Bridesmaids' Sixth Sense: Doomed Marriage Ahead

Being a bridesmaid can be fun, but sometimes you get sucked into a doomed celebration of a union that should never have happened.

Twelve former bridesmaids share the awkward moments when they realised the marriage was not meant to be. From botched engagements to naked selfies, cheating partners to controlling behaviour, these women witnessed it all.

One bridesmaid shared how the groom tried to sleep with her a week before the wedding. Another bridesmaid knew the marriage was doomed when the bride and groom fought on the night of their engagement. Another bridesmaid saw the red flags when the bride and groom had an impromptu striptease during their first dance.

Some bridesmaids witnessed the groom's controlling behaviour, while others saw the bride's immaturity and constant bashing of people at family functions. One bridesmaid even saw the bride in love with her instead of the groom.

These stories show that sometimes, it's clear from the very beginning that a marriage is not meant to last.

The groom cheated with the bride's sister

It was clear to the bridesmaids that the groom was cheating with the bride's sister. Here are some of their stories:

"I was a bridesmaid for my ex-boyfriend's sister. It was a mess, but they still thought of me as family, so I agreed. As we were getting ready for the ceremony, she was wearing wedding-type lingerie under her dress. I was asked to hold her phone, and I saw she had been sending sexy selfies to an ex-fling. I told the maid of honor, and together we tried to intervene and asked if she was sure she wanted to go through with it. She swore she wanted to get married, and they did. The wedding felt so weird. They divorced a year later."

"The groom was late to the rehearsal, forgot his vows, and stood around talking constantly, not paying attention. The bride screamed at him, 'This is your third fucking marriage, don't you know what you are doing?!' After the rehearsal, on our way to dinner, I privately asked the bride if she was sure she wanted to go through with the wedding. She responded that they had spent $20,000 on the wedding already and it was too late. They were divorced within a year."

"I was supposed to be the maid of honor for my brother's fiancée. Then I found out, from someone I was seeing, that she was sleeping around. She must have found out because I was demoted to bridesmaid. Then, when I told my brother, he told me he would take it with a grain of salt. She ended up kicking me out of the wedding completely. Throughout the marriage, I heard of her going out and sleeping with multiple people, but this time, I kept my mouth shut. Two years later, they're divorced. We're all pretty relieved."

"I was a bridesmaid for a childhood friend who had been with her fiancé since middle school, so everything that happened was so unexpected. Basically, on the morning of the wedding, my friend pulled me into a room alone and told me that she thought she was in love with me and always had been, but didn't know what to do because the wedding was huge and expensive, and she didn't want to cancel it. I tried to calm her down and tell her everything was going to be fine. The wedding went on, and their marriage lasted for about two years until her husband came out and is now together with one of his groomsmen!"

"The day before the rehearsal dinner, I was with the bride, and she told me that the groom gets upset about the weirdest stuff and was mad at her for not giving him a hug and kiss before they departed. I asked her if she felt like she was marrying the right person, and she told me yes and that he was just nervous. They lasted two years because of how emotionally unstable he became and how he blamed her for their lack of trust and intimacy in their relationship... but he was the one having the affair."

Infidelity is a common sign of a doomed marriage, and it is clear that the groom cheating with the bride's sister would cause significant issues in the relationship. The bridesmaids' stories illustrate a lack of trust, intimacy, and honesty between the couple, which are essential for a successful marriage.

The bride was in love with her friend

It's the day of the wedding, and the bride, my best friend, pulls me aside. She confesses that she thinks she's in love with me and has always been. I'm shocked and engaged, so I try to calm her down and assure her that everything will be fine. I know that her marriage is doomed from the start, but I don't want to ruin her happiness.

The wedding goes ahead, and the bride and groom seem happy for a while. But I know that the bride's heart isn't fully in it, and I worry about the future of their relationship. Sure enough, a few years down the line, the bride's husband comes out, and they divorce. He ends up getting together with one of his groomsmen!

Looking back, there were signs that the bride wasn't ready to settle down. She was always flirting with other guys and going out to bars with the single girls. I guess I was too caught up in the excitement of the wedding to see that she wasn't truly in love with her partner.

I wish I could go back and give my friend a different piece of advice on her wedding day. I would tell her to follow her heart and not rush into a marriage that wasn't meant to be. It's clear to me now that she only married her partner because the wedding was already planned and paid for. If she had been honest with herself and her fiancé, a lot of heartache could have been avoided.

As a bridesmaid, it's hard to know what to do when you sense that the marriage is doomed. You don't want to ruin the bride's happiness or cause drama, but at the same time, you feel like you should speak up. In this case, my friend was honest with me about her true feelings, but I didn't encourage her to act on them. I guess sometimes it takes time and experience to realize that love is more important than a fancy wedding.

The groom was controlling and abusive

The groom also likely criticized the bride constantly, making her feel self-conscious and undermining her confidence. This could have been done publicly or privately and may have extended to her appearance, with him telling her what to wear or harshly criticizing her clothing choices. He may have also used veiled threats, belittling language, or guilt as a tool for influence, further manipulating the bride and making her feel like she was the problem.

Additionally, the groom probably invaded the bride's privacy by checking her phone, emails, and text messages without her consent. He may have justified this by claiming he had trust issues or that she shouldn't mind showing him if she had nothing to hide. This behavior is a violation of boundaries and indicates a lack of trust and an attempt to police the relationship.

The groom also likely displayed overactive jealousy, accusing the bride of flirting or cheating, and viewing her innocent interactions with others as flirtatious. This behavior can be possessive and scary and is often a sign of insecurity and an attempt to control.

Finally, the groom may have also pressured the bride into unhealthy behaviors, such as substance abuse, and undermined her educational or professional goals by making her doubt herself and her abilities. He may have also used physical force or threatened to do so, further establishing his dominance and control.

These behaviors are all warning signs of a controlling and abusive partner, and it is likely that the bridesmaids recognized these red flags and knew that the marriage was doomed.

The bride was cheating with an ex

How 12 Bridesmaids Knew the Marriage Was Doomed: The Bride Was Cheating With an Ex

Tiffany, 30

I was the maid of honour at my best friend's wedding. I planned their wedding and was shocked when, a week before the wedding, the groom tried to get me to sleep with him. I later found out that he was a serial cheater and had cheated with every woman he could. I wish we had called off the wedding then and there.

Sally, 29

The bride was obviously not over her ex. She was texting throughout her bachelorette party, and it wasn't her fiancé. At the wedding, she refused to look at or kiss him. I knew it wouldn't last, and it didn't—they were divorced three months later.

Rae, 31

The bride was always flirting with other guys and going to bars with the single girls. The night before the wedding, we had to stop by a parking lot to pick up a phone charger she had left at another guy's house. Years later, her husband caught her on Skype with some other guy.

Stephanie, 25

The bride had been with her ex for about three years before they broke up. Soon after, she got together with her fiancé. However, when her ex passed away seven months before the wedding, she started wearing her old engagement ring and went ahead with the wedding she had planned with her ex. We tried to get her to postpone, but she wouldn't listen. Nine months later, she wanted a divorce.

Calli, 26

While getting ready for the ceremony, I was holding the bride's phone and saw that she had been sending sexy selfies to an ex-fling. We tried to intervene, but she insisted on going through with the wedding. They divorced a year later.

The groom was drunk at the ceremony

A drunken groom is a sure sign that a marriage is doomed. While it is normal for nerves to get the better of a person, getting drunk at your own wedding is a whole other level of anxiety.

A Reddit user shared their experience of a wedding where the groom got so drunk that he passed out in the honeymoon suite, leaving his new wife locked out and hollering to be let in at 3 a.m. The marriage ended in divorce two years later.

In another instance, a bride shared that her groom copied her vows and proceeded to get drunk at the wedding. He went out with his friends, leaving her waiting for him in her wedding dress. He lost his wedding ring and she was left heartbroken.

A similar story was shared by a bridesmaid, who recounted how the groom disappeared after their first dance and was found outside drinking and smoking cigars with his buddies. He got so drunk that he spent the night passed out on the bathroom floor, vomiting, and the bride had to clean up after him.

While it is understandable that nerves and excitement might get the better of the groom, getting drunk to the point of forgetting your conversations and dancing, or even worse, passing out and vomiting, is a sure sign of a doomed marriage. It shows a lack of respect for the bride and the commitment they are making.

If a groom cannot stay sober for his wedding, it does not bode well for the future of the marriage. It is a sign of immaturity and an inability to handle stressful situations. It also indicates a lack of consideration for the bride and the guests, who are left feeling uncomfortable and disappointed.

So, if the groom is drunk at the ceremony, it is likely that the marriage will not last. It is a red flag that should not be ignored, and it often leads to a quick end to the union, as seen in the stories shared by these brides and wedding guests.

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