Oluhle Sibanda| Wedding receptions are supposed to be a time of joy, when the friends and family members of the bride and groom come together and celebrate their union with food, drinks, dancing and fellowship.
However, of recent the media has been awash with the most dreadful, embarrassing wedding disasters, that I seek to deal with in this article and help that future bride or groom avoid that, ooops moment! When what is meant to be a memorable day suddenly turns into a worst nightmare. Of recent, Suluman Chimbetu made headlines, after unresolved marital matters with an ex exploded in front of the whole world, spoiling what could have been the celebrity wedding of the year. There was chaos at Chimbetu’s wedding after his ex wife, Marygold turned up and attempted to block the wedding.
But again, wedding guests can turn a wedding reception into massive fight and spoil a beautiful day or a misunderstanding can erupt between members of the two families over small issues such as choice of music played or dance style. Not to mention the drama that often comes with cultural clashes, watch My Fat Greek Wedding for a laugh but a crucial lesson.
Closer to home, we have Bhekinkosi Bhebhe the disgraced groom accused of bashing the Master of Ceremony(MC) who refused to play his ‘worldly’ music at an SDA church wedding in Bulawayo.
Oops! That Ex you are somehow not letting go.
One of the groom’s baby mama’s or ex, somehow can locate the reception and spoil the wedding by running inside the reception screaming, ‘I SLEPT WITH HIM LAST NIGHT, HE WAS IN MY BED!’.
Solution :Men clean up your mess and put your house in order before your big day to avoid drama.
It happened in Zimbabwe when a woman was beaten up on her wedding day. Watch the video here of a woman who was bashed at her own wedding.
Above are man made disasters, though the weather can make or break a good wedding.
Garden weddings have become a favourite for many couples as a choice to wed in. It becomes a disaster when the skies open up and start pouring rain minutes before the start of the ceremony.
People will be ready for that one with umbrellas, but what about other complications? The mud, the puddles, just imagine the recent floods in Zimbabwe, glimpse into how a good day can be totally ruined.
How then do you deal with this? When it comes to hosting an outdoor wedding , having plan B is very important. A good tent that accommodates all your guests on stand-by. When reserving your reception site confirm with the company that they have mats that can be set up at entryways or around the perimeter so guests can wipe their feet. That way if the skies are threatening, you can remind your wedding coordinator to get things all laid out to ensure your dance floor stays spotless.
All is set and the bridal procession is about to take-off, and you realise a member of the bride maids is missing. Perhaps too much wine the night before?
If someone in your bridal party is notoriously not a morning person, don’t just ignore it and hope for the best the day of your wedding. Talk to them ahead of time about setting a couple of alarms for the morning. Or, suggest they spend the night with another attendant who will make sure they’re up on time. If those options don’t work, designate someone else to call first thing in the morning and make sure he or she is out of bed. Worst case, remember, the show must go on. If your attendant doesn’t make it to the ceremony, see if he or she can meet up for the photos. Rearrange the processional and double up if needed so nothing looks out of place.
You might get really sick
If you’re getting married out of town or at a destination-type weddings—bring your medication and make sure you take it as prescribed. Watch what you eat towards your special day to avoid a terrible stomach bug a night before or morning of your wedding.
Brian a friend of mine explained his family’s wedding disaster when he said “My dad fell out of a car and dislocated his knee at my brother’s wedding before the ceremony…”
“He held the pain and got on with the day, although he had to stop every two minutes and yelp with pain during his speech. In the end, he collapsed on the floor in pain. He had to be taken away to hospital”
Uninvited guests
What of our big African weddings, where who ever knows you is an automatic guest? You get overbooked, more people less chairs?
If a few guests end up bringing a plus one, don’t panic. If you hired a day-of coordinator, let her deal with the caterer and figure out if there’s a possibility of getting some extra food and squeezing in a few more chairs. If you don’t have a coordinator, ask one of your bridesmaids if they can help out. But don’t let a few extra guests spoil the night. Chances are they arrived with the best intentions.
Watch that food!
In Zimbabwe food can run out mysteriously or guests might be caught stealing food.
Solution: Set up a catering and security committee and put one person in charge of that team .
A whole wedding party in Crosslake, Minnesota – save a few who managed to escape – fell into a lake after the jetty they were standing on collapsed.