lot more and how you or your loved ones can be so close to it and not even know.

50 day and alot more evening, 6 years ago, one has died sadly, my lovely uncle before his time.

2,500? Surely that's a typo and you mean 250? Unless you're Kate Middleton??

Yes, indeed. What an amazing story. Thanks for sharing it.

I'm sorry about your friend. 😢💐

I find it quite poignant looking at our wedding photos. We only had 40 guests, mostly couples at our wedding 20 years ago. 3 were pregnant at the time, 2 lost their babies, 5 people have died and 8 couples have split up.

Divorced now - married 15 years ago. 3 have passed away out of 84 guests.

14 years. Very small wedding around 50. 3 have died all from the older generations. My dad and each of us have lost our last remaining grandparent since then. We’ve been lucky not to have lost any friends in the interim.

Funnily enough I was thinking about this the other day. We only had 16 guests for our ceremony and 5 have died 18 years later, which seems a lot, especially for DH as 4 were on his side, so half his guests. But his side did skew older as he still had grandparents alive when we married and I didn't. 3 of the 5 were in their 80s when they died and 2 in late 60s I think.

Thinking about the bigger evening party, the percentage is a lot smaller. I can think of an additional 3 off the top of my head out of about 50 extra guests. One of them was far too young though.

Married 30 years ago...11 guests. 5 dead. I am only in contact with 1 of them now.

This thought has occurred to me too! We got married 14 years ago and I can’t remember how many wedding guests we had but under 100. I can think of 9 who have died which doesn’t seem like a particularly great statistic, especially since it now includes my mum. Mostly they were 65+ when they died, some properly elderly, but one in late 40s.

10 in about 100 from 20+yrs ago. 1 parent each, and 1 of those was very young. All the rest have been late 70-80s, so not unexpected
I only really notice when doing my Christmas card list as I cross them off every year.

I have to admit this is not something that's ever crossed my mind on my anniversary ever. There has been 9 in 13 years. Fil, mil, my mum, a cousin of dh's, his aunt and two friends of mil/fil, a friend of my dad's and my aunt.

Edited to add, ten actually as my great aunt has also died.

Just doing a quick count - married 40 years ago - 26 out of around 50 are dead including the groom.

25yrs married.
6 died but all were elderly (2 grandparents, 1 great aunt, 3 parents,
1 guest) I did wear my veil