A bride was left outraged after a guest refused to take his crying baby outside, despite the wedding being designated as strictly child-free.
Claire Kendall Taetz, from Fort Worth, Texas, had just made her way down the aisle when the sound of a wailing infant filled the ceremony.
Hoping the parent would step out with the child, Claire found herself growing increasingly frustrated as the cries continued, making it difficult for her to focus on exchanging vows.
A wedding attendee recorded the moment, capturing the couple—Claire and her groom, Joshua Joe, both 25—sharing uneasy glances as the baby’s crying persisted. Members of the wedding party could be seen searching for the source of the disruption.
Claire explained that some guests even asked the father to leave, but he refused, arguing that he had traveled ten hours to attend the event. Although he briefly stepped outside, he quickly returned, ensuring he didn’t miss the remainder of the ceremony.
The bride expressed disappointment over the situation, stating that the disturbance pulled her attention away from a deeply significant moment in her life. She had specifically requested a child-free wedding, with the only exceptions being her and her husband’s nieces and nephews.
Claire, who works as an actor, described feeling uncomfortable and disrespected. She emphasized that the baby was not to blame but criticized the father for failing to excuse himself when his child became disruptive.
The wedding, which took place in October, gained significant attention after footage of the incident went viral, accumulating 2.5 million views on social media.
Reflecting on the experience, Claire encouraged future brides to stand firm in their decision to host child-free weddings to avoid similar disruptions.
She recalled how the baby’s cries persisted even after her mother gestured for the father to step outside. Although he left momentarily, he quickly returned, leaving Claire struggling to stay focused.
Her husband, Joshua, was also visibly concerned in the video, doing his best to concentrate on the officiant despite the ongoing noise.
Claire noted that she refrained from addressing the guest directly, as she didn’t feel it was appropriate for a bride to speak up during her ceremony. However, she later learned that many of her guests were equally frustrated by the situation.
She stressed that weddings are special occasions where guests should be present to support the couple, not create distractions. She also pointed out that, while many parents assume their child will behave, it’s impossible to predict a young child’s reactions in such settings.
Claire reiterated that she loves children but firmly believes in the importance of respecting a couple’s wedding wishes. She advised other brides considering a child-free event to go through with it, even if they feel pressured by family members.
After sharing the video online, she captioned it: “When a guest refuses to take their screaming child out of your wedding ceremony because they drove 10 hours to see it.”
The footage sparked a debate among viewers. While many sympathized with Claire and supported child-free weddings, others argued that the guest had every right to stay, given the effort he made to attend.
One user commented, “This confirms why our wedding is child-free.”
Another added, “It’s basic social etiquette to remove yourself with a child if they’re causing a disruption.”
However, not everyone agreed. One person wrote, “I don’t care whose wedding it is—if I drive ten hours, I’m sitting there with a bag of popcorn watching it, screaming kids and all.”