Though weddings are a glorious event and a most sacred moment in the lives of two souls, they are also high high stress and chaotic. The behind the scenes of weddings make legendary stories. As a cater waiter I once overheard the bride's sister tell the groom she was pregnant, and he responded "Don't worry, I'll pay for it. We'll go after I'm back from Maui. Next time don't miss a pill." Then they kissed. Chile... I was sent! I told EVERYBODY who worked there! We spent the rest of the evening placing bets on how long the "union" would last. And my story is only the tip of the iceberg, often, its the wedding workers who can tell if this is a happily ever after.
Redditor u/viratrim wanted all the wedding planners out there to dish and serve up some tea about unions they've witnessed by asking.... Wedding photographers/planners/etc., what's your biggest "this marriage isn't gonna last" story?
The Boca Story
wedding dress friends GIFGiphyShooting a very fancy wedding at the Boca Resort in Boca Raton. Groom - 3x divorced, Looks like George Hamilton, very wealthy, recently a great grandfather.
When asked where he'd be going for the honeymoon, he said "eh, she travels plenty on my dollar. But maybe we'll go somewhere later this year."
Bride - Less than half his age, gorgeous. While alone outside the reception before entrances, when asked by a friend how it felt to be Mrs. ____, she said "oh it's fine. It's whatever."
Notable quote from a guest I overhead "This is disgusting"
I'm sure they're fine.
The Wet Groom
Bride asked me to please get a few shots up ASAP for Facebook, which I did that night. Received a 1AM phone call from the groom FURIOUS that I had "made him look bad" by posting pictures where his "hair looked all sweaty."
This was an outdoor wedding. In Louisiana. On July 4th. At noon.
They didn't last a year.
Jerry Springer Style
Photographer here. I've seen some things, let me tell you.
- Christmas time wedding. Groom's family decides they hate the bride's family during the reception. There was a lot of barefoot dancing going on at the time so the groom's family took the glass Christmas ornaments that were the wedding favors off the tables and threw them on the dance floor. Of course they shattered and everyone got their feet cut up. This couple had been together for 5 years before getting engaged. The bride got served divorce papers less than 6 months after the wedding. She was stunned and had no idea her husband wanted a divorce. The whole thing was so freaking sad. I think about her a lot still.
- Bride punched out her sister in law at the wedding reception. They spent the rest of the evening hurtling random insults at each other throughout the wedding events. Since the wedding was at a remote campground the SIL did not leave. chaosisapony
Never invite an Ex....
vince vaughn party time GIFGiphyOne wedding I bar tended about 7 years ago, the best man was giving his toast and made a joke about the size of the groom's penis. One of the male guests yelled out "She's missing my extra 4 inches!" That led to a very awkward silence, and a couple groomsmen had to hold the groom back. I later found out the guy who yelled out was an ex-boyfriend of the bride.
Man Down
Groom passed out not once but twice during the ceremony. Like standing there... gee this guy isn't looking well, BAM. Groom on the deck.
Smelling salts, we get him up. Get him some water and orange juice... get through the vows and yep... here he goes again, not as bad.
How bout we just sit down on the steps and finish the ring ceremony?
The whole time his brother, the best man has that look like "I really should just scoop and run with him out of here...."
The poor bride has the worst look on her face like OMG what do I do?
6 months later, it was over.
She Cray
I photographed a wedding and I was working with the groomsmen and groom. It was after the ceremony and the bride went off to go fix her makeup. I was probably about 70 percent done with the men photos when the bride starts screaming and crying asking why she isn't in any of them. I explained that this was the guy's shots and that the the bride and bridesmaid shots were up next. She did not like that answer.
She demanded that she be in their shots too. These kind of photos were the ones where the groomsmen are doing the goody things with the groom. She then proceeds to take my camera and throw it on the ground. Shattering the lens. She then cries harder and the groom just walks away. I was so petrified. RIP Canon 6D you will always be missed.
Now THIS is some tea!!!!
I went to deliver a cake, and met the wedding planner, looking completely frazzled. I've worked with the woman A LOT and we're good work friends at this point, even though were technically in different fields. She always has her stuff together, so I asked her what was wrong. She tells me the groom's boyfriend showed up to confess to the bride that he'd been with the groom longer than she had and they were in love, but the groom got to him first. They were currently sobbing in the grooms suite telling each other they they loved one another and the groom saying he'd never love her like he loved him.
She was running interference and trying to keep the bride happy and the Mothers both out so those two could figure their crap out before she had to destroy any relationships, especially because she got the impression no one knew the groom was gay and they were on the down low, super religious hipster-y types.
The wedding, somehow, went on. I saw a few pictures, since the bride included them on her review of my bakery. Groom looks miserable while she looks radiant and happy.
The wedding planner told me about a year ago that she got a call from the groom's boyfriend to arrange his wedding and he was marrying another dude who basically worshiped him, which brought up the first couple, who didn't even manage a year, judging from bride's Facebook. shocking, I know.
No Tequila
tequila GIFGiphyI was the wedding DJ for a couple with large Italian and Irish families. Knew things would get wild when they did Patron shot toasts instead of the traditional champagne. Had an idea it wasn't going to last when the cops shut the wedding down after an ambulance carted a girl off on a stretcher who got punched in the face by some dude.
Just say no.....
Bride pouted through all of her photos because I couldn't magically make 2 hours of photography happen in a 35 minutes we had. She legit wanted 4 locations, all family formals, and wedding party shots done in just over a half hour. From all that I saw at the wedding, it seems like she doesn't get told "no" a lot. She was a nightmare to work with and the venue's coordinator literally did a happy dance once it was over.
Puke
Paris Hilton Reaction GIFGiphyI helped cater a wedding once and was slicing up the cake the bride and groom just cut for serving. The groom asked me if he could lick the icing off my fingers, with his new bride standing right beside him. I picked my jaw up off the floor and hid in the kitchen for the rest of the wedding.
The Buddy Plan
I'm not a professional wedding planner but I was helping a buddy plan his wedding. I used to be a chef that did event planning. I called him to ask some questions. He told me to call his wife because he was on a date. Wtf? So I called his wife and told her he was on a date and told me to call her. I don't know what happened after that. Neither of them have spoken to me since.
Sorry, not sorry. He wasn't a close friend anyway. He asked me for help and I guess he thought I would lie for him. I hope they didn't get married. I feel really bad for that young woman but, it would have ended worse if I didn't say anything.
Tossing Salad
food fight family GIF by The Jerry Springer ShowGiphyThis will last 5 months or 50 years. The bride and groom started a food fight during the reception at a military wedding.
The Vows
I play in a wedding/event band, and we were playing a friend of our's wedding.
I remember watching the ceremony from afar, and the whole thing was weirdly depressing. Their ceremony featured friends and family giving speeches, and all of the speeches (a truly comical amount) and the vows were all about how hard marriage is.
Nothing positive at all. It was hilarious to me.
Later that evening I found out the groom confided in one of our bandmates that the part he was looking forward to the most in the day was hearing us play the reception. Truly ridiculous haha.
The Editor
I edit the videos. I was told by my boss that there was no sparkler exit for this wedding (and to cut most of the ending) because the groom was too drunk and the bride was crying. But IMO I think the groom took something, cause he looked high. Anyway, I don't have a huge amount of confidence in the longevity of that one.
"Why, yes."
During a wedding music planning session with the bride, groom, and their mothers, a tense moment occurred that didn't bode well for long-term harmony in this couple's relationship.
For the wedding processional, the mother of the bride insisted on having "Here Comes the Bride," just as had been played at her wedding years ago.
The groom, however, wanted "Trumpet Voluntary," as had been used at his mother's wedding.
All 4 of them then started arguing amongst themselves, each determined to prevail.
To bring peace to the situation, I simply said, "How about a compromise? I'll play "Here Comes the Bride" for the Processional and "Trumpet Voluntary" for the Recessional.
They all just looked in silence, then said, "Why, yes."
Poking Holes
Ewww GIF by memecandyGiphyThe bridesmaid's speech included the phrase "poke a hole in the condom" and the bride's ex's name. I got the groom's face as he turned to his one year old child sitting in the granny's lap.
24/49
Made the mistake of planning my little sister's wedding in 2018. She didn't let anyone get to know the groom before her wedding. She was specifically keeping the grooms age a secret, but of course the information came out a few days before the ceremony. He was the one to convince her the secrecy was necessary. She was 24 he was 49. They had nothing in common and it was clear she was just the trophy wife.
Within a year there were big secrets that came to light. A secret house, bank accounts, a second home in another country, and a secret phone were all discovered. They didn't last long for obvious reasons. I feel bad for my parents that paid for everything.
Future Issues
This was brought up in a past asking of this question and not me, but whenever the bride and groom are at that moment where they cut the cake and have the ability to smash cake in each other's face. It is not doing it or not doing it, but when one of them decides to do it as a surprise on the other.
If they are not communicating whether this is acceptable before the wedding or know the other person well enough to know if they should do this in front of all their family then likely there will be issues in the future.
Ahhh. South Dakota
My cousin got married. Came to find out he knocked up another chick and told her to get an abortion, go away, etc. She showed up with her friend at the wedding reception 8 1/2 months pregnant, hammered drunk and wearing a wedding gown and veil. She hung out for a couple hours drinking and laughing at everyone. Ahh, South Dakota.
Frowns
Melania Trump Smile GIF by MOODMANGiphyNot me, but a friend was the photographer of a wedding I attended. I later learned the bride was pissed the whole day. Only 2 of the 1600+ photos were the bride actually smiling. She was 18 and the groom was 26. Lasted about 1 year. :/
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Experiencing death is a fascinating and frightening idea.
Who doesn't want to know what is waiting for us on the other side?
But so many of us want to know and then come back and live a little longer.
It would be so great to be sure there is something else.
But the whole dying part is not that great, so we'll have to rely on other people's accounts.
Redditor AlaskaStiletto wanted to hear from everyone who has returned to life, so they asked:
"Redditors who have 'died' and come back to life, what did you see?"
Sensations
Happy Good Vibes GIF by Major League SoccerGiphy"My dad's heart stopped when he had a heart attack and he had to be brought back to life. He kept the paper copy of the heart monitor which shows he flatlined. He said he felt an overwhelming sensation of peace, like nothing he had felt before."
PeachesnPain
Recovery
"I had surgical complications in 2010 that caused a great deal of blood loss. As a result, I had extremely low blood pressure and could barely stay awake. I remember feeling like I was surrounded by loved ones who had passed. They were in a circle around me and I knew they were there to guide me onwards. I told them I was not ready to go because my kids needed me and I came back."
"My nurse later said she was afraid she’d find me dead every time she came into the room."
"It took months, and blood transfusions, but I recovered."
good_golly99
Take Me Back
"Overwhelming peace and happiness. A bright airy and floating feeling. I live a very stressful life. Imagine finding out the person you have had a crush on reveals they have the same feelings for you and then you win the lotto later that day - that was the feeling I had."
"I never feared death afterward and am relieved when I hear of people dying after suffering from an illness."
rayrayrayray
Free
The Light Minnie GIF by (G)I-DLEGiphy"I had a heart surgery with near-death experience, for me at least (well the possibility that those effects are caused by morphine is also there) I just saw black and nothing else but it was warm and I had such inner peace, its weird as I sometimes still think about it and wish this feeling of being so light and free again."
TooReDTooHigh
This is why I hate surgery.
You just never know.
Shocked
Giphy"More of a near-death experience. I was electrocuted. I felt like I was in a deep hole looking straight up in the sky. My life flashed before me. Felt sad for my family, but I had a deep sense of peace."
Admirable_Buyer6528
The SOB
"Nursing in the ICU, we’ve had people try to die on us many times during the years, some successfully. One guy stood out to me. His heart stopped. We called a code, are working on him, and suddenly he comes to. We hadn’t vented him yet, so he was able to talk, and he started screaming, 'Don’t let them take me, don’t let them take me, they are coming,' he was scared and yelling."
"Then he yelled a little more, as we tried to calm him down, he screamed, 'No, No,' and gestured towards the end of the bed, and died again. We didn’t get him back. It was seriously creepy. We called his son to tell him the news, and the son said basically, 'Good, he was an SOB.'”
1-cupcake-at-a-time
Colors
"My sister died and said it was extremely peaceful. She said it was very loud like a train station and lots of talking and she was stuck in this area that was like a curtain with lots of beautiful colors (colors that you don’t see in real life according to her) a man told her 'He was sorry, but she had to go back as it wasn’t her time.'"
Hannah_LL7
"I had a really similar experience except I was in an endless garden with flowers that were colors I had never seen before. It was quiet and peaceful and a woman in a dress looked at me, shook her head, and just said 'Not yet.' As I was coming back, it was extremely loud, like everyone in the world was trying to talk all at once. It was all very disorienting but it changed my perspective on life!"
huntokarrr
The Fog
"I was in a gray fog with a girl who looked a lot like a young version of my grandmother (who was still alive) but dressed like a pioneer in the 1800s she didn't say anything but kept pulling me towards an opening in the wall. I kept refusing to go because I was so tired."
"I finally got tired of her nagging and went and that's when I came to. I had bled out during a c-section and my heart could not beat without blood. They had to deliver the baby and sew up the bleeders. refill me with blood before they could restart my heart so, like, at least 12 minutes gone."
Fluffy-Hotel-5184
Through the Walls
"My spouse was dead for a couple of minutes one miserable night. She maintains that she saw nothing, but only heard people talking about her like through a wall. The only thing she remembers for absolute certain was begging an ER nurse that she didn't want to die."
"She's quite alive and well today."
Hot-Refrigerator6583
Well let's all be happy to be alive.
It seems to be all we have.
Trying to lose weight is a struggle understood by many people regardless of size.
The goal of reaching a healthy weight may seem unattainable, but with diet and exercise, it can pay off through persistence and discipline.
Seeing the pounds gradually drop off can also be a great motivator and incentivize people to stay the course.
Those who've achieved their respective weight goals shared their experiences when Redditor apprenti8455 asked:
"People who lost a lot of weight, what surprises you the most now?"
Redditors didn't see these coming.
Shiver Me Timbers
"I’m always cold now!"
– Telrom_1
"I had a coworker lose over 130 pounds five or six years ago. I’ve never seen him without a jacket on since."
– r7ndom
"140 lbs lost here starting just before COVID, I feel like that little old lady that's always cold, damn this top comment was on point lmao."
– mr_remy
Drawing Concern
"I lost 100 pounds over a year and a half but since I’m old(70’s) it seems few people comment on it because (I think) they think I’m wasting away from some terminal illness."
– dee-fondy
"Congrats on the weight loss! It’s honestly a real accomplishment 🙂"
"Working in oncology, I can never comment on someone’s weight loss unless I specifically know it was on purpose, regardless of their age. I think it kind of ruffles feathers at times, but like I don’t want to congratulate someone for having cancer or something. It’s a weird place to be in."
– LizardofDeath
Unleashing Insults
"I remember when I lost the first big chunk of weight (around 50 lbs) it was like it gave some people license to talk sh*t about the 'old' me. Old coworkers, friends, made a lot of not just negative, but harsh comments about what I used to look like. One person I met after the big loss saw a picture of me prior and said, 'Wow, we wouldn’t even be friends!'”
"It wasn’t extremely common, but I was a little alarmed by some of the attention. My weight has been up and down since then, but every time I gain a little it gets me a little down thinking about those things people said."
– alanamablamaspama
Not Everything Goes After Losing Weight
"The loose skin is a bit unexpected."
– KeltarCentauri
"I haven’t experienced it myself, but surgery to remove skin takes a long time to recover. Longer than bariatric surgery and usually isn’t covered by insurance unless you have both."
– KatMagic1977
"It definitely does take a long time to recover. My Dad dropped a little over 200 pounds a few years back and decided to go through with skin removal surgery to deal with the excess. His procedure was extensive, as in he had skin taken from just about every part of his body excluding his head, and he went through hell for weeks in recovery, and he was bedridden for a lot of it."
– Jaew96
These Redditors shared their pleasantly surprising experiences.
Shopping
"I can buy clothes in any store I want."
– WaySavvyD
"When I lost weight I was dying to go find cute, smaller clothes and I really struggled. As someone who had always been restricted to one or two stores that catered to plus-sized clothing, a full mall of shops with items in my size was daunting. Too many options and not enough knowledge of brands that were good vs cheap. I usually went home pretty frustrated."
– ganache98012
No More Symptoms
"Lost about 80 pounds in the past year and a half, biggest thing that I’ve noticed that I haven’t seen mentioned on here yet is my acid reflux and heartburn are basically gone. I used to be popping tums every couple hours and now they just sit in the medicine cabinet collecting dust."
– colleennicole93
Expanding Capabilities
"I'm all for not judging people by their appearance and I recognise that there are unhealthy, unachievable beauty standards, but one thing that is undeniable is that I can just do stuff now. Just stamina and flexibility alone are worth it, appearance is tertiary at best."
– Ramblonius
People Change Their Tune
"How much nicer people are to you."
"My feet weren't 'wide' they were 'fat.'"
– LiZZygsu
"Have to agree. Lost 220 lbs, people make eye contact and hold open doors and stuff"
"And on the foot thing, I also lost a full shoe size numerically and also wear regular width now 😅"
– awholedamngarden
It's gonna take some getting used to.
Bones Everywhere
"Having bones. Collarbones, wrist bones, knee bones, hip bones, ribs. I have so many bones sticking out everywhere and it’s weird as hell."
– Princess-Pancake-97
"I noticed the shadow of my ribs the other day and it threw me, there’s a whole skeleton in here."
– bekastrange
Knee Pillow
"Right?! And they’re so … pointy! Now I get why people sleep with pillows between their legs - the knee bones laying on top of each other (side sleeper here) is weird and jarring."
– snic2030
"I lost only 40 pounds within the last year or so. I’m struggling to relate to most of these comments as I feel like I just 'slimmed down' rather than dropped a ton. But wow, the pillow between the knees at night. YES! I can relate to this. I think a lot of my weight was in my thighs. I never needed to do this up until recently."
– Strongbad23
More Mobility
"I’ve lost 100 lbs since 2020. It’s a collection of little things that surprise me. For at least 10 years I couldn’t put on socks, or tie my shoes. I couldn’t bend over and pick something up. I couldn’t climb a ladder to fix something. Simple things like that I can do now that fascinate me."
"Edit: Some additional little things are sitting in a chair with arms, sitting in a booth in a restaurant, being able to shop in a normal store AND not needing to buy the biggest size there, being able to easily wipe my butt, and looking down and being able to see my penis."
– dma1965
People making significant changes, whether for mental or physical health, can surely find a newfound perspective on life.
But they can also discover different issues they never saw coming.
That being said, overcoming any challenge in life is laudable, especially if it leads to gaining confidence and ditching insecurities.