18 Truly Wild Reasons People Have Actually Called Off Their Wedding That You Need To Read To Believe

You've seen it happen in movies — a wedding called off just before "I do." But it happens in real life and for reasons you probably could never imagine. So, redditor u/amanda_babygirlxo asked, "What's the wildest reason you've ever heard for someone calling off their wedding?" Here's what people said (and some members of the BuzzFeed Community even chimed in, too!).

1."I found out the day of my wedding while getting my makeup done that my soon-to-be husband was on Tinder. I found out because while GETTING READY FOR OUR WEDDING, he had matched with one of the guest's cousins and was actively messaging her, trying to plan to see her before we went on our honeymoon! She just so happened to send the wedding guest a picture of him, and he immediately came and told me. If she hadn't sent that picture, I would have 100% married him."

Person holding a smartphone with social media heart notifications above the screen while holding a takeaway coffee cup in the other hand

—Anonymous, 28, Maryland

D3sign / Getty Images

2."Childhood best friend canceled her wedding due to mercury being in retrograde on the planned date. Said she couldn't have that kind of negativity in her life."

u/Clean_Pin6536

3."My friend decided that he was gay the week of the wedding. He's now married to his best man, and it's a big joke among the rest of us...as in, I guess he was the 'best man,' lol. Every one of us, except him, knew he was gay since high school 30 years ago. It's so great that he's out now, he's so happy. His fiancé went to his wedding, and he went to hers, so it all worked out."

A wedding cake topper featuring two figurines of men in suits, standing closely together with their arms around each other
Isitsharp / Getty Images

4."My grandma’s twin sister kept the wedding date but switched grooms! Her sweetheart was thought to be lost at war, and he miraculously showed up over a year later (two weeks before she was due to marry another man). My grandma (who was the maid of honor) had to stand on the steps of the church and turn away guests of the first groom who hadn’t heard the news. Many of them didn’t even know that the bride was a twin, so they thought my grandma was her sister, standing there in a formal dress with a bouquet, claiming that the wedding was canceled."

u/Shytemagnet

5."A woman in my small town called off her wedding because she wanted it outside near some lilac bushes, which were late blooming that year. She had a meltdown the day before the wedding. Her fiancé had second thoughts after that and broke the engagement."

Lilac flowers in full bloom on their green leafy branches
Elena Popova / Getty Images

6."The bride ran away with the groom's father."

u/OscillatingFox

7."It wasn't that it was 'called off,' but I know someone who simply didn't attend his wedding. Twice. (With two different women)."

A person in a wedding dress holds a bouquet of flowers outdoors, with greenery in the background
Delmaine Donson / Getty Images

8."A friend of my mother's canceled her wedding days before the event. The friend had gone to church to pray for a successful marriage. As she was praying, a cloud covered the sun, making the church go a little dim. She took this as a sign from God that the marriage would be a mistake and canceled."

u/Life_Park

9."A bird pooped on the bride's dress, it sent her into a tizzy, and she called the whole thing off."

A flock of seagulls flying in an open, cloudy sky
Ekaterina Vasileva-bagler / Getty Images

10."One of the wildest reasons I've heard for calling off a wedding is a groom discovering his bride had a secret second family, with another partner and children in a different city. He found out just days before the wedding."

u/SweetJuiceEmma

11."Canceled the wedding because he was Catholic and she was protestant, and they decided to have two ceremonies, one at her church and one at his, but could not agree on which one would be first. It was probably for the best. If they couldn't even compromise on the wedding, I hate to think of the challenges they would have faced once kids were brought into the mix."

Interior of a grand, empty cathedral with high arches, ornate decorations, and wooden pews lined up along the marble floor leading to an altar at the back
Sergio Formoso / Getty Images

12."A friend of a friend was engaged, but they decided to end it when a fortune-teller told her the couple had been siblings in a previous life."

u/Hofeizai88

13."A friend called off her wedding a month before it was supposed to happen. They had dated for around seven years or so. Everything was arranged and paid for, etc. She discovered that her fiancé was stealing money from her bank account and using it to gamble. She called her bank to investigate missing funds, and they had pictures of him at the ATM. She sold her dress on eBay and gave the engagement ring back to his best friend because it turns out the best friend was the one who had paid for it. About three years later, she married his best friend. I think she made a wise decision."

A close-up of a gold engagement ring with a single round-cut diamond displayed in an open ring box
Gk Hart / Getty Images

14."I was going to be a guest at a wedding and found out it was canceled two weeks before the date. The bride found out that the groom had gotten a significant discount on the venue's price, and she was angry that anything at her wedding cost less than the premium. It was her dream venue. She was just mad that her fiancé was 'cheap.'"

u/tiannahodge

15."My friend's fiancée left him before the wedding because her friend said they were not a good match for each other's horoscopes."

Two individuals standing against a plain background holding signs with zodiac symbols and names: Leo and Aquarius, obscuring their faces
Crispin La Valiente / Getty Images

16."My cousin called it off three days in advance because the bride and groom couldn't agree on whether to hyphenate their last names or to use his."

u/thefuzzybunny1

17."The dude was living a double life. He had a whole other family in a different state and said he traveled for work — but he was actually going back and forth between his family and his fiancée."

u/Human_Mechanic_2310

18."He nonchalantly told me on the drive to the church that if I 'got fat' after the wedding, he would leave me and never contact me again. I asked him to pull over, got out of the car, and walked to my mother's house, where I explained the situation, canceled the wedding, and blocked him."

A person in a wedding dress holding a red bag is running down a road with trees and a parked black car in the background

—31, Illinois

Joe Mcbride / Getty Images

What is the reason you or someone you know has called off a wedding? Tell us the whole story in the comments, or add it to this anonymous form.

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.