When it comes to wedding days, we often hear about the fairy-tale moments, the perfect ceremonies, and the joyous celebrations that follow.
But for every dream wedding, there’s a story of mishaps and mayhem that didn’t quite make it to the glossy pages of bridal magazines.
One such story is that of Adelaide bride Jade Jensen, whose meticulously planned nuptials turned into a series of unfortunate events that could rival a Lemony Snicket novel.
Jade, a 27-year-old with a background in project management and paramedics, had spent a year planning her ‘perfect’ wedding to her beloved Heath.
With 80 guests in attendance, she envisioned a day filled with love, laughter, and memories to cherish. However, as many know, even the best-laid plans can go awry, and Jade’s wedding day was no exception.
On the morning of her wedding, Jade hosted a bridal brunch, a time for pampering and pre-ceremony bonding with her girlfriends.
In her excitement, she decided to open a bottle of beautiful champagne, a task that would typically be simple but, on this day, led to the first of many mishaps.
‘I was opening a bottle of beautiful champagne for my friends on the morning of my wedding, and I was too busy yapping to all of my girlfriends because I had not seen them for so long and wasn’t thinking properly,’ she said.
While chatting with her friends, the cork shot out and struck her on the forehead. Thankfully, her medical background and the quick thinking of her friends, who were also in the medical profession, meant that an ice pack was swiftly applied to prevent swelling.
‘It hurt a little bit, but not enough to make me cry, the adrenaline was definitely surging. But I was worried the impact would cause a bump, and I wanted to make sure I didn’t have a big egg-shape protruding from my head.’
But the troubles didn’t end there. To alleviate the pain and prevent a noticeable bump, Jade reached for what she thought were Nurofen tablets.
In a daze from the accident, she accidentally ingested two Restavit tablets, a strong sleep medication, instead. With the ceremony scheduled for 4:30 PM and it being only 9:30 AM, panic set in as she worried about the effects of the medication.
Despite making herself sick in an attempt to rid her body of the tablets, by 2 PM, Jade was battling extreme fatigue.
‘All I could do was get on with it, but little did I know, there were more curve balls coming my way,’ the then bride said.
As she made her way down the aisle, her beloved kelpie, Sassie, got a little too excited, stepping on Jade’s 3-meter-long veil and ripping it from her hair.
And if that wasn’t enough, Sassie decided to leave her mark on the ceremony by relieving herself at the altar.
In the face of such calamity, Jade did what many of us might struggle to do—she laughed. The rest of the wedding was a blur, but Jade and Heath managed to enjoy the remainder of their special day without further incident.
‘At that point, already so much had gone wrong, and I’d had such a crazy morning, all I could do was laugh.’
In a testament to their sense of humour and resilience, Jade even shared her wedding day disasters on social media, where the video has been viewed over 2 million times.
The couple can now look back and laugh at the unfortunate events that marked their wedding day.
Jade’s story reminds us that weddings, like life, are unpredictable. No matter how much we plan, things can—and often do—go wrong.
But it’s how we handle these moments that truly define our experiences. Jade’s ability to laugh in the face of adversity turned what could have been a day of disappointment into a memorable story she and her guests will talk about for years to come.
For those planning your weddings, take a page out of Jade’s book: prepare for the unexpected, keep a sense of humour, and surround yourself with people who will support you through thick and thin. And maybe double-check your medication before the big day.
We’d love to hear from our readers about their wedding day mishaps or tips for dealing with the unexpected. Share your stories in the comments below, and let’s find the humour and wisdom in those less-than-perfect moments.
Also read: Bride’s wedding day overshadowed by guest’s ‘disrespectful’ act–what happened?
