How do you feel about destination wedding guilt trips and pricey requests? Recently, a friend of a bride-to-be took to Reddit after rejecting a destination wedding invite to Brazil, clarifying she and her husband are in Canada.
Not only did she decline, but she sent her an expensive bottle of champagne, wishing them a lifetime of happiness together, elaborating they’d “be cheering them from afar.”
However, she immediately received an email from the bride-to-be expressing her disappointment before finally linking a costly gift registry. So naturally, she felt this was tactless and wondered how others felt about it and asked for similar stories. Here are the top-voted responses.
1. She’s In It for the Gift and Group Rate
One woman noted, “It’s about the registry for her, not your presence. So do NOT feel bad!” Another asked, “Is it also about the couple getting significant discounts or freebies if a certain number of people book?” To which many agreed that it was.
2. They Aren’t All Bad
Many people stated that destination weddings aren’t all led by selfish bridezillas. One noted, “Every couple I know who had a destination wedding did so with wide-open eyes that many could not make it.
They counted on it. They had destination weddings so they could have a small, intimate, and more luxurious wedding that they would enjoy!”
And now for some juicy destination wedding horror stories…
3. Free Honeymoon Suite
One explained that her cousin decided to get married in a tourist hotspot and wanted everyone to pay for their stay in the cabins and travel expenses to get halfway across the world.
Unfortunately, the cabin she rented was out of everyone’s budget except for her in-laws. She was so angry when everybody stayed elsewhere. The honeymoon suite would have been free if they had booked enough people in the cabin.
4. Bill Under the Door
Another shared that they went to a friend’s wedding at an expensive destination. The airfare alone was above her price range. The bride told everyone before the wedding that they would take care of the sleeping accommodations since they were at a fancy hotel.
At the end of the night, when the reception ended, the bride was too intoxicated and let out that everyone would be woken up with a bill under their door, with no hopes of leaving until paying the bill.
Everyone went ballistic. Half the guests left, while the other half was already asleep. So half of her friends and family were stuck in that hotel until they found some way to bail themselves out. The honeymoon suite, however, was free for the couple, and they left before anyone woke up.
5. Where’s My Gift?
“I will never go to another wedding after my sister and brother-in-law’s attitude toward the song I performed,” one confessed. “I had to pay my travel fair, food costs, and everything else associated with the trip at 19 years old.
Somehow, I found that money, but that left me ultimately broke. I’ve been a singer and musician my whole life, and my sister has always praised my capabilities. So I believed writing a song would be more heartfelt than any present I could buy.
That night, I sang my song, and my sister asked for her gift, and I was dumbfounded. She cut me off because I am cheap and selfish.”
6. Hawaiian Tenth Anniversary on You
Another explained that their former friend hosted a gorgeous destination wedding in Hawaii when they were younger. They all could make it and have a fantastic time since they only had a few financial responsibilities.
Ten years later, they received a message in a group chat from that same friend who thought that since everyone had such a great time in Hawaii for the wedding, everyone would love to join them in Hawaii for their anniversary.
Though all the friends wished they could have gone, they now all have kids and mortgages, which makes it difficult to afford a family vacation like that. So the friends all said they regretfully couldn’t make it, and she sent a second email.
She stated that we were all fake friends and that we couldn’t count on any of us for anything. Also, they couldn’t afford to go away and had to settle with celebrating at home.
For some reason, she had it planned out that everyone would not only pay the travel expenses for other families but also chip in for her and her family.
7. No Exceptions for Pregnancy
“I was pregnant when my friend planned her destination wedding for Germany when I was local to the U.S. Not only was this out of my price range. In addition, it would be dangerous to make the trip since I would be so far along,” one explained.
“It was a given I wouldn’t be in attendance. I told my friend what gift I had ordered from her registry, and she went insane, calling me greedy, senseless, selfish, and worse. She is not my friend anymore.”
8. Handmade Painting
Another person shared that they had gone to a destination wedding where everything on the registry was above $300. The bride also expected everyone to buy her drinks and chip in for the honeymoon.
She elaborated, “I attended the wedding with a handmade painting that I spent hours on since she was a close friend. But, instead, the bride spits on me and is no longer my friend.”
9. Poor Timing
“My husband and I planned our wedding for our hometown. However, his family lives 2,000 miles away, so we promised to give them over eighteen months’ notice,” began one.
“For some reason, when his brother got engaged, his fiancé planned a destination wedding a few months before ours with only a few months’ notice.
Neither of them could understand why his family couldn’t afford to attend both weddings. But, since their stay with us was already planned and booked in advance, they could only go to ours.”
10. Left in Italy
Finally, someone shared that their friend met a woman about two months before he proposed. Unfortunately, he hadn’t had the best luck with women, so he rushed it. His fiancé decided she wanted a destination wedding in Italy, but he didn’t want to wait to plan it out.
Popular Reading: Wedding Freebies: A Huge List of Free Wedding Stuff for Your Big Day
He wanted to set a date for a month after he proposed and threw his money at any wedding planner who would take him. Most people couldn’t make it because of how last minute it was, and he cut off everyone, family, and friends. They concluded, “Last I heard, she left him for an Italian man the day before the wedding.”
We hope you enjoyed this Reddit discussion about destination weddings. What do you think?
This article was inspired by the internet and did not necessarily reflect the views of The Budget Savvy Bride.
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