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SA’s most cringeworthy wedding disasters revealed!

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PHOTO: Getty Images
PHOTO: Getty Images

Every girl dreams of the day she finally gets to say “I do” to her soulmate.

Your wedding day is supposed to be one of the happiest days of your life – a moment you’ll most likely cherish forever.

But for some couples, their special day didn’t go exactly as planned…

Here are a few wedding disasters witnessed by seasoned wedding professionals who were willing to share some of their cringe worthy experiences.

1.    Sister-in-law from hell

“I shot at a wedding a few years ago where the bride’s sister did not like the groom at all. So much so, that she wore boots that had bullets on them. She also kept hissing under her breath the entire ceremony.

Whether that was live ammunition or not, I don’t know but it made for an uncomfortable afternoon.” – Zuzi Seoka photographer and founder of Zuno Photography

2.    MC and groom can’t seem to bite their tongues

“I truly believe that a Master of Ceremonies sets the tone for a wedding reception.

I went to a wedding a year ago, the MC was Afrikaans speaking. He made bad jokes, and attempted to translate English expressions to back to Afrikaans, which never sound right! He then prolonged the entire programme by saying a brief speech after each speaker! The entire night was a drag and guests were rather bored.

To put the cherry on the cake, the groom delivered the worst speech. We all know that ‘the big day’ is really all about the bride. Whilst standing next to his wife, he literally spoke about nothing but his past relationship – constantly throwing his ex-girlfriend under the bus. He barely spoke about the bride’s special qualities or what she means to him.” – Beuron Bosman, a florist at Sweet Bloom Florist Design

3.    A meatless traditional wedding

“I attended a traditional wedding in a village in the Eastern Cape. The guests were standing throughout the ceremony because the chairs were painted the night before and were still wet. As if that was not enough, the lunch was veggies and salads – no meat. A traditional wedding with no meat is unheard off. The disappointment was written in capital letters in guests’ faces.

Apparently, a night before the wedding the venue was changed due to the drastic change in weather. The wedding was going to be held in a marquee in an open space close to the bride’s home but the wind was way too strong and no one trusted the marquee to still be there the following day. That evening everything was moved to a nearby school. The organisers decided to paint the chairs hence they were still wet on the wedding day. On the morning of the wedding, the men who came to slaughter the cow found the gates open and the cow was absolutely nowhere to be found.”  – Nwabisa Zantsi, wedding blogger

4.    Grooms brother tries to steal the show

“I was taking pictures at an African wedding. The bride was South African and Groom Nigerian. Being a wedding photographer, I focused on taking pictures of the newlywed couple. But before I knew it I was being confronted by the groom’s brother – because I was apparently not taking enough pictures of him. He demanded a fully-fledged photoshoot of himself – I obviously refused.

It didn’t sit too well with the brother and ended in a physical altercation between the brother and me! I informed the Bride and Groom of the incident and told them I would be leaving. I decided to stay after the distraught bride asked me to but the evening was filled with tension and was very awkward. It’s something I’ll probably never forget.” – Sam Phiri, Sam Phiri Photography

5.    A big fat Greek wedding disaster

“I was a wedding planner for a Greek wedding and the bride contacted me a week before the wedding to say that her Dad and groom-to-be had invited 100 extra guests without her knowing. She asked if I could supply the additional numbers for the wedding. It was during the festive season and I had to pull out all stops to make it happen. We had a total of 300 guests at the wedding.  

There was a bonfire in the middle of the dancefloor. During the traditional Greek dance at the reception, the bride danced a bit too close to the fire and her dress burst into flames, the bride suffered minor burns to her hand.” – Nerissa Moodley, wedding planner at Micah’s Décor & Events

Pick up the 2017 copy of Drum Wedding to avoid wedding catastrophes similar to the ones mentioned above! The latest special weddings issue will help you plan the wedding of your dreams, offering an array of wedding tips, the season’s hottest trends, dream dress ideas and even some wedding advice for the groom.

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