Every bride dreams of the perfect wedding day. While some elements—like the dress, venue, and catering—are within your control, there’s never a guarantee that everything will go exactly as planned. One bride thought she had it all figured out to ensure her big day went smoothly. But she soon learned not everyone shared her vision.
This bride-to-be turned to Reddit with a burning question: Am I being unreasonable? Posting on the popular subreddit ‘AITAH’ (Am I The Asshole), she explained the situation. She and her fiancé had sent out a list of wedding rules to their guests—and were quickly met with a wave of cancellations.
Before anyone labeled her a ‘bridezilla,’ she clarified that her fiancé was just as involved in creating these rules and fully supported them. One major rule was that their ceremony would be completely “unplugged.” Guests were not allowed to have phones during the ceremony—or even during the dinner that followed—unless it was a true emergency.
While most guests respected the no-phones policy during the ceremony, many thought banning phones during dinner was a step too far. Some parents who had left their children at home expressed concerns, wanting to check in with their babysitters. But the bride insisted there would be no exceptions, saying, “Checking in with your kids is not an emergency. If something serious happens, you’ll be notified.”
The couple also enforced a strict dress code: everyone had to wear black—women in dresses, men in tuxedos. No exceptions. This didn’t sit well with the bride’s aunt, who had worn black for months while grieving her husband and now found the color emotionally triggering. Still, she was expected to comply.
The bride’s future sister-in-law, who suffers from body dysmorphia and prefers to wear pants to feel more comfortable, was also told she had to wear a dress. No flexibility was offered.
On top of that, the bridesmaids had been instructed months in advance to maintain their figure—whether that meant gaining or losing weight—to ensure their dresses fit. The bride’s own mother was upset and warned her that the wedding was headed for disaster.
Things started to fall apart quickly. Bridesmaids began backing out. Guests canceled at the last minute. The maid of honor’s daughter, originally set to be the flower girl, was suddenly out of the picture. The bride had requested the child be left at the hotel with a babysitter, but the maid of honor refused, opting instead to leave her daughter with her mother due to the long travel distance.
Despite her detailed explanation and efforts to justify the rules, Reddit users overwhelmingly agreed: she and her fiancé were being unreasonable. Many reminded her that while it’s fine to plan the wedding of your dreams, guests are under no obligation to attend if they feel the expectations are too extreme.
If you found this story compelling, you’ll want to check out the one below about a mother-in-law whose shocking request left a couple stunned.