I Was Deceived: How My Friend Used Our Wedding Contributions to Buy Herself a House!
A bride’s deception has left her bridal party stunned and out of pocket, sparking outrage on Reddit. The story was posted by a user who goes by the name ExcitingInevitable98. She calls herself one of the deceived bridesmaids and reveals how the bride used the money given by her friends to fund a lavish surprise for herself rather than the wedding expenses they thought they were supporting.
“I met Kate in college about five years ago,” wrote the original poster (OP) on Reddit, recounting her experience with the bride. Kate, always known for her taste for the finer things in life, had a wealthy father who had never said no to her. Unfortunately, he passed away before Kate got engaged to Carl, leaving her without her usual financial safety net.
The trouble began when Kate asked OP and the other bridesmaids to chip in for a nine-day bachelorette trip to Hawaii, citing financial struggles. “Kate asked me a month after the engagement if I would be a bridesmaid along with five others. Of course, I said yes, and the wedding planning began! Little did I know, that was a BIG mistake,” OP recounted.
The bridesmaids agreed to split the cost of an expensive Airbnb, thinking they were helping a friend in need. The price was steep—$900 per person plus airfare—but they went along with it, trusting Kate.
During the trip, OP noticed Kate was fake drinking. “I only caught it because we’re out and I heard her quietly order a ‘watered down cranberry juice’ that looked very similar to drinks she had been having at the house,” OP observed. This was the first hint that a bride’s deception was incoming.
Things escalated when Kate asked the bridal party to help cover the cost of rooms at the wedding venue. The bridesmaids, already stretched thin from the bachelorette trip, opted for cheaper nearby hotels instead. This decision sent Kate into a rage.
“I tried politely explaining that we had already paid in a large amount of money and that we had our own things to pay for so we wouldn’t spend all the extra on her wedding and expenses,” OP explained.
The wedding day itself was a picture-perfect scene, but just before the reception, OP overheard Kate on the phone. “Great, thank you! We will see you next week with our stuff!” she said. OP was puzzled but didn’t think much of it until Kate’s speech at the reception.
“Kate begins to tear up speaking on her father but states that he had left her the best gift of all… marrying the man of her dreams ALL EXPENSES PAID,” OP wrote. The bridesmaids were stunned. They had all contributed thousands to support Kate’s wedding and bachelorette trip, only to find out that everything had been covered by a trust fund left by her father.
The aftermath of the bride’s deception was brutal. Kate and Carl went radio silent, leaving everyone to piece together what had happened. “A week after the wedding, I finally receive a call from Kate explaining the situation. She claims that she didn’t know the wedding and its festivities were fully funded until a month before the wedding, which I didn’t believe,” OP revealed.
When asked if they could get their money back, Kate dismissed the request, saying it had already been spent. The bridesmaids soon found out where their money had gone: Kate and Carl had used it towards a nearly million-dollar home, as announced on Facebook with a photo of their new house and an ultrasound picture, declaring the upcoming arrival of their baby.
What an extravagant bride’s deception!
OP and the other bridesmaids were left feeling betrayed and furious. They estimated that they had contributed about $25,000 towards Kate and Carl’s new home. “I have since deleted Kate from everything and removed Carl from Facebook,” OP shared, reflecting what she thought was the final break from her former friend.
OP was ready to move on and leave it in the past when to her surprise, she received a baby shower invitation in the mail from Kate! “I will not be going or contributing another cent,” she claimed as the invite set her stewing again.
The Reddit community was quick to voice their outrage and support for OP against the bride’s deception. One user commented, “That was such an unreasonable request for you all to chip in that much money. And now you know she is a user. It was an expensive lesson for you. Do not allow yourself to be used again.”
Another pointed out the glaring red flags: “As soon as I read, ‘They are struggling,’ and ‘bach trip of nine days in Hawaii,’ my brain hit a speed bump! 🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩.”
Some suggested more drastic measures, like publicly shaming Kate. “I would post on FB a condensed version of this and then a video of me burning the invitation… I would also tag all the bridesmaids,” one user advised.
Others emphasized the importance of financial caution: “I really want the lesson here for others reading: do not spend more on someone’s wedding than you can afford. The fact that y’all went on a nine-day bachelorette party to Hawaii with even the pretense that she couldn’t afford it is rather silly.”
One commenter humorously proposed a parting shot: “I’d send her a card for the baby and a note: ‘I’m considering the money that I “donated” or “gave” to your new house to be sufficient for anything else you could ask of me. I wish your baby the best of luck. With parents like you and Carl, they’re going to need it.'”
The story didn’t end there. Due to the immense traction the bride’s deception gained on Reddit, OP decided to share it on TikTok. “Update for everyone… posted this on TikTok because it got so much traction here, the account is @linds_91552” OP wrote. The video quickly went viral, gathering millions of views and comments from people who were equally outraged by the bride’s deception.
Ultimately, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the need for transparency and fairness in friendships, especially when it involves significant financial commitments. As OP and her fellow bridesmaids learned the hard way through this bride’s deception, it’s crucial to set clear boundaries and communicate openly to avoid being taken advantage of by those you trust.
