A Reddit post by has rallied support after a woman shared her decision to cancel catering services just two weeks before a wedding.
In a post by u/Putrid_Ear4343, the original poster (OP) shared the story of her decision, prompted by an intense confrontation with the bride who accused the OP of flirting with her fiance. The bride-to-be hurled insults at the caterer, prompting her to call off the contract. Since the post was published on September 15, it has received 18,000 upvotes.
In the post, the OP explained that the majority of her communication with the bride had been through email, with only two in-person meetings. It was during the second meeting, without the couple’s wedding coordinator, that tensions flared.
A server carries plates with appetizers for guests. A post on Reddit has gone viral after a caterer retracted her services from a bride-to-be who insulted her.
MNStudio/Getty Images
According to the OP, the bride accused her of being “way too cutesy and flirty” with her fiance.
The bride said “Stop it now!” according to the OP. “We are getting married, get your desperate hands off my fiance.” Despite the caterer’s attempts to focus on the menu, the bride’s accusations escalated into insults, culminating in her calling the OP a “pathetic cow” and telling her to “get [her] own man.”
Unwilling to put up with the attacks, the caterer chose to cancel her services and return the couple’s deposit, adding that she would still pay her staff as planned.
“I told both to leave and then I returned their deposit,” the OP wrote. “She started bombarding me with emails and messages because she can’t find new catering this fast…I’d rather take the loss than work with her.”
The move was met with overwhelming support from the Reddit community.
One user, u/hottieginger agreed with the OP: “Canceling the catering was the right move. No one should have to put up with that kind of disrespectful behavior, especially in a professional setting. Don’t let her negative energy bring you down. On to bigger and better weddings!”
Some wedding vendors even chimed in with their personal stories, confirming that the OP made the right choice.
“One of the most satisfying moments of my career as a florist was canceling a wedding. The bride was an absolute bridezilla and wasted my time debating even the smallest decisions,” u/CraftFamiliar5243 wrote. “I knew she would be complaining after the wedding, so I cheerfully cut her a check for her deposit and tore up the contract while she stood there with her mouth hanging open. I’m still certain I dodged a bullet.”
An expert opinion
Newsweek spoke to licensed marriage and family therapist Renee Zavislak about the OP’s decision to stand up for herself.
“I am thoroughly impressed that the OP prioritized her personal boundaries over profit,” she said. “Whether or not the bride has other options is not the OP’s concern. The OP’s concern, first and foremost in any business transaction, is that she is treated respectfully.”
Zavislak continued: “Let’s imagine for a moment that the OP did not cancel and instead followed through with the catering services. Is she expected to allow the bride to continue to abuse her throughout the duration of the event? In doing so, she would betray herself for either money or the comfort of others, and both of these cases are potentially damaging to her own mental health.”
Acknowledging that losing a vendor close to the event is any bride’s nightmare, Zavislak said that stress still does not excuse abusive behavior.
“I think it is important that we expect more from each other and ourselves,” she said. “The bride is entitled to feel stress; she is not entitled to hurt others because of it.”
The OP’s decision to walk away from disrespect and protect her own well-being has resonated with many on and offline. It acts as a reminder in a culture of lavish weddings that self-respect is paramount, even in high-pressure moments.
Newsweek reached out to u/Putrid_Ear4343 for comment via Reddit.
