Bride Upset After Guests Leave Wedding Early

A couple's wedding day is supposed to be the happiest of their lives, but one bride has shared how she was left upset when her guests left after just three hours, a problem that has been highlighted on Internet forums with depressing regularity.

Taylor Riley Adams from Colorado and her new husband were left shocked when their guests started to leave their wedding not long after arriving.

The wedding, in October 2021, was attended by around 50 guests but, by around 9 p.m., they were almost all gone.

'We thought leaving after three-and-a half hours was weird'

"All but three guests left early—my two brothers and a groomsman stayed," Adams told Newsweek. "They started leaving around 8:30 p.m., so we moved up the bouquet toss so most people would be there to see it.

"The whole wedding started at five and the dance floor hadn't opened till I think six or seven, so we thought leaving after only three-and-a half hours was weird," she said.

Online, there are multiple accounts of couples left crestfallen after their wedding was cut short when guests started heading for the exit.

One Reddit user told how her day "wasn't what I had envisioned" after most people had left their wedding by 9:30 p.m. Another newlywed couple shared their upset on wedding forum Weddingwire, where they recalled how people started leaving around 7:45 pm despite them having the venue until much later in the evening.

Zoe Burke, wedding expert and editor of Hitched.co.uk, told Newsweek: "There are some factors that mean guests leaving early is unavoidable. Transport restrictions, relieving the babysitter or sometimes just not being all that into a big party.

"A wedding is a long day. If your guests have been with you since the early afternoon it's not always possible for everyone to stay until the last song, sadly," Burke said.

"I was upset, though I tried not to let it show because my husband was equally upset," Adams recalled. "Fortunately the DJ put on one of our requested songs and we were able to dance alone on the dance floor which helped end the night on a good note."

How should you leave a wedding early?

Despite feeling let down by their guests leaving early, Adams and her husband decided not to mention it to them at the time.

"When we thought about it a couple of days later we realized we should have been more clear with expectations and decided it would be rude to bring it up after the fact," she said. "The only people who knew we were upset were the three guests that stayed."

While leaving a wedding early may not be ideal, it is sometimes unavoidable and for guests who may need to slip out early, Burke believes it is best to plan in advance.

"The best thing to do is to let the couple know ahead of time," she said. "Tell them how much you're looking forward to the day and just let them know you won't be able to stay until the end—and give the reason. The couple should understand, whereas if you're caught slinking off, you're more likely to cause offense."

After experiencing guests leaving early, Adams felt the same way.

"If you know you're going to need to leave early before the day of the wedding let the couple know," she said. "If it's the day of the wedding itself and you need to leave early find a moment with either the bride or groom and make sure it's OK if you duck out early—assuming it's a non-emergency—and tell them you love them. Most of our family still said goodbye to us, and that helped immensely."

How can you stop guests leaving early?

While upset, the couple did understand that not all their guests would be able to stay late.

"Since most of our guests were older we figured it was on us for them leaving early," explained Adams.

For others looking to avoid early departures at their own wedding, she suggests having a clear structure for the day.

"Have the MC make an announcement of when the grand exit is, print an itinerary, do something on the day to let people know when the grand exit is. You're still probably going to get some people leaving early, but more people will stay if they know it's important to you," she said.

Burke also suggested ensuring that guests were aware of the order of the day, but said it was important for guests to be able to leave early if they needed to.

"If they have to pay overtime for childcare or miss the last train, that's way more of an issue than if they leave before midnight," she said.

But for those who do not have these obligations, Burke says it is important to ensure that your guests are comfortable and have something to do right until the end of the event.

"I'd recommend working with your wedding band or DJ on a killer playlist, but also making a 'snug' area, where guests can sit and chill out if they don't want to party," she suggested.

"I recently attended a wedding where they had a great band, but also set up a cosy outdoor area with a fire, where you could toast marshmallows and make s'mores if you wanted a rest—and a much needed sugar boost."