Internet is divided over ‘draconian’ wedding rules ‘enforced’ by the bride and groom: ‘This is a major red flag’
TikTok users were shocked by the controversial wedding rules a bride and groom followed during their ceremony.
Event planner Ivy Miller said one couple asked their guests to follow a few rules if they wanted to attend their wedding — no ifs, no buts.
The couple married earlier this year in an extravagant ceremony that cost just $15,000, according to Miller.
Miller’s post has now been viewed more than 3.5 million times and the comments are still growing. Since then, several people have criticized the couple for their “draconian” rules.
Whether it was out of personal preference or to save money, the wedding rules caused a stir and hardly any TikToker had anything nice to say about it.
An event planner shocked TikTok users after she detailed a couple’s “draconian” rules for their wedding and reception. (Pictured: Stock photo of a newlywed couple leaving their wedding ceremony)
The event planner’s post has been viewed over 3.5 million times and the comments are still growing. Since then, multiple people have slammed the couple for their “draconian” rules. (Pictured: Stock photo of a wedding planner)
No requests
DJ Ben Boylan revealed in a blog post that one reason couples don’t want their wedding guests to request songs is because they have a “certain vision” for their party. Pictured: A stock photo of newlyweds
Miller revealed that the couple’s DJ didn’t take song requests from those in attendance at the ceremony.
While DJs often accept requests, sometimes couples resist, partly because they have a “certain vision” for their party, says DJ Ben Boylan.
“It’s very important to them that certain songs get played, and probably even more important that certain songs don’t get played,” Boylan wrote on his blog.
“Almost every couple I work with gives me a do-not-play list, and I’ve had every genre you can think of on that list. Every couple is different.”
Boylan added that couples should do what they feel comfortable with in terms of music. According to Miller, the couple suggested that their guests “go to the club” if they wanted to take requests.
Don’t ask a wedding photographer to take your picture
The bride and groom created a joint wedding album using the Dots Memory app. This app allowed guests to take photos on their phones and share them with all the guests. Pictured: stock photo
The bride and groom insisted that their guests not ask the wedding photographer to take pictures of them during the ceremony or reception.
Wedding photographer fees usually range between $1,000 and $5,000, but can sometimes cost over $10,000 depending on the circumstances.
Whether the event is big or small, no couple should expect to have photos of all the wedding guests, according to photographers Zoe Larkin.
“One request I’ve heard is, ‘I want a photo of every guest at my wedding,’” Zoe wrote.
“While I fully understand the sentiment behind it, this task is often more challenging than it appears.”
One TikTok user wrote: ‘The photographer rule is kind of sad. I mean, you invite people you love to your big day, you don’t want them to be seen.’
Instead of sending photo requests, Miller said the couple opted to create a joint wedding album through the Dots Memories app.
No plus one
Experts consider it good etiquette for couples to offer a plus-one to guests who are engaged, married, or have been in a relationship for more than a year
One of the major rules TikTokers criticized the couple for was not allowing their guests to bring dates.
It’s common for a potential wedding guest to ask the bride and groom for permission to bring a date, or even accompany them to the party, without letting the bride and groom know in advance.
Miller revealed that the couple wanted “no strangers” at their wedding, but this rule could also have been enforced to save money.
For weddings, venues and vendors must consider the number of attendees at the ceremony and reception when calculating the total cost of the festivities.
However, experts consider it etiquette for couples to offer a “plus-one” to guests who are engaged, married, or have been in a relationship for more than a year.
No alcohol
TikTok users couldn’t help but comment on the couple’s controversial no-alcohol rule at their wedding. Pictured: Stock Photo
Another major rule that TikTokers couldn’t stop talking about was the bride and groom’s decision to not allow alcohol at their wedding.
“I want my guests to truly remember this day,” Miller wrote in her TikTok Slideshow.
Because this rule was in place, the bride and groom organized what those in attendance called a “dry wedding”: a wedding where no alcohol was served during the reception or throughout the day.
A dry wedding can help ensure that the attendees, the bride and groom, do not experience any messy situations and that the guests return home safely.
However, it can affect the energy in a venue, especially if guests expect it to be a non-alcoholic wedding.
“I went to an alcohol-free wedding once. It was the most boring wedding I’ve ever been to,” one TikTok user wrote.
At 8pm everyone went home and the guests stayed away for most of the evening.’
TikTokers criticized the couple for their controversial rules, with several commenters insisting they would never attend their wedding
Thousands of TikTok users who commented on Miller’s video got into heated discussions with each other, with some even claiming to be wedding photographers.
A few commenters agreed with the couple’s rules, while others maintained they would never have attended that couple’s wedding.