Humans have already attached a lot of “baggage” to weddings, from the understandable emotional heft, to all kinds of somewhat strange superstitions. But in the 21st century, there are a whole host of other things that might be foreshadowing of something being clearly off.

Someone asked “What are some red flags at a wedding?” and netizens shared their best (and worst) stories. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites and be sure to add your own thoughts and experiences to the discussion in the comments section below.

#1

Small fish in inadequate glass containers as center pieces. We all walk into the hall and find our tables, each with a belly up, totally dead, bloated guppy floating in its little glass coffin. Lots of people lost their appetites. Marriage didn’t last a year.

Image credits: aloneintheupwoods

#2

Mother in law in a white lace dress.

Image credits: ScaryPearls

#3

I’ve been to a lot of wedding, two of which I vividly recall the groom spending 98 percent of the reception and dance with his friends rather the bride, both ended in quick divorce.

Image credits: SillySub2001

#4

I went to a wedding where the bride gave a heartfelt sincere speech about how the groom is “like a loyal dog”: always listens, is always around, does what she asks, etc etc

She meant it to be cute or something. I found it kinda f****d up and demeaning lmao. Yes she did literally say “like a good loyal dog” im not interpreting that.

Image credits: Embarrassed_Clue9924

#5

When the bride/groom shoves cake in the other’s face.

Image credits: OneBigSOB981

#6

The speeches all end up being about times they were very drunk, including how drunk they were when they met.

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#7

The bride and groom asked for cash only on the invitations, and then COUNTED the money given to them at breakfast the next morning in front of everyone.

Image credits: Ok-Toe4522

#8

As a supposed supporter of the couple: none of the speeches mention them as a couple. Friends take more of a “if you’re happy, then I’m happy!” kind of tone. The couple isn’t aligned on their wedding details and/or looks peeved the whole day

As a guest: where the cost of hosting is passed onto the guests. Or there is no lodging nearby so guests can’t imbibe and the hosts are annoyed that no one danced or stayed late. Outdoors with very few accomodations or enough meals. Yes, I get that it’s “your day,” but hosting an event should account for guests’ experiences, imo.

Image credits: abqkat

#9

The groom with a cocktail waitress on his lap.

Image credits: clumaho

#10

The bride is losing her s**t over every little thing that isn’t exactly as she wanted it. Some people are more concerned with the idea of being married than they are about who they’re marrying. These are the people that have a “dream wedding” in mind.

Image credits: Generico300

#11

The bride and groom expect people to pay to attend.

Image credits: PrivateTumbleweed

#12

I went to a wedding where the bride was happy, glowing, flitting around the room talking to everyone excitedly. The groom was staring off into space almost catatonic.. Two days later he left to go to the store and didn’t come back, they got the marriage annulled and never spoke to each other again. And didn’t return the presents.

Image credits: Much-Ado-5811

#13

The mother of the bride/groom trying to control *anything* as if it’s her day.. not a good sign at all.

Image credits: still_on_a_whisper

#14

Went to a wedding where the groom talked about how much he loved the bride and the bride ALSO talked about how much the groom loved her.

A year in and she cheated, they’re divorcing.

Image credits: JustFiguringIt_Out

#15

No food lots of alcohol.

Image credits: manager96

#16

The groom and groomsmen acting like frat boys.

Image credits: serendipitycmt1

#17

Shots. The bridal party doing non stop shots from the time they start getting ready.

Image credits: Notwhoiwas42

#18

When the bride and her friends and family are at the opposite side of the building from the groom and his friends and family. The couple were barely together and it felt like two different events. They lasted a year.

Image credits: ZelaAmaryills

#19

Family members trying to make the day about anyone else but the wife. My friends wife is a twin. And at the wedding the Grandma dida speech about “the two sisters that shared a womb” all of the people at the fruends table were looking at each other cringing hard.

Image credits: super_isi

#20

The bride and groom arguing. If they cant get through the “happiest day of their life” without an argument, that marriage is not lasting long.

Image credits: DABOSSROSS9

#21

My grandfather (he had 15 kids) used to tell the young people getting married this advise:

He would look at the guy and tell him, “You need to do everything you can to make her the happiest woman on earth, and she, in turn will make you the happiest man.”

He said he could tell the ones that wouldn’t last because they would interrupt him after the first part.

It’s noteworthy to say that my grandfather love my grandmother very much.

Image credits: im-someone-else

#22

When the best man’s speech starts with, ‘I probably shouldn’t say this, but….

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#23

Hours long ceremony following a reception with no food.

Image credits: Carmen_SanAndreas

#24

My x husband hit me so hard with the cake smash my head bent backwards and he laughed. 
It absolutely was personal

Second my friend’s mom’s wedding she did everything for it every single detail bro was retired. She wrote the most incredible vows. 
He stood up there sheepishly embarrassed and said uh I didn’t have time…ditto I guess.

Image credits: Educational-Cod-1911

#25

No alcohol allowed.

Image credits: G-Unit11111

#26

A video presentation of the groom’s birth right before dinner (yes, this actually happened).

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#27

Drunk, fat uncle who refuses to wear a suit and goes in a tshirt.

Image credits: IntotheStormofSteel

#28

Little kids getting access to alcohol.

Image credits: saurusautismsoor

#29

Crying..

I was at a wedding once where the bride and groom were weeping, the priest and altar servers were sobbing, the whole congregation was blubbering. Even later on at the reception, the cake was in tiers..

Image credits: HugoZHackenbush2

#30

When the groom is sickly pale, sweating bullets, and looking pig-sick instead of joyful. Source: my wedding. .

Image credits: No-Wonder2002

#31

Just complaining in general. complain when you get home, thanks.

Image credits: eclimber2033

#32

When the groom starts his speech with ” this is for all you haters who didn’t want to see us together” ( rumour has it he was referring to the bride’s uncle and brother who don’t like him).

Now i am hearing the girl wants to divorce him but can’t because they have a young son under 5 years old.

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#33

The groom is drunk.

Image credits: Jane_Austen11

#34

So I am a wedding photographer. I am actually moving away from weddings, but I have kept up with a bunch of my couples. Weddings where one of the mothers / mothers in law tried to book me and demanded I speak to them as if they were the client (I always make the couple my clients, regardless of who pays. They sign the contract, etc) have ended kind of often.

I suspect it’s because of they’re controlling of the wedding they’re probably controlling of everything else, and a lot of marriages just cannot withstand that.

Image credits: LizardPossum

#35

I went to a wedding that had a buffet and they ran out of food when there were still about 50 people left to eat. And they weren’t at all concerned about feeding the rest of their guests. Not feeding your guests properly is a total red flag.

Image credits: sexlovescandy

#36

I went to a wedding where the Brides entire family and close friends gave speeches and they only talk about amazing she was. No mention of the groom in ANY speech. They got divorced a year later.

Image credits: sydneyyasmine

#37

They’re still together so I guess it wasn’t a red flag for their *marriage* but I attended a wedding where *all* of the speeches were about how great and funny and smart and creative and nice and sweet the bride was… and the groom got “good job finding such a catch!” as his highest compliment. on *his* wedding day. just seemed off to me.

Image credits: tcdjcfo314

#38

A destination wedding. (Please take your precious vacation time, when and where we ask you to, and make it all about us.).

Image credits: Choose-Carefull-y

#39

There is a “bride’s side” and “groom’s side” seating arrangement… and one side is empty.

Image credits: zane314

#40

Carrot cake.

Image credits: evalorrena

#41

Typically if it feels more of a birthday party for one of the couple than a wedding. I went to a wedding once where it just felt like a belated brides 21st. Everything was about her. She spoke nothing about her new husband and spent most of the night getting drunk with her bridesmaids. Even the bridesmaids speech’s were all about her, again very rarely mentioning the groom. She even made sure his parents were sat at the back of the venue and her parents front and centre was very bizarre. They divorced a few months later.

Image credits: randombeing222

#42

I understand not wanting the traditional vows, but I went to one wedding where ALL of the vows were extremely childish like “I promise not to leave the toilet seat up”. They lasted about a year.

Image credits: Joonbugx

#43

Eye contact. (lack of).

Image credits: ephemeral_engagement

#44

(My brother’s wedding).

The sister of the groom is waaay in the back of the bridesmaid line, behind a long line of the bride’s friends who happen to be large women and totally block her view of everything. Couldn’t even see my own brother’s wedding because of the arrangement during the ceremony. Would’ve been nicer just to be sitting.

So annoying because my brother & I were very close growing up, and I did a ton to help them out for the wedding. My small request to be closer to the front of the line (so we’d get family pictures together with my brother, Mom, and Dad all in one s**t) were just completely dismissed. She didn’t even have a reason… Just didn’t care to change the order back (originally my name was, of course, right after the bridesmaid).

She’s an only child, spoiled by her parents, and turned into such a bridezilla. She had my brother almost in tears a few times in the weeks before the wedding… Anyone else would’ve left her, but he’s too nice and just keeps “hoping everything will work out.” 🤷🏼‍♀️

I’m keeping my distance from them for a *while* because hearing his constant, real complaints about her got really old… Especially when he actually went through with the wedding.

Image credits: serrated_edge321

#45

A cash bar.

Image credits: Pristine_Lobster4607

#46

I went to a wedding one time where the bride ran away from the ceremony with her maid of honor and a guy we worked with (who was invited to the wedding) went to comfort her. she ended up coming back and still getting married then divorcing him later.

Image credits: ElectronicDraft4601

#47

“Marriage is the HARDEST thing you will EVER have to do, but these two… these two are strong enough to make it work.” My friend, marriage is optional and it’s important to me that you know that. .

Image credits: runner64

#48

I found out later that a wedding I attended was also attended by the groom’s side piece. That marriage was doomed.

And I’ve never seen a wedding where the groom smeared cake on the bride’s face last. When they’re cute and put a little smear of frosting on her nose or try to feed her a too big piece it’s fine, but the ones where he just smears cake all over her are doomed. Not a single one has made it 10 years, most don’t make 5. Now if the bride smears cake it’s fine, those marriages last. But not the other way around.

Image credits: _Internet_Hugs_

#49

One of my best friends: took the wedding ages and ages to start. We all had a bad feeling about it but soldiered on and waited and waited. (Turns out the groom was melting down and they talked him into it. I wish they hadn’t, for my friend’s sake.)

Later that day at the luncheon, the bride is nowhere to be found. I hunt around a bit and she’s sitting with the groom in a side room while he eats because he “wanted to be alone.”

Those of us close to the bride knew she’d been saving money for years as a nest egg. We watched on social media as they spent extravagant amounts of her money on their 3 month honeymoon in Europe (after he convinced her to quit her job).

More happened as the years went on (including a sweet little baby who’s nearly an adult now), but that wedding was a red flag. And when she finally told me she was getting divorced I couldn’t help but blurt “oh thank goodness”, at which point she laughed. Got my friend back.

Image credits: beatriceblythe

#50

Don’t wear white. Unless of course you’re Queen Elizabeth at Charles & Camilla’s wedding! Camilla couldn’t even wear white to her own wedding because Elizabeth had taken the colour so she had to wear grey 🤣🤣🤣.

#51

Held the same day as a baby shower.

#52

The groom fondling the bride’s a*s while the officiant does the preamble, hugging/h**h-fiving his bros when they are declared married (before kissing his new wife), then both of them getting knee-walking drunk and scrapping all night.

#53

The father of the bride made a speech about how he saw his daughter ‘organising’ the groom over time. Basically, instead of telling a story of their burgeoning love, it was a tale of how she began to control him over time. Was cringey. Lasted 3 years.

#54

The groom wants to show everyone a presentation on a big screen before the ceremony.

#55

I went to a wedding once and sat behind the groom’s grandmother. Apparently she’s hard of hearing because everyone heard her “whisper” when the bride walked down the aisle “I guess you can dress up trash”.

#56

Pills. Lots of people eating pills.

A couple of friends of mine got married at the chapel at Graceland. They were one of the first few couples who were able to do so. E’erybody was eating pills and super f****d up. Needless to say, that marriage didn’t last more than 5 years.

#57

I used to work weddings as a bartender, and there was a speech I heard where the bride kept talking about how many times she had wanted to leave the groom. That was a red flag.

#58

How much money is being spent, there is an inverse relationship between how expensive the wedding is and how long the marriage lasts.

#59

Overspending to overcompensate!

#60

“We’ve had our ups and downs”…”you put up with alot from me”.

#61

When the bride/groom get liquored up. Or their parents. Not a good look.

#62

From a wedding I went to in December, the bride and groom and then eventually the entire wedding party doing the “trump dance” (where he stupidly jerks his hands around like he’s sucking off Putin) when the dance floor opened. To YMCA nonetheless.

#63

When they newly married couple are having a screaming match. In front of their kids. Still wearing their wedding clothes. Dead of night in front of their apartment.

He got pissed her boyfriend when she was a teenager showed up with someone else. The ex didn’t know who’s wedding it was. Groom was even more upset because he “handed him a beer”.

#64

The way the bride looked at the ex girlfriend of the groom, who showed up in a mini-skirt with a random dude on her arm. The ex was my sister, the couple didn’t last 3 years.

#65

Either the bride or groom (or booth) getting absolutely obliterated before the ceremony….

#66

My husband refused to show up for our pre-wedding shoot because his family wanted to have a family lunch with him. My siblings and I were rightfully upset because my dad paid 20k for photos and 200k for wedding alone. Husband was insulted and refused to leave bridal suite for entry. He then reprimanded me during the entire wedding about my siblings disrespecting him. He wouldn’t let me take photos alone with my friends “because we are married now”.

Fast forward one year exactly, right now, he wants me to cut off my family completely or we can’t be together. We just separated this week and will be filing for divorce. I never imagined I’d be divorced at 27, still processing but he is a garbage narcissistic human :(.

#67

A red flag at a wedding could be if there’s obvious tension between the couple or their families, excessive drama, or if one person seems distant or uncomfortable. Another sign might be if there are unreasonable demands from the couple or their families.

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