US: Bride-to-be takes $30,000 from guests only to cancel wedding
What went viral was her request for more money, more gifts
They wanted a fairy-tale wedding and so their friends and family pooled in their resources and gave them the gift of finance. They donated more than $30,000 (Dh110,184) to the couple's nuptial fund .
When the couple decided to post-pone their wedding, one might assume these generous gifters were wondering what went wrong. But before they could drift to the next thought – ‘Will I get my money back?’ they were left slack-jawed.
It wasn’t so much because of the bride’s mode of communication – the announcement came via Facebook post – it was more because she claimed the money was hers and that she would be keeping it, right before she dropped a few more bombs.
What did she write in her Facebook post?
First, there was the acknowledgement of the gift. Then the amount they had amassed. The couple then added in the most, that they’d love for the guests to give them some gifts, you know, “for the honeymoon.”
"We thank each of you for your generous early donations to our money fund," Pam began, in a post that was shared on Reddit.
"Can you believe we have raised over $30,000??? Unbelievable!!
"Don't worry, the money you've donated will not be spent in vain but rather used towards a honeymoon in the coming months.
"After we regain financial stability and hold clam in our hearts after a honeymoon we will announce a new wedding date and reopen our money fund for any further gifts.
"Weddings are expensive!"
The return present
A swift backlash did follow on both Facebook and Reddit, where people questioned the sanity of the bride. But when they pointed out that they’d already ‘conned’ people out of 30K, the bride hit back in another post, saying that if people had already transferred money into their bank account, it was theirs and there would be no returns.
"All, please calm down. You're making me feel very attacked and hanged up on [sic]," she wrote.
"You chose to DONATE to ME. If I want to use the money who cares how?
"I told you the wedding is getting rescheduled not cancelled."
And finally, when the furore refused to die down, she claimed mental distress, saying her visits to a doctor had cost her $2,900, which she would be taking from the ‘now nefarious’ fund.
At the end of it all, it seemed however, that the upset was not too great, for she ended another post in requests for spa or personal care packages - pointedly she made the request of the well-heeled family members she knew.
Yes, we are shaking our heads too.