Unexpected things happen at weddings.

In this story, two older wedding guests volunteered to clean up after the wedding. But after the dinner, the volunteers were nowhere to be found. So the bride and groom ended up cleaning while still in their wedding attire.

Read the full story below.

Making newlyweds clean after their own reception

When my sister got married to her husband (12 years married, two kids), they always wanted a frugal reception with family and close friends, about 100 guests.

They booked our local church for the venue, arranged local buffet-style catering, commissioned me for the cake, and, lastly, appointed friends for setup and cleanup.

There were two older aunties who volunteered to run the kitchen and clean the mess after the whole event was over.

The rub was that I needed the kitchen for the final assembly and decoration of the cake. Half an hour, tops.

I arrived two hours before start time, in full MOH dress and makeup, and, as I was putting the finishing touches on the three-tier cake, an aunty came in and asked if we were done.

“No, not yet, please give me a little more time.”

“Okay.”

The clean up volunteers left after the dinner was over.

Five minutes passed. My dad and my spouse came to join me in preparation to move this thing. Aunty blew in again. “Not done yet?” I was still new at decorating cakes and stressing.

“No, I’ll come find you when I’m done,please go.” Aunty left without a word.

Two minutes later: “You’re still not done?!”

My dad and spouse, who are quiet, nonconfrontational, and very patient people, exploded: “NO, GET OUT!” I yelled, “NO, AUNTY!” and she clicked her tongue and slammed the door.

The ceremony began and went off without a hitch. Laughter was shared, tears were shed, the cake was cut, and it was time to send off the official newlyweds, clean up, and go home.

The kitchen was a total disaster. The two aunties had completely ghosted after the free dinner.

The newlyweds stayed to clean up the mess.

My sister and her new husband, not wanting to just leave their families in the wake of such single-minded selfishness, stayed behind to help clean dishes, break down tables, and throw trash away.

My beautiful sister and her amazing husband, in their finest attire and hour, were pushing mops and packing food into Tupperware.

Not for lack of trying to push them out the door so they could actually get some rest, but they finally left for their hotel at 11:30. The reception ended at 8.

I don’t know what kind of retribution, if any, those two old witches faced, but I doubt they remained friends with my sister and her in-laws much longer.

Maybe that’s what you get for not paying the help.

Other readers are chiming in.

Here’s a valid point.

A fair perspective from this user.

Another user takes the volunteers’ side.

People are shaming the couple’s family.

And readers are seeing how entitled the MOH was.

If you yell at your volunteers, don’t expect them to stay.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a daughter who invited herself to her parents’ 40th anniversary vacation for all the wrong reasons.