Seyi Akiwowo was thrilled to attend her friend’s destination wedding, but never could have predicted the outrageous demands made of her and the other guests—what should have been a spectacular day turned dark quickly.
From gifts to dress codes, Seyi’s friend wanted it all—a wedding that exceeded expectations in all aspects. What followed was a day and a request so extraordinary that guests were left speechless. Read on to see the remarkable story of this wedding.
A One-of-a-Kind Destination Wedding
Seyi was overjoyed to receive an invitation to her dear friend’s nuptial, especially when she found out it would be taking place in Romania! To ensure everything ran smoothly, the couple had requested all their guests stay at one particular hotel.
Although pricey, Seyi was willing to bear the costs for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Interestingly, the couple had specified that only cash would be accepted as a gift. This request struck Seyi as strange but she didn’t think too much into it. She was just looking forward to seeing her friends get married!
Seyi Decides to Bring a Friend on the Trip
Seyi had the great idea to bring a friend along for the wedding. It would be a great chance for them to split the room costs, since the hotel was expensive. Plus, it’s always more fun to travel with a friend!
Excited to dress for the occasion, the two girls went shopping for the perfect fancy outfits. After packing, they grabbed exchanged their dollars for euros and set off on the exciting journey. Seyi and her friend were ready to explore the unknown land of Romania and have the time of their lives!
Setting Course for Romania
Seyi and her friend boarded the plane full of excitement and anticipation for the summer wedding they were attending. Chatter filled the air as they discussed the food, wine, music and other guests they were looking forward to meeting.
As they descended in the summer sun, the two friends admired the beautiful Romanian countryside below. The weather was perfect and Seyi shared the couple’s love story that had brought them to this special moment. It was clear that this was going to be a dream trip for the friends.
Arriving in Picturesque Transylvania
Seyi and her friend were awe-struck as they arrived in Cluj, Romania, located in the picturesque Transylvania region. Despite the time crunch, they managed to hail a taxi that took them to the quaint village where her friends’ nuptial was to be held.
As they drove past the lush green fields and rustic farmhouses, they reached the village, adorned with beautiful and historic-looking buildings. Especially impressive was the church where the ceremony was to take place. The girls were blown away by its beauty! This was to be an unforgettable Transylvania wedding adventure!
A Surprise Gift From the Couple
Seyi and her friend were excited to receive a personalized gift bag at check-in. It was a thoughtful present from the couple and it showed how much appreciation they had for their guests.
The pair set off to explore the village, but soon Seyi realized she hadn’t brought enough cash for both drinks at the pubs and a wedding gift. Unfortunately, there were no ATMs in the vicinity. Seyi knew she couldn’t pay for the wedding gift with her card, so she would have to wait until the wedding to let loose. If she’d known in advance about this lack of access to cash, things might have ended differently.
An Unforgettable Wedding Weekend in the Romanian Countryside
Soon the morning of the big event was upon them. The entire wedding party and remaining guests were excited to get ready—the bride and bridesmaids put on their make-up and did their hair.
Once at the church, the ceremony moved everyone to tears. At the reception, the speeches went off without a hitch and the bar opened for service. The meal, conversation, and dancing were all delightful—Seyi was even the one who caught the bouquet! Guests showed off their dance moves as the DJ spun tunes, and the bride and groom threw a truly unforgettable party.
The Groom and Bride’s Bold Request
Seyi watched as the bride’s family moved around the venue, handing out envelopes with a careful eye for names. She wondered what was going on, until she remembered that the couple had requested cash only for gifts.
Her mind moved to a church setting. This experience felt eerily similar to when donations are usually requested, and she was taken aback by their boldness. They certainly weren’t timid, but Seyi thought it was a little over the top to send a team to collect.
One Crazy Night Out in a Foreign City
This course of action put Seyi and her friend in a tough spot because they had ran out of money while in the foreign land. With only 25 euros between them, they decided to leave the money in the envelope on the table.
What surprised them further was that they were presented with personalized gift bags in return. Feeling a little confused, Seyi took her bag and said her goodbyes, wondering what was in store for her. Despite the crazy night out, she knew she had to catch her red-eye flight back home.
Seyi’s Last Minute Nightmare
Seyi had set the alarm to get some sleep before their 4 a.m. flight, only to wake up realizing she had slept right through it. With no time to spare, they scrambled to get to the airport, rushing through the small terminal.
Unfortunately, the flight attendant at the gate wouldn’t let them carry on their bags, forcing them to pay extra for checked baggage. Exhausted, the two girls drifted off to sleep on the plane. When they landed, Seyi had to return to work to tackle an emergency. With a sigh, she thought, “the price you pay for a great weekend.”
A Thank You Before the Honeymoon!
Seyi smiled to herself as she settled into her chair at work, fresh coffee in hand, and opened her inbox. To her surprise, there was an email from her newly-wed friend, thanking her for attending the wedding.
Seyi couldn’t believe how organized the bride was. To think, she had thank you emails ready to send out even before the honeymoon began! Seyi had never heard of anyone receiving a thank you before the honeymoon ended, a unique and thoughtful gesture indeed.
Seyi’s Shocking Wedding Experience
She couldn’t help but think that the newlyweds should be enjoying the romance of this time instead, but thought it was really sweet of her friend. However, the initial excitement quickly wore off when Seyi saw the contents of the message.
The email was a cruelly-worded message to people who didn’t give enough money to the newlyweds. It was clear the bride had prepared an email draft in case the guests didn’t give the required amount—what an insult to everyone present!
An Insulting and Unacceptable Response
Seyi was planning to give the couple a present but had run out of cash on the day as there were no ATMs nearby. This was an unacceptable reaction and she didn’t like the way it was being handled.
Seyi hadn’t been given a chance to contribute additional money after returning from the trip. Overall, Seyi was shocked and hurt that her “friend” would send her something like this!
A Misery-Inducing Wedding Night
Seyi had gone all out for the wedding. She had spent a fortune on flights, taxi fare, and accommodation. When she put 25 euros in the envelope as her contribution to the wedding costs, she didn’t expect to be told off by the bride, the day after the wedding no less!
It was clear from the message that the contribution hadn’t been enough to cover the food, drinks, and gift bags. Seyi was shocked and realized that the couple must have stayed up their entire wedding night counting the money they had received. How pathetic!
A Tight-Fisted Wedding Guest
Seyi was taken aback when the bride attacked her for being tight-fisted at the wedding. To her surprise, the bride expected the guests to contribute around 100 euros per person, with 75 euros as the minimum acceptable amount.
But on the contrary, not everyone could afford such such a hefty contribution after all the other costs of traveling to the wedding venue! Seyi had never experienced this before and the bride added insult to injury by apologizing for not making the request for a cash gift more clear.
Wedding Business as Usual?
Seyi and her friend were astounded when they first read the message she had received. Not only did they pay for their flights and accommodation to attend the wedding, but it was even more unbelievable that the bride had asked for an additional 125 euros between the two of them for food and drinks.
It left Seyi wondering if this was a common practice or if one was free to make their own choice when it came to wedding gifts. A destination wedding isn’t cheap for the guests—shouldn’t the bride and groom contribute something to the costs?
The Bride Takes it to the Extreme
But evidently, in this case they didn’t feel it was their duty. However, they did feel responsible for keeping a record of the contribution each guest had made.
The couple had already deducted the 25 euros Seyi and her friend had given them. This was an outrageous action by the bride, and Seyi and her friend were completely taken aback.
Seyi’s Stance on the Matter
Seyi and her friend had been impressed by the gift bag they received, only to discover later that it was far more nefarious than they had imagined. Each bag was personalized, tracking how much the guest had given. Seyi couldn’t believe it.
Her blood boiled when she realized the bride hadn’t even given her a chance to make up for her miscalculation. She refused to give anything now, and wanted to let the bride know exactly why.
Teaching the Bride a Lesson in Etiquette
Seyi wanted nothing to do with this “debt collector” of a friend and refused to send her any more money. This way, the bride was paying the price for her lack of etiquette.
Seyi wasn’t a customer in a sales transaction and the whole thing had put a damper on her fond memories of the wedding. Her friend, however, had a different perspective.
Seyi’s Friend Weighs In
Seyi’s friend was of the opinion that they had made an investment in the marriage, and expected the couple to make good on it. This way, they’d have a share in their happiness. No matter what, the couple couldn’t split up, or it would make the investment a bad one!
Despise differing opinions, Seyi and her friend felt a pang of sorrow for the couple—they had missed the opportunity to savor the special moment, consumed by thoughts of money instead.
A Lesson in Friendship: The Cost of an Unaffordable Wedding
Their wedding day should have been the happiest day of their lives, yet it was marred with greed! Perhaps a more modest celebration would have been a wiser decision, instead of trying to bill their own guests?
It appeared the bride’s pre-wedding tension had been self-inflicted. Hopefully, this incident taught the couple the valuable lesson that they shouldn’t book something they can’t afford, and allowed them to reconsider what friendship means.
Seyi Shares Her Frustrations
When the bride expected Seyi to contribute to the wedding with cash only, it was the last straw. She was done with the relationship and didn’t bother to forgive her. Seyi shared her story on social media, sparking a conversation.
Many people agreed with her, and several shared their own horror stories about brides with similar demands. One person even advised Seyi to send a bill to the bride, listing all the items she had to purchase for the wedding.
Commenters Join in on the Bridezilla Story Fun
Commenters’ tales of friendship gone wrong weren’t any less atrocious than Seyi’s. One of them shared the story of his sister who was asked to be the maid of honor by her oldest friend.
What seemed like a dream opportunity quickly turned into a financial nightmare, when the bride revealed she expected her maid-of-honor to cover her dress, shoes, and accommodation costs. To make matters worse, the bride was ungrateful for the expenses paid, and complained that her maid-of-honor failed to get her a gift.
When Friendship Comes at a Cost
The stories left most who read them with a sour taste in their mouths, and served as a reminder that for many, friendship does not come free.
Seyi certainly learned her lesson from attending the strained wedding. She quickly downloaded some pictures and became Facebook friends with several of the other guests, before removing both the bride and groom from her friends list.
Seyi’s Takeways From a Strained Wedding
Seyi’s takeaway was that the bridezilla was tense and didn’t even spend her wedding night in joy, which is no way to start a marriage. Surprisingly, the couple is still together and has had a child.
Seyi’s story is a reminder to other brides-to-be that their behavior can ruin friendships. She realized that making unnecessary demands of those around her pleases no one in the end, so it’s better to enjoy life without so much pressure.
