While one partner not showing up to the altar seems like a movie or TV cliche at this point, there are enough real-life cases to keep screenwriters busy for years. Because going from an accepted proposal to an entire marriage falling apart requires a good bit of drama to take place.
So some netizens really wanted to hear others' tales of weddings that were canceled right at the last minute and what caused it to happen. The internet responded with some tales ridden with drama, intrigue, and betrayal, as well as good old human stupidity. We got in touch with Shay Yellin from Bespoke-Bride.com to learn more.
More info: bespoke-bride.com | Instagram
#1
We called off our wedding because my fiance got cancer. We spent what was supposed to be our wedding day in the hospital. However! He is cancer free now, so we've decided to MAYBE start thinking about getting married again in a year. We've both decided we're not planning the damn thing though. Eff that. Elopement all the way betches!
400points
#2
I was 18 and had just had a kid with my first boyfriend. Unfortunately, said boyfriend was abusive as s**t, but I'd been putting up with it because I didn't know any better and didn't have family to help me out. The wedding was 2 weeks away, invitations had gone out, I had my dress, everything was ready to go. Then, one night he starts up with his craziness (you never know what sets it off), and I was tired so I didn't argue back. And when I didn't argue, he runs into my infant son's room, wakes him up by snatching him out of his crib, and threatens to leave with him and never come back.
As I'm on my knees crying and begging him to please give me the baby and he's holding the screaming child above me like someone holding a piece of steak just out of a dog's reach, I started thinking twice about the whole marriage thing.
I did what I had to to appease him that night, and the next day when he came home from work, he had no idea where I'd moved to. He did call his mother and tell her to shoot me if she saw me though. Luckily, she did not. In fact, she was in the process of aiding and abetting my escape at the very moment he called. F**k that guy.
Report
395points
#3
Called it off because I got a Facebook message from the girl he was sleeping with. Didn't even believe her till she sent me detailed descriptions of *MY* house, complete with the color and pattern of my current bedsheets. Kicked his sorry a*s out and kept the ring. Pawned that s**t. M**********r was living rent free in my house while I paid all the bills. Dumped his a*s, lost 100+ lbs. feelsgoodman.jpg
Report
329points
Bored Panda got in touch with Shay Yellin from Bespoke-Bride.com and she was kind enough to answer some of our questions. First, as wedding specialists, they have probably been around a lot more weddings than most of us, so we wanted to hear some stories of real wedding drama.
“On one occasion, it was a serene garden wedding, adorned with ivory blooms and twinkling lights, the air pregnant with anticipation. As a witness to this wedding that turned frosty, I can only describe it as a scene straight out of a rom-com gone rogue. The atmosphere was electric, but as the clock struck wedding o'clock, the groom's cold feet proved more potent than the hot July sun.”
#4
Obviously, throw-away time. I called off my wedding four days before the big day. Two of my bridesmaids (my best friend since high school and my cousin) got into a huge fight because they found out that he was sleeping with both of them. It was cheating within cheating and was easily the most surreal and heart-breakingly awful experience of my entire life.
Report
303points
#5
We called off our wedding because I had a meltdown over centerpieces. We realized that our priorities were totally in the wrong place and it was becoming more about a wedding than a marriage. We cancelled the wedding and eloped the next week. No regrets.
Report
299points
#6
My fiance called it off when she found out I wasn't rich. Apparently there's a guy with the same name as me who is heir to this huge fortune, whereas I'm just some idiot from a lower middle class family. She came into my life like a dream and I was so taken with her I thought that it was like a fantasy come true. When she met my family and found out who they were, she litteraly ran from the house. I had to track her down and found out after the fact that she was trying to get with someone she thought was an heir. I did a lot of growing up that year, fortunately for me, she didn't get what she wanted either. The guy she was after turned out to be gay and she now makes a living waiting tables.
Report
291points
“I, the ever-enthusiastic guest, found myself caught in a Shakespearean drama, watching as a jilted bride navigated a symphony of sighs and sympathetic glances. The catering crew held trays of canapés that seemed to wither in the icy ambiance, and the violinist's heartfelt melodies transformed into somber requiems. The phrase "left at the altar" suddenly gained a real, vivid hue.”
#7
My best friend called her wedding off 9 days before the big day. She discovered the he had emptied their joint wedding account playing online poker after he emptied his own personal account. She explained that the feeling of losing a down payment on a house, as well as the catering money wasn't anything compared to how she felt when he asked her for her inheritance from her mother (she had passed a year previously) to pay off more gambling debts. No apologies, no mea culpas, just more money. She walked, and 8 years later she's happily married to another guy with 1 boy and a bun in the oven!
Report
288points
#8
After a day of trying on wedding dresses, just me and my maid of honor, we met my family and hubby-to-be at my brother's house for dinner. While showing a picture of myself in a dress to my mother, which was on my bff's phone, she gets a text message from my fiance. This is odd because i can see him in the next room and i can see my friend in the kitchen. I read it of course and its a huge confession from him to her, addressing how they had fooled around a few weeks ago and he was really regretting he hadn't taken things further with her. He had NO idea i had her phone in my hand. I simply stood up and walked the 10 feet to him, held up her phone and looked him in the eye. The look on his face was priceless, and when i could speak i and my entire family let them both have it verbally (we're black, so you can imagine that was quite the showdown). Needless to say, i don't speak to either of them anymore.
Report
249points
#9
I found out my fiancée was acting like a real life bridezilla. I had gotten a text from her friend, it read something like "Got your number from Gina's phone. She's seriously acting c*nty. Are you sure about this?" Not believing it at first, I was then sent videos, and in one video Gina was seriously losing her s**t, screaming at her lifelong friends. This wasn't a side of her I had seen before. Then, I received a video, in which Gina said, and I quote: "He's going to buy me everything I want, he makes enough money, unlike your boyfriend who makes $9 an hour at a s****y retail job. I don't know how you date him, he has no money, he can't buy you anything" The girls response was affectionate, she obviously really loved the guy. Gina's response? "Well if he doesn't have any money what is the point?" I texted Gina's friend saying continue to record video, I'm going to call her. I called Gina and told her the wedding was off, her friends had been recording video of her acting like the biggest b***h on the face of the planet, and they're recording you right now. Why they are recording you, is because I want to see the look on your face and be able to save it forever. The wedding is not only off, but we're through, and since you don't have your name on the lease of our apartment, and I pay for everything, you'll be discovering all your belongings outside on the ground. Delete my number and never attempt to contact me again. The video was absolutely priceless.
Report
232points
“Though the wedding cake remained uncut and the dance floor ungraced by twirling couples, the experience left us with an unforgettable tale to recount. Cold feet, it seems, can indeed be chillier than even the iciest of wedding cake tiers,” she shared with Bored Panda, an all-too-common reason for cancellation that can still provoke pretty strong emotions.
#10
35 years ago I did that. I was a young Naval officer and set to marry the girl I fell in love with at college. I got cold feet three days before the event and cancelled it. It wasn't because I had had second thoughts about her; it was the stupid idea that I thought I could either be a good husband or a good submarine officer. I didn't think I could do both. About 9 months later I got a call from her (about 1000 miles away) and I found out that she had a new boyfriend. It just devestated me. I did everything I could to regain her confidence, but it took almost a year. During that year I was stationed at the submarine base in Bangor, Washington and she was 2400 miles away in Cincinnati, Ohio with that POS rich boyfriend hounding her daily. It really took a toll on me. I had many sleepless nights imagning the worst. I didn't give up though. A few months before we were scheduled to relocate to submarine squadron one in Pearl Harbor I took a chance and drove to Cincinnati. I convinced her to come back to Bangor with me and made the trip through the southwest and then back up the California coast along the Pacific. It was as much like a honeymoon as I could make it on my limited salary, and it was memorable. By the time we reached Washington Mount St Helens erupted. We were on the highway about 40 miles from it when it blew. The sky just turned black and the mud flows washed out the bridges north of us. We were re-routed along the coast and finally made it to Bangor. She had to return to CIncinnati, bu this time it was with the plan to return to Washington. When she flew back we eloped with a justice of the peace. That was almost 33 years ago. We have three sons and we couldn't be happier. Our boys re all grown up and I'm not far from retirment. Marrying her was the best, smartest thing I ever did.
Report
218points
#11
I called off my engagement because the moment I stopped being his girlfriend and started being "his future wife" was the moment I stopped being a person to him and became his property. He hit me, he forced himself on me, he tried to stop me talking to my family or friends. It was scary, and I loved him and was so confused. We'd been together years and he was so nice, what on earth happened?
I spent a few months trying to fix it back to how it was before the engagement, then gave up and ran away. He wasn't going to change, and even if he did, I couldn't forgive him anymore. We hadn't set a date yet, our families couldn't agree on location, style or season and he just wanted "right now, registry office" which nobody but him wanted...
Report
197points
#12
the LIES! oh my goodness the lies. Here's some background: My fiancee had baggage. I knew that. As in, I was going to be ok with becoming stepmom to 3 children, a daughter in law to two cr*ppy parents and sister in law to a stupid mess of a woman, and knew that I would be bringing home the bacon. I even bought a house that would be big enough to house him and the three kids. But he told me he never married his baby-momma, and that he would leave my house at night for occasional night shift work as a cop. I asked to see the court decision regarding the kids, just so I knew what was going on.... he kept the first page from me, that read "Divorce Decree". So when his parents made a "second marriage" comment, I was thrown for a loop. This was a pretty big thing to keep from your wife-to-be in 6 months. I told him to leave, and he swore up and down that was the only thing he lied about. I called his "employer", and it turns out he's not a cop either. So I have NO IDEA where he went when he left the house that I was paying for, and I immediately went to get tested. Yea, the f*****g lies.
Report
192points
Naturally, we also wanted to know if she believed that there are some indications that a marriage is doomed from the beginning. “While I don my metaphorical robes of matrimonial insight, let me share that yes, there are times when the wedding bells might clang a cautionary note rather than a celebratory tune. Having been a humble observer of the marital circus, I've gleaned a few insights.”
“As the confetti settles, watch for signs as subtle as a whispered "I do." When the ceremony resembles a scene from a Shakespearean tragedy, with strained smiles and a bouquet toss that seems more like a shot put, beware. A reception devoid of joyful revelry and echoing laughter might be as alarming as a "Do Not Enter" sign at a merry-go-round.”
#13
A friend of mine attended a wedding where the groom waited till his fiancée arrived at the altar, then pulled a huge red fabric letter A out of his pocket, pinned it to the front of her dress, and walked out of the church without a word.
Report
171points
#14
My dad called off a wedding before he met my mother. He was with this woman that really pressured him into getting married. Basically she just started wedding planning without a proposal. And my dad let it go too far. One night she and her mother were discussing what food was going to be served at the reception. So they asked my dad what he thought. "Roasted chicken or beef?" To which my dad replied, "I don't care which one you're having, because I'm not going to be there." Apparently she bought her own ring, too.
Report
159points
#15
This is one time religion helped me a great deal...
I was engaged to a girl and we were living together, but had known each other for less than a year. She was a true nympho, and I was fine with that at 22.
We went to meet the preacher who was going to marry us, and he suggested we stop having sex for the two months before the wedding to make the night more special. So we did.
We found out rather quickly we had very little in common outside the bedroom. And I wisely chose to call things off.
Not too long after that, I met my soul mate and we've been married for 19 years now.
Report
156points
“Watch the body language! When the couple's chemistry sizzles like a soggy firecracker, it could be more than just nerves. And let's not forget the way they waltz—or rather, stumble—through the first dance. If it's less Fred Astaire and more like a toddler's first steps, well, it might be time for a marital safety net. But wait, I'm no wedding whisperer! :) While these hints may have a grain of truth, remember that weddings are kaleidoscopes of emotions and nerves. A touch of cold feet is as natural as that unexpected gust of wind during outdoor vows.”
#16
My mom was engaged to be married to her high school sweetheart, let's call him Bob. Bob went to her doorstep two weeks before their wedding and told her he had joined the military and wasn't ready for marriage. He flew to Germany the next day. Fast-forward 30 years and two divorces later, my mom was single with five children from two marriages. She runs into her old high school sweetheart Bob. He is also single and recently divorced. They fall in love and have been together ever since. **Spoiler Alert: Bob is actually his name.**
Report
154points
#17
I was about two months away from getting married to someone I had been living with for about a year. I was getting fitted for my wedding dress when I looked in the mirror and thought to myself "I really hope he and I can stay friends after we're divorced." Then I thought, "Wait, did I really just think that?"
I got honest with myself and realized that at most, I had lukewarm feelings for this guy and that I only had been thinking about the wedding day but not the marriage or the life we were going to live together. I was 21 and just wanted to get married without having really understood what that meant.
I called it off, moved away, and met the love of my life three months later. We've been together for 11 years now, married for almost four, and are expecting our first baby this summer. Best decision I ever made!
Report
147points
“In the end, like any discerning connoisseur, I advise savoring the wedding cake and champagne of life with a pinch of realism. While clues may exist, the future remains a canvas begging for the strokes of life's unpredictable brush. So, dance with abandon, toast with optimism, and remember that even when the wedding wobbles, love's unpredictable alchemy might yet create a masterpiece.” You can find their work here, or on Instagram here.
#19
First of all, we were too young. We had been living together for a few years, were serious about each other and felt like it was the next step. We got engaged, planned the wedding for the next summer. Paid tons of deposits, I had a dress and everything. The entire time it felt off. Just stressful and I constantly had this what if I'm making a huge mistake feeling. I should have listened to it sooner, but 4 months before the big day I called it off.
His drinking/drug use had gotten extremely out of control. I realized I couldn't fix him and as much as it hurt I knew that we'd never have a happy life with his addiction issues. I moved my stuff out that next day and told him to leave me alone and never talk to me again because I needed a clean break.
That fall I started grad school and started a new life without him. Several months after we split, he contacted me telling me he'd been in AA for a couple months and needed to make amends as part of his program. I went back to our old place to meet him and saw a different man than I had ever seen.
It's been almost 2 years since we split/called off our wedding and he's been sober that entire time. I'm happy to say we're getting married this summer and this time everything feels right. I have gone to at least one meeting a week with him and while I know he's never "cured" of alcoholism, the fact that he got sober in spite of me not because of me, increases the likelihood that he'll keep at it.
For anyone considering calling off their wedding, I implore you to do so. The wedding train is a tough one to jump off of once it leaves the station, but it can be done and I'm happy to talk to anyone who has questions.
Report
142points
#20
A friend of mine was engaged to a girl. He was your typical SAP, he'd been on literally dozens of first dates from OKcupid and had had no luck with the ladies. Really nice guy, but completely socially lacking. She turned out to be a pathological liar. She was an army vet, she practiced underwater knife fighting, she came from old money but her part of the money had been spent on an incredibly lavish wedding ceremony,she had a daughter or maybe she didn't or maybe the girl was her niece or her friend's kid, she was military police.
The lies got so bad that she decided to move across country in the middle of the night with my friend to avoid a warrant out for her arrest. (fraud and impersonating a police officer) She told him that there were jobs for both of them waiting there with her family business. He had been working on a Ph.D. but had dropped out at her suggestion so he wasn't working at all and they were broke. So, they moved in with her mom and there weren't jobs for either of them. I think to distract him from that fact, she told him she was pregnant (a miracle!). He proposed. The ultrasound photo she showed him showed up on the first page of google image results for 'ultrasound.' He finally broke it off, he called his dad to get some money to fly home. She called him a few weeks later from jail to talk about their 'baby' and how she was going to get an abortion if he didn't get back together with her. The lady, she was nuts.
Report
138points