What makes a bride turn into a bridezilla? Is it the nervousness and anxious thoughts that make brides lose their cool, or do they get angry because of other things?
Every woman wants her wedding day to be perfect, but when that stress gets intense, the brides either flip out or, let’s be real, their true colors start to show. Here are stories from five folks on Reddit who’ve witnessed some of the most jaw-dropping bridezilla moments.
Comments have been edited for clarity and grammar.
1. My Best Friend’s Wedding
u/ajlawford: I had a silent bridezilla. She was my best friend of 15 years and didn’t ask for much during the wedding planning as there were only two months between the engagement and the wedding day.
There was no bachelorette party, dress shopping, gift exchanges, or in-person meetups. We lived two hours away, but she didn’t want my input.
A woman talking to another woman | Source: Shutterstock
She wanted me to buy a dress, look pretty, and attend her wedding. I thought, “OK, whatever you want. You’re my best friend, and I’m excited you are getting married.”
She didn’t even let me help with her hair and makeup on the wedding day. Instead, she just asked me to focus on my hair and makeup. She didn’t trust me to do it well enough because I had short hair. Okay, fine. It’s your day, whatever.
Everything went well until the bride got her sister to call me. During the two-hour-long call, the bride’s sister criticized my every move throughout the wedding, saying that I should never have accepted to be a bridesmaid if I didn’t want to participate.
She also reviewed my Facebook profile to note what I had spent my money on (for example, I posted about joining a bowling league for fun). She said I should have spent that money on the wedding.
An angry woman talking on her phone | Source: Shutterstock
The wedding was two days after Christmas, and her family didn’t even celebrate Christmas that year because of the wedding.
Meanwhile, I was criticized for not spending more time with her, even though I traveled three hours by train the day after Christmas to hang with her the night before her wedding.
Apparently, I should have stayed the night of the wedding to hang with the other two bridesmaids, but I opted to drive home with my boyfriend as I needed to work.
Initially, the bride said she would pay for my makeup on the wedding day, but she changed her mind two weeks before the event.
She asked me to drive for two hours and buy an expensive makeup brand. Despite knowing I was broke after Christmas shopping, I accepted her wish and purchased the makeup. However, she still thought I had an attitude about this.
Two women arguing | Source: Shutterstock
I was also criticized for not giving a gift, although the bride said, “Being a bridesmaid was gift enough.”
After these events, the bride stopped talking to me and blocked me on Facebook. After months of being mistreated, I finally cut my best friend and her sister out of my life.
The last time I saw either of them was the wedding day, which was five years ago. I never even got to see the wedding photos. It’s so sad to see long-term friendships ending over nothing.
She should have told me about her expectations instead of expecting me to guess them and then judge me for not meeting her demands. She also should have talked to me directly instead of involving her sister.
2. She Was Mean as Hell
u/sojadedblond: A friend took out a $7500 loan for her wedding. Okay, that was not too bad. It was workable and sounded pretty reasonable. Then, she asked her fiancé to take out a $25,000 loan. (She forced him by saying she’d leave him if he didn’t.)
A woman arguing with a man | Source: Shutterstock
He had much better credit and got the loan. Then, my friend begged his parents to pay for their honeymoon while they had no idea she had asked their son to take out a loan.
They thought her parents were paying for a modest outside wedding at a local garden, and she repeatedly lied to them until a few weeks before the wedding. She kept threatening to leave her fiancé if he didn’t do things as she wanted them done.
Anyway, his parents were so happy to pay for a cruise (a nice Alaskan cruise) for their honeymoon, but that wasn’t enough for her.
She then lied to her parents, saying that his parents were only giving them $250 for the honeymoon. Her parents were shocked as they were paying for the wedding and reception and thought the groom’s family would at least pay for some of the honeymoon.
Two champagne glasses | Source: Unsplash
They encouraged her to get a better job (she worked 20 hours a week as a receptionist at a nail salon) or to at least go full-time at her current job, but she flat-out refused, saying she had so much to do in planning for the wedding/honeymoon, etc. She was an absolute nightmare.
She and I hadn’t talked since high school (we weren’t very close, more like acquaintances), and she had gotten my number from a mutual friend to call and ask if I’d sing at her wedding.
During that phone call, she told me about everything that happened. She added that she wanted her fiancé to take off two and a half weeks instead of the nine days he’d already taken.
When she asked me what she should do about the honeymoon, I told her she was being a little unreasonable and very demanding with people.
I said it gently and kindly. I wasn’t just like, “Wow, you’re being the worst person ever right now, and your fiancé is really stupid to marry you for a lifetime.”
A woman talking on the phone | Source: Shutterstock
I said, “It seems like you’re putting a lot of pressure on everyone around you to do things your way and only your way. This is Evan’s wedding, too. Maybe ask him what he’d like. Planning this together instead of you alone can be much more fun. You guys will be together for a lifetime, so putting this much stress on everyone, yourself included, just makes things so much harder than they have to be.”
She was quiet for a few seconds, then said, “Uh, okay, I deserve this wedding, and Evan will give me what I want. I don’t want you to sing at the wedding. You’re so mean for telling me I don’t deserve a beautiful wedding!”
When I tried to explain that I thought she could have a gorgeous wedding, just with less stress and anxiety, she said, “You’re just like everyone else. You don’t want me to be happy! My dad keeps telling me to get a better job, and Evan fought to get the loan, and you saying this makes me want to give up!”
After that, she burst into hysterical tears and hung up. It was bizarre. She was like that in high school: very dramatic, mean, and selfish. However, I don’t remember her being that crazy and delusional. They got divorced 14 months after the wedding.
3. The Bridezilla Tried to Scam the Bridesmaids
u/ShamedShamingShamer: Several years ago, a friend asked me to be a bridesmaid at her wedding. There were six bridesmaids and one maid of honor (MOH).
Women sitting together | Source: Shutterstock
The bride had picked out her dress already, one for the MOH and one each for the bridesmaids. The dresses were lovely but a bit expensive at $400 each.
Two bridesmaids, including me, were still in college, and the rest had graduated. Since I was still studying, my budget was super tight.
Once the bride picked the dresses for us, she asked the MOH to coordinate with us for the fittings. The MOH told us she would pay for our dresses using her credit card because she wanted Air Miles. She asked us to pay her directly and said we could repay her in installments if needed (I definitely needed to). We all agreed.
All the bridesmaids picked their dresses together, but I couldn’t join them because of my exams. As a result, I decided to go myself the following week.
The MOH said she would pay for mine on the group trip but to call her if there were any issues with the dress. She said she would handle it.
Wedding dresses hanging in a shop | Source: Pexels
When I tried the dress at the shop, it looked perfect, and I was happy. The shop owner went to attend to another client while I was changing back into my clothes, but she confirmed that we were all set.
As I was walking out of the door, a shop employee yelled, “Hey! That will be $200!” I was stunned and totally mortified. I apologized and explained how I thought the MOH had paid for it the weekend before.
The shop owner immediately rushed towards us, diffusing the situation by confirming that the MOH had already paid for the dress. When I turned to leave the store, I realized the shop owner had said $200 and not $400.
Long story short, the dress was only for $200. When I confronted the MOH about it, she spilled the beans.
A shocked woman | Source: Shutterstock
Apparently, the bride and MOH plotted together to charge us double to help pay for the bride’s dress. I let the rest of the bridesmaids know, and four of us dropped out of the wedding immediately.
4. The Last-Minute Floral Fiasco
u/Haceldama: I am a florist, and we once had a bridezilla visit our shop. The bride came with her mother at 9 a.m.
They wanted to order a bridal bouquet, a mother-of-the-bride Cattleya orchid corsage, a boutonniere for the groom, and six smaller ones for the groomsmen.
The wedding was scheduled for noon, and they gave us only three hours to fulfill their order. They wanted everything ready by the time they were done with their makeup appointment at the beauty parlor a few doors down.
A flower shop | Source: Pexels
The bride was flipping through the FTD sample book and pointing out the style and flowers she wanted. She wanted to order garden roses with long sweeping trails of stephanotis and variegated ivy, all three of which would require at least a week’s advanced order with our suppliers.
The bride was shocked when we told her we didn’t always carry extremely expensive and highly perishable flowers. My boss told them that since they didn’t place an order beforehand, they would be limited to what we had in stock and simple styles that could be assembled quickly.
The bride and her mom kept pointing at the book and arguing that we should have those specific flowers in stock. My boss eventually took the book off the desk and tossed it behind the counter.
The bride vacillated between tears and petulant whining that we would ruin her big day. My boss, who disliked brides in general, told her she had ruined her day by not ordering flowers before her wedding day.
A sad bride sitting in a room | Source: Shutterstock
The mom tried chewing out my boss for lacking customer service skills. My boss told her she was welcome to go down the street to another florist and ask their flower department to make their order with whatever they had in stock.
The mom said she’d do just that and reassured the bride that she’d have her flowers done by the time her appointment was over. Both women stormed out.
I figured that was that, but my boss told me and the other girl to start on six simple dendrobium orchid bouts. Meanwhile, she threw together a ribbon-wrapped bridal bouquet with white roses nearly past their prime.
Twenty minutes later, the bride’s mother slunk back in and meekly asked if we could still assemble what they needed. We did. We also charged her a huge rush fee.
5. The Bridezilla Meets Karma
u/[deleted]: My friend called me one day and asked me to be her maid of honor. At first, I was thrilled. But then things took a bizarre turn.
Two women smiling at each other | Source: Pexels
She started oddly, asking me to dye my hair blonde, then demanded $1000 for her bachelorette. I was shocked but things worsened when she insisted I lose 10 pounds. I was taken aback by her demand.
Fuming, I thought about teaching her a lesson. But before I could do anything, karma intervened.
A week after our heated conversation, just a day before her wedding, she called me in a panic. “WHAT DID YOU DO??? I just got a call from my bank!” she said.
It turned out that her bank had frozen her account due to suspicious activity. In her pre-wedding frenzy, she had made so many extravagant purchases that the bank suspected fraud.
A bride screaming at her phone | Source: Shutterstock
One of my exes had his account frozen once and she needed advice as to what I’d done to help my ex-boyfriend. I worked as a banker back then. I refused to help her and hung up.
Have you ever seen a bride throw tantrums and get too demanding with her family and friends? Share your experience with us in the comments section.
Saleslady Kicks Poor Old Woman Out of Luxury Store, Cop Brings Her Back Later – Story of the Day
Kerry didn’t have much money as she lived on her pension. But she wanted to buy a dress for her granddaughter Anne’s prom. At a luxury store, saleslady Sandra greeted her but couldn’t disguise her prejudices, as Kerry didn’t look like her regular customers. She drove Kerry away, but someone stepped up to help.
“Grandma, I don’t care about prom! Really. I just want to stay home and watch movies with Mom,” Kerry’s granddaughter, Anne, said through the phone.
Kerry had called her to talk about her graduation from Strawberry Crest High School in Tampa, Florida, was coming up, and prom was right around the corner. But the older woman was surprised when her granddaughter assured her that she didn’t want to go. She claimed to not care about the event, but Kerry knew the truth.
Kerry went to a luxury store to find a dress for Anne. | Source: Shutterstock
Her daughter, Lisa, worked minimum wage, and Kerry lived on her pension alone. None of them had enough money to buy Anne a proper dress for the prom. The 18-year-old felt embarrassed about it.
“Ma’am. Are you ok? Can I help you with anything?” a kind male voice asked.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go? You know I went to the prom with your grandfather. He asked me out of the blue, and we got married a few months later. We loved each other until the day he died, and I still miss him every day. The prom can change your life,” Kerry insisted, her voice cheerful as she tried to convince her to go.
“I know, Grandma. But still. I don’t want to go. Also, I don’t have a date either, so it doesn’t matter. Listen, I have to go study, I still have a few finals left. Talk to you later!” Anne said and hung up the phone too quickly for Kerry’s comfort.
Therefore, the older woman decided something. She was saving a bit of her pension every single month to cover her funeral costs so that Lisa would not have to worry about anything expensive. But there was something more pressing right now.
The saleswoman greeted her but her attitude changed for some reason. | Source: Pexels
She wanted to buy a dress for her granddaughter. Anne deserved it. She was a brilliant kid who worked hard at school. It wasn’t her fault that they lived in poverty most of the time, and Kerry would convince her to go to the prom in a lovely dress.
The following day, she went to the mall and found a beautiful boutique full of amazing dresses. She entered, and her eyes widened at the sparkle. “What would Anne like?” she asked herself, touching one gown closest to her.
“Hello! My name is Sandra. How may I help you… ugh… today?” a saleslady approached Kerry, but she stumbled on her words for some reason. The woman looked up and down at Kerry and her mouth twisted strangely.
“Hi there! I’m looking for a dress for my granddaughter. Her prom is coming up,” Kerry explained, smiling at the woman despite her weird demeanor.
“I’m sorry. This is not a rental store. You have to buy these dresses in full,” Sandra said, linking her hands together.
But Kerry had no idea what she was talking about. “I know that. But can you show me some of the most popular models?”
Kerry realized what the saleslady was implying. | Source: Pexels
“Well, the most popular are pretty pricey. In fact, the entire store might not be in your price range. Perhaps you could go to Target for it?” Sandra suggested, and Kerry finally realized the woman’s attitude. She didn’t think Kerry could afford anything and shouldn’t be shopping at that store.
She was offended immediately but didn’t want to say anything and cause a scene. She continued walking around the store, with Sandra following. “I’m just going to browse around, okay?” Kerry said, trying to get the woman off her back.
“Listen, you can really get nice things at Target in your price range. This is simply too much,” Sandra continued, crossing her arms. “Also, we have cameras everywhere. You won’t be able to stash anything in that ugly old bag of yours.”
Kerry finally turned around to face the rude saleslady, and her eyes widened. Sandra smirked cattily at her, daring her to do something. But she had never been a confrontational person, so she rushed out of the store, ashamed, and tears streamed down her face.
A police officer asked what was wrong. | Source: Unsplash
She was right outside the mall when she dropped her bag accidentally, and for some reason, that made her break down even more. After being humiliated by the woman, she cried heavily, but something touched her shoulder.
“Ma’am. Are you ok? Can I help you with anything?” a kind male voice asked, and Kerry lifted her head to stare at a young cop, who tried to get her to stand up straight. He leaned down to pick up her purse and gave her a dazzling smile.
“Oh, thank you, officer,” Kerry said, grabbing the bag and composing herself.
“Well, I’m still an apprentice. I’m only 20, but I’ll be an official officer soon enough,” the young man answered humorously. “Can you tell me what happened?”
“Well, it’s a bit silly…,” the older woman began. Something about his face made her want to talk about it. He was frowning heavily by the time she finished.
“That’s preposterous! How can a salesperson treat you like that?” he said.
“What’s your name, young man?”
He ushered her back to the store and talked to the manager. | Source: Pexels
“George Martins,” he answered and looked toward the mall doors. “Look, my mentor came here for coffee. But we have time to choose a dress. Let’s go!”
Kerry wanted to refuse, but George pulled her along towards the luxury boutique. Sandra spotted her immediately.
“I thought I told you to leave… oh, officer. What’s going on?” Sandra asked, changing her tune as soon as she saw the cop with Kerry.
“We came here for a dress, and we’re not leaving without one,” George stated, and he gestured for Kerry to continue shopping. He also complained to Sandra’s manager while the older woman looked for a dress.
After a few minutes, she finally chose something beautiful for prom, and George even paid for half of it despite Kerry’s objections. But it wasn’t that expensive because the store offered ended up offering them a discount due to the complaint George raised against them. They heard the manager scolding Sandra while leaving.
Anne looked beautiful in her dress but lamented not having a date. | Source: Unsplash
George accompanied Kerry out of the mall and bid her goodbye. But Kerry couldn’t let such a wonderful young man go just like that. “George, do you have any plans this weekend?” she asked, raising her eyebrows slyly, and George laughed.
***
On prom night, Kerry appeared at Lisa’s house to surprise her granddaughter with the dress in her hands. They told her how vital this rite of passage was for every young person, and they dressed her up.
In the end, Anne was happy and looked beautiful. But she shrugged as they took pictures of her. “It’s too bad I don’t have a date,” she said, arranging her dress shyly.
“Actually…,” Kerry stared, and the doorbell rang at that moment.
George was right outside wearing a beautiful tux, and he had a corsage in his hands. The older woman made introductions, explaining what happened at the mall and how kind George was. Anne was embarrassed, but she accepted the corsage and the date.
Years later, they got married. | Source: Unsplash
They had tons of fun at prom, and seven years later, she and George got married.
“I told you prom can change your life!” Kerry said while helping Anne with her wedding dress.
What can we learn from this story?
- It’s not polite to treat anyone any less because of their looks. Sandra judged Kerry because she didn’t look like her regular customers, and she got scolded because of it.
- Help out as much as you can. George saw a crying older woman and decided to help out. And in the end, he found his happiness thanks to that one moment of kindness.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a waitress who mocked a poorly dressed man at a restaurant, and karma hit her back.
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