Have You Ever Had a Bad Experience at a Wedding? 7 Stories of "Things Guests Dislike Most About Weddings"

2018.10.20 published

Have you ever had an unpleasant experience at a wedding you were invited to?

On the wedding day, it's important for both the main characters, the bride and groom, and the guests attending to have a happy and enjoyable day.

Unfortunately, many people have had unpleasant experiences at weddings. While they may not express it directly, there seem to be quite a few guests who harbor mixed feelings…

This time, I've compiled stories of "unpleasant wedding experiences" that I heard from those around me or saw on the internet.

I want to believe that such things won't happen at my own wedding...! Let's keep these lessons close to our hearts＊

Such weddings are undesirable! ① A wedding where you're invited just for numbers

It's disheartening to receive an invitation to a wedding from someone you haven’t contacted in years or barely know.

Invitations that feel like "clearly just for numbers" lead to feelings such as, "Why was I invited?" or "Are they just after the gift money?" before even attending the wedding.

In such cases, guests may attend reluctantly, regretting their decision, and end up becoming even more distant.

Even if the guest count is small or the ratios of guests from the bride and groom's sides differ, it’s far better to invite only those who genuinely wish to celebrate rather than forcing relationships with people who don't matter much＊

Such weddings are undesirable! ② Weddings during peak holiday seasons

Weddings held on the main days of long holidays like Golden Week, Obon, or Silver Week often receive negative feedback from guests.

There are guests who may have planned overseas trips or need to return to their hometowns during these holidays, and making them cancel those plans is unfortunate.

Many expressed painful opinions such as "Not considering others' circumstances" or "Selfish." For the same reason, weddings on Christmas Eve or Christmas were also frowned upon.

By the way, when I asked around, many said, "If it’s the first or last day of a long holiday, that’s okay," or "Holidays like Valentine's Day or White Day don’t bother me at all."＊

Such weddings are undesirable! ③ Weddings that save on food and favors

Aspects related to hospitality for guests, such as food and favors, directly affect the satisfaction level of the wedding.

I, too, received advice from married seniors to never skimp on food and favors!

If the quality of the food and favors is low, yet the couple is seen changing outfits multiple times or putting on extravagant performances, guests might feel resentment thinking, "They spend money on themselves but not on us…"

The wedding reception is also a time to express gratitude to the guests. If guests feel neglected after making the effort to celebrate, it can lead to disappointment.

It’s crucial to thoughtfully consider where to allocate the budget within your limited funds＊

Such weddings are undesirable! ④ Weddings where the groom gets completely drunk

This is something the bride can’t control and depends on the groom to handle…

It's unpleasant to witness a groom who has drunk too much and is completely inebriated at a wedding.

While it’s unacceptable for the groom to drink excessively, it seems that guests sometimes encourage him to drink too much as well.

There was even a shocking episode where a drunken guest pushed the groom into the venue's pool, causing the groom to leave for a change of clothes!

Since it can be hard for the groom to refuse, the bride should subtly step in and say, "Please, let him be～♡" to help out＊

Such weddings are undesirable! ⑤ Weddings where the entertainment is vulgar

When the entertainment at a wedding banquet involves vulgar content, guests can find themselves at a loss for how to react. While it might be acceptable at a wedding after-party (though still inappropriate…), if a guest performs vulgar jokes in front of both families and relatives at the reception, it could raise doubts about the couple’s dignity.

To prevent any mishaps, it might be wise to inform the friends you ask for speeches or performances that "vulgar content is absolutely off-limits!"♡

Such weddings are undesirable! ⑥ Weddings with too many performances

I was surprised to hear about a wedding with more than four outfit changes or one with over six videos shown.

At weddings with too many outfit changes, the guests barely had a chance to talk with the bride. A wedding that featured too many videos left friends complaining that they had no timing to eat as the venue was always dark.

While there are many performances one might want to incorporate into a wedding reception, being too greedy and trying to fit everything in can lead to a tight schedule, leaving little time for interaction with guests or enjoying relaxed conversations.

Wedding receptions often run over time, so a more relaxed schedule may actually be better◎

Such weddings are undesirable! ⑦ Weddings with surprise interactions involving guests

Many brides might be eager to set up surprises at their weddings＊

While surprises that delight guests are always welcome, there are ones that can be problematic.

For instance, springing a surprise on a guest to give a speech without any prior notice.

Guests will be taken aback at being suddenly called upon and are likely to feel nervous and unable to speak well.

I've witnessed a situation where a guest, flustered, accidentally revealed about how the bride and groom met (at a mixer), which was supposed to be kept secret.

For everyone's sake, if someone has an important role, it might be safer to inform them in advance rather than making it a surprise◎

Wishing for everyone to have happy weddings＊

A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime special event＊

While it’s undoubtedly important to create your ideal wedding brimming with your own ideas, it’s essential not to overlook the perspective of your guests.

To avoid being teased about "wedding high," let’s always think, "What would I want?" and aim for a wedding where everyone can be happy♡