22.
“A couple of years ago, one of my best friends since middle school got married. For her wedding party, she chose her sister as maid of honor, and then the groom’s sister and I as bridesmaids. Planning the bachelorette party fell to me and the groom’s sister because the maid of honor was still in high school. I went over to the sister’s house one day and we planned everything out. It was a normal afternoon right up until I went to leave. She asked if I could stay a few more minutes so she could show me the wedding gift she got them. I said ok, and she disappeared from the room for a few minutes. When she came back, she had a karaoke machine with her. I assumed that was the gift because I knew the couple both liked to karaoke. But then she hit play and started singing at me. In her living room. With a microphone.”
“When she was done, she asked me what I thought. I carefully said I was a little unsure what the gift was exactly. She said, ‘I’m going to sing to them at the wedding during the speeches!’ I had to fight so hard to hold back my laughter and wipe the confusion off my face because, for one, she wasn’t a good singer, and she was never asked to give a speech. I also knew my friend would simply hate it. So I told her, while I thought it was a nice gesture, she should probably leave the speeches for those asked to keep the reception timeline on track. She seemed disappointed, but she agreed, and I thought that was the end of that horrible idea.
Cut to the reception. The speeches were all done, and the DJ was starting to announce dinner, when the groom’s sister stood up and said, ‘Wait, I have something to say!’ She then reached under the table and pulled out her karaoke machine! Nobody but me understood what was about to happen.
She pushed play and went on to sing a six-minute song! The whole time, she kept staring at the bride and groom aggressively in the eyes, and she sounded even worse than she did at her house. It was the cringiest thing I’ve ever witnessed at a wedding or anywhere else, for that matter. When she was finally finished, the whole room was silent. After a few very uncomfortable seconds, the DJ finally said, ‘Let’s give it up for the groom’s sister!’ People clapped really awkwardly, but you could tell no one liked it or knew what to say.
The groom’s sister bursts into tears and runs out of the room. Her mom got up and actually followed her. We didn’t really see her for the rest of the night. I later found out that she was ‘upset with every single person’ in that room because nobody appreciated her gift, and in her opinion, it was the best gift the couple would ever receive.
My friend told me she would have been mad, but the whole awkwardness of it all just makes her laugh every time she thinks about it. And her sister in law (who she has never liked) was finally put in her place.”
