People daydream about the perfect wedding, but sometimes mishaps happen — and they end up being the best parts. Here are nine weddings that didn’t go according to plan because of hungry dogs, tropical storms, and ripped dresses…
“My fiancé Qiess and I took 10 weeks of dance lessons to prepare for our first dance. But as he went to dip me, he accidentally stepped on my dress, and we both fell to the floor. I learned afterward that my parents had also fallen during their first dance. We take that as a good sign, since they’ve been happily married for 35 years!” — Jordan (photo, above, by Abbie Sizer Photography)
Jordan’s parents at their own wedding
“My dog, Winnie, was the worst behaved guest at our backyard wedding. She stole food, destroyed my bouquet, and went swimming in the pond only to shake her wet fur all over our guests. But she also offered comedic relief and was a very beloved bridesmaid.” — Jenn
Photo by Eileen Meny Photography
Leslie: “We were supposed to have our ceremony in a beautiful outdoor spot, but the weather forecast showed that it was going to pour. Our wedding planner suggested we move into the party tent, but I couldn’t hide my disappointment. It was not where I wanted the ceremony to be.”
C.A.: “Luckily for us, the place where we were getting married was also where we had met during an artists’ residency, so we knew the staff really well. The COO was like, ‘We’ll do the ceremony in the barn. Follow me!’ She even brought in a beautiful rug from her house.”
Leslie: “In all my wedding Pinterest boards, I’d actually had pictures of ceremonies with rugs!”
C.A.: “It ended up being stunning. We could smell the rain, and everyone was huddled together.”
Photo by Lillywhite Photography
“I ripped my dress after hugging my very tall cousin, and I was standing in an awkward way to hide it. My mom noticed something was off (as moms do) and somehow found a sewing kit. We snuck away for a few minutes while she fixed it. I remember feeling very taken care of.” — Marika
Photo by Kendra Ruth Photography
“Our wedding vibe was ‘English countryside,’ and we planned to drive to the chapel in a vintage Land Rover. But when I piled in with my mom and bridesmaids, the car wouldn’t start. My dad went to the garage, but then the car began rolling backward, picking up speed. We screamed, and somehow my dad jumped back in when we were mere inches from my mom’s car. Once my heartbeat slowed, my wedding nerves were gone! We laughed about the near-miss the entire drive.” — Rachael
“My fiancée Alicia and I were planning to have a City Hall ceremony, followed by dinner with our moms. But, along with two of her best friends, I also started planning a pre-wedding surprise party for Alicia, featuring martinis and Chicago-style hotdogs. Two days before the surprise party, which she still didn’t know about, Alicia decided she wanted to have a post-wedding celebration at a bar. Her friends and I had to quickly contact everybody to let them know that Alicia would be sending them a separate invitation for something else! We still managed to pull off the surprise celebration, and then we partied all over again the night of our ceremony.” — Isabelle
“A few weeks before our wedding, we learned that our venue had double-booked our date. After some frantic shuffling, we tossed out the idea of an evening reception and embraced a daytime brunch. We saved a ton of money, and the food was delicious: French toast, coffee, and mimosas.” — Brynna
“My mom passed away six months before our wedding. She famously loved oaky Chardonnay, which I famously hated. When we were finalizing wedding details, I made sure that Chardonnay would not be one of the two white wines during cocktail hour (sorry, Mom!). But during our reception, when I requested a glass of Pinot Grigio, the server told me that only Chardonnay was being served. What?! I knew it was my mom’s way of letting me know she was there with me on my big day.” — Kayla
Photo of a limbo game with Kathryn’s muddy dress by Aaron Almendral Photography
“We were getting married in a backyard tent — but that day, Tropical Storm Hannah rolled in. At first, I was dismayed, but then we decided to roll with it. If you embrace what you’re given, your guests will follow your lead. Cars got stuck, my dress got covered in mud, and everyone was exhilarated. We wildly danced and celebrated, as the wind and rain whipped through. We decided that night what we would name our first daughter (if we were lucky enough to have one): three years later, Hannah was born! Now 13, she loves the story behind her name.” — Kathryn
If you’re married, did you deal with any little disasters at your wedding?
P.S. More wedding posts, including a bakery proposal and a wedding at home in Brooklyn.
