A wedding is a special day filled with joy and love, but sometimes unexpected events can create tension and awkwardness.
One bride-to-be experienced this firsthand when her brother-in-law made a risky speech at their rehearsal dinner, revealing a secret from her past that she believed could ruin her marriage before it had even begun.
The bride explained that she had met her husband through his brother, Chris, who she had a crush on during college. Despite her feelings, she never acted on them and kept her distance because she knew they weren't reciprocated. Chris was aware of her crush and often teased her, saying she was "girlfriend material" but wanted to have fun instead of committing.
However, on several occasions, Chris sent mixed signals by expressing his feelings for her, only to apologize and retract them later. On one Christmas four years ago, he texted her declaring his love and desire for a relationship. However, Chris spent the night making out with the then-bride's roommate at a New Year's Eve party, leaving her hurt and disappointed.
Fortunately, during that party, the bride got to know Chris's brother, who was the complete opposite of Chris. They clicked, started dating, and eventually got married.
The bride emphasized that she never went beyond a crush on Chris and only realized what love truly meant when she met her husband. She never told anyone about her crush, including her husband, and kept it a secret. Chris was unhappy about her relationship with his brother and remained cold toward her even as things got serious.
"Chris knew however I had a crush on him or at least he felt it. He would always say that I was 'girlfriend material' and that he wouldn't want to lead me on. He wanted to have fun before that. He would say this to others but even once to me.
"On two occasions he would text me that he had feelings for me, only to apologise later and retract his words but on Christmas four years ago he texted me that he was in love with me and wanted to take me out on a date. He said he was done playing around and wanted a relationship," the bride explained on Reddit.
The situation escalated when Chris revealed everything in his speech at the rehearsal dinner. He expressed his regret for not asking the bride out sooner and made everyone feel uncomfortable.
The bride's husband tried to act normal on their wedding day, but she could sense his hurt and anger. He even questioned her about her feelings for Chris, making her cry because it was false.
"It was very awkward afterward and nobody talked, and on our wedding day my husband did everything to act normal and he made sure everything was as planned but I could feel that he was hurt and angry.
"After the party, he asked me if I loved Chris and if I dated him for that reason. I started crying because it was absolutely not true. We started dating and became friends and I made sure it was him I wanted before committing and I never loved anyone like I love my husband."
The new husband barely talks to her, and she feels devastated. People commenting on her Reddit post expressed their disbelief at the brother-in-law's actions and considered him an "asshole" for trying to sabotage their wedding day.
They assured the bride that her husband would eventually get over it and advised her to give him time. They also acknowledged that her husband might be wary of spending one-on-one time with her due to justified feelings toward his brother.
In this wedding story, the brother-in-law's inappropriate speech caused significant emotional distress and strained the newlywed's relationship. The emphasis here is on the brother-in-law's ill-advised decision to bring up past feelings in his speech, leading to tension and hurt feelings.
The bride's reassurances about her love and commitment to her husband and the support from online commenters highlight the importance of open communication and trust in overcoming such challenges.