Bride Demands Entire Neighborhood Not Use Outdoor Space During Her 2-Day Wedding

One bride in Alaska decided she wanted to host a two-day wedding ceremony/reception in a public wooded area. To ensure the weekend went smoothly, she posted a note to a tree in the area where the wedding was to be held asking locals not to camp that weekend and to expect "loud music." However, the note quickly backfired. Many of the area's residents expressed their outrage with the bride's demands, and the bride herself spoke directly to upset residents in a tense Facebook post.

In a Reddit thread called r/weddingshaming, a Redditor posted a photo of the bride's note.

The note reads: "Friday and Saturday June 18th and 19th we will be hosting our wedding ceremony and reception. Please do not camp here! We have an entire guest list arriving for the weekend to celebrate so if you decide to anyways we will set up around you and do it anyway. Make sure you have a gift and a dish for the BBQ."

A second, smaller note says: "PS this will be loud music and late night type of weekend so if your [sic] here expect that. There will be 50+ of us. Thank you for understanding."

According to the Redditor, the area is a "public use area" within their neighborhood where they and their neighbors "walk, ATV, and camp." The Redditor also alleged the bride didn't have a permit, leave contact information or have the facilities necessary to carry out the pre-planned ceremony.

On the same day the original poster shared the photo of the signs to Reddit, they shared an updated photo that shows the community's direct response to the bride. In a note taped over the bride's, someone said: "Hey congrats on your upcoming wedding but your plan to host a ton of people and play 'loud music' for two days is not going to work for the residents of this area."

The note's writer wanted to know where the bride's guests will park and how they will use the bathroom. They also warned if the wedding isn't relocated and it causes a "nuisance," troopers would be called to tow vehicles.

Another note alleged there would be a teenage campout and photoshoot that weekend. "Good luck," they said, as well as "go away."

It is not clear if holding an event in the area is illegal. But from the poster's responses in the thread, it doesn't appear to be. In response to a Redditor asking if residents could report the upcoming wedding to local rangers, the original poster said: "It's not a park so no rangers. It's been reported to several agencies but nothing can be done until they show up and actually start breaking some rules. I'm definitely worried about a wildfire too, we have high fire danger right now."

Three days after posting the photos, the original poster shared another update with Redditors. According to the poster, the bride addressed the note on Facebook, which caused further tension with the area's residents.

"I in no way wanted to offend the community," the bride said at the beginning of her comment in what appears to be a community post. Her identity was kept anonymous by the poster. "My sign was in an effort to detour [sic] punk kids trying to party. I can assure the community that we will not be a disturbance and that we will not leave a mess."

She continued to explain she was inviting 10 people, all with multiple children under the age of 15. She also alleged she would be calling troopers to ensure she could continue with the ceremony and again apologized as well as left her contact information for those wanting to ask further questions.

In a separate, follow-up comment, she told residents a trooper would be on patrol "not only to make sure that we are respectful but also that your community is respectful."

"In no way shape or form are we doing anything wrong," she continued.

But residents weren't pacified by her comments. Some were offended she was implying they would be the loud or disrespectful ones, though she admitted she would be playing loud music. Many argued her tone was passive-aggressive, and felt she should have rented a proper space to hold the ceremony rather than take over a popular public area.

When the bride apologized for "miscommunication," and again explained she was worried about "s*** head partiers," someone commented: "I'm sorry I wish you would be honest. I think that's a cop out and you just want to be the victim pretending the sign was for teenagers." They were also angry that she called troopers to patrol the event.

"Why would you even contact the troopers," asked a commenter. "This whole thing is a waste of their time. It's a public and free space. If there is room left by the time you get there, set up. If not move on."

The bride alleged she just wanted a peaceful weekend, and contacted troopers because people were threatening to bring firearms.

"I will not be met with guns by the community with small children when nothing wrong has been done," she said.

One commenter agreed no one should escalate anything with firearms, but told the bride the better way to have approached the situation would have been to communicate upfront that she would not be disruptive, and expected the same courtesy in return.

The original poster did not give a full update after the ceremony. When one Redditor asked for details of the event, the poster said: "As far as I can tell, not much [happened]...No new FB drama aside from one of the neighbors making a vague reference about 'not all the problems were posted on Facebook, the people that need to know have been informed.' Whatever that means.

"I honestly think the whole thing was blown out of proportion," they continued. "It was just some rednecks posting a tone-deaf announcement about their camping party."