Susanna Heller

Cardi B and Offset have split. In an Instagram video posted on Tuesday night, the "Bodak Yellow" rapper announced that she and her husband have broken up <a id="5f0f0118-941a-33a0-a1e1-8bc82f1f4101" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/cardi-b-confirms-secret-marriage-offset-september-2017-2018-6?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> after getting secretly married in October 2017 </a> .

"We’ve got a lot of love for each other, but things just haven’t been working out between us for a long time. And it’s nobody’s fault," she said. "It’s just, like, I guess we grew out of love. But we’re not together anymore."

Also in the video, Cardi B said they are looking into getting a divorce, but it "might taketime."

Fans were surprised by the news and weighed in in the comment section.

"Oh," one person simply wrote. "NOOO, sis I just wanna see you happy," another Instagram user commented. " <a id="7823f803-6be7-3311-ac67-7f4614d80ece" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/ariana-grande-thank-u-next-music-video-mean-girls-legally-blonde-13-going-on-30-bring-it-on-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> Thank you, next </a> !!!!" someone else commented, in reference to the <a id="0bd217b8-5626-3b95-a6ac-065d9bd59849" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/category/ariana-grande?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> Ariana Grande </a> song.

According to Comments by Celebs, an Instagram account that highlights celebrity comments, Offest responded to Cardi B's announcementsaying, "Y'all won."

Read more: <a id="bb8bb4e6-ee5e-349a-ad41-bf49f8aea40d" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/cardi-b-bought-her-mom-a-home-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> Cardi B achieved her 'childhood dream' of buying her mom a home </a>

Cardi B and Offset have one daughter together, <a id="b3b511d0-5d74-3430-a146-ca476027b9e8" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/cardi-b-announces-birth-her-daughter-2018-7?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> KultureKiari Cephus, who was born in July. </a>

Visit <a id="1f84d53c-d05e-3d8d-a9e4-592ca7223ca4" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> INSIDER's homepage </a> for more.

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Cardi B says that she and Migos rapper Offset have split

A family from Virginia says that a 10-year-old girl was mocked by salon employees for her appearance, as <a href="https://wcyb.com/news/nation-world/stafford-hair-salon-faces-backlash-after-mocking-girl-battling-cancer" id="56c51b3f-31c8-376a-a7b6-a856273b4251"> ABC 7 first reported </a> .

On Saturday, Iliana, 10, who is in remission after having Stage 4 cancer, went to a salon with her mom "for a special evening."

While she was there, she was apparently mocked by nail technicians, who told her she "looked like a boy the entire time," according to a since-deleted Facebook post shared by her aunt, Shelle Jones.

Jones, who did not respond to INSIDER's request for comment, wrote that her sister, Iliana's mom, addressed the situation with the salon's manager, but "the response was underwhelming."

A screenshot of the post was shared on Imperial Salon &amp; Day Spa's Facebook page by CrystalTrifiletti‎.

"Everyone who visits your salon should know how you treat young children recovering from CANCER," Trifiletti‎ wrote. "Shame on you guys and I will never be back. You’ve lost quite a few customers."

In the comments, people said that they were disappointed to hear about Illiana's experience.

"Please stop spending your money with people who don’t respect you!" one person wrote. "I just heard about this," someone else said. "It breaks my heart that people could be so cruel." " Even if she hadn't just beaten cancer, why would mock any child's hair? How badly do you feel about yourself that making fun of a child makes you feel bigger? That's pretty horrible in itself, let alone it's a little girl who has been through hell and back," a third Facebook user remarked.

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Following the online backlash, Imperial Salon &amp; Day Spa issued an apology on Facebook.

"We deeply apologize that this has happened. We would love to meet with you and your daughter to formally apologize," <a href="https://www.facebook.com/imperialsalonnspastafford/posts/1108236416006466?__xts__[0]=68.ARBpCKbmT_kPwh2acCiSvS4xecrQRRyTop5_cTstlCPE1CG1Rf5mYpL5eQsRgE38lxOTovq_fZ3InWa-NdEBhqU4k3hKVCO4x2xYds3PxacEDfrzbe3eIzJG90mQ0elH_BdbhUbzzC28XtwT4sRCRAvMxUNmN2QhNQqvI9rTjJwqUlhx9sxa1vmiteI7sS-wnoWR_aaEx86dhqpH0rKv7xAkR8htb8Lr1wqsBO1D8pk_6r1QYmGtr4NxQU7dfUbhlJIlpurCnfigY11Mf5k9dzoKjEHgIZ-dWkIy1fplItM0gHaZznMnvkqRHN9_up42GOwTfCiRwKEYcSvN5N4YCA&amp;__tn__=-R" id="af09bff2-78ff-31ae-abc3-df6ab64b351a"> the post said </a> . "Your daughter and any other cancer survivor and fighter have our complete support. This matter breaks our hearts as a business and as parents ourselves."

They also offered free services as a sort of consolation.

"We know that offering any package would never be enough to make up for this sad situation but, would love to offer a package for your little girl and family," they wrote. "We as owners would love to show you that this one incident is not what our spa or company is about. Please allow us to have an opportunity to show you that our company is better than this."

In the comment of the post, the owners, who said they were out of town at the time of the incident, said the employee who made the comments no longer works at the spa.

"We as a business do not support what has been said by a former employee," the comment said. "At this time all we can do is apologize for this sad matter and try to learn and teach our employees that this and any other comments about clients are not okay."

Visit <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest" id="1f84d53c-d05e-3d8d-a9e4-592ca7223ca4"> INSIDER's homepage </a> for more.

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The family of a 10-year-old girl with Stage 4 cancer says she was mocked by hair salon employees

Winter typically evokes fond memories of snow days filled with <a id="d0060364-2a47-31fc-ac9f-734fcb21488f" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/category/hot-chocolate?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> hot chocolate </a> , <a id="dc51e6b8-bd2e-3503-acee-0df28a9a398a" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/category/movies?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> movie </a> marathons, and snowball fights. But that hasn't been the case for residents in one Colorado town.

In Severance, Colorado, a century-old ordinance that dates back to the town's founding prohibits "throwing stones or missiles," which includes snowballs, at property or people, according to the <a id="712e5e97-d878-330f-a43b-c56aa31e9354" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46439279"> BBC </a> .

But 9-year-old resident Dane Best wanted to change that.

On Monday night he brought a case for snowballs to the town board.

"The children of Severance want the opportunity to have a snowball fight like the rest of the world," Best said, according to the <a id="507201ed-0a87-3d70-a7be-fda02244c5f9" href="https://www.greeleytribune.com/news/severance-repeals-ban-on-snowball-fights-following-9-year-old-dane-bests-presentation/"> Greely Tribune </a> . "The law was created many years ago. Today's kids need a reason to play outside."

His presentation, which lasted a total of three minutes, worked, per the Tribune. When town officials announced the news, the crowd, mainly comprised of Best's friends and classmates, erupted in cheers.

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Best first learned of the law on a school trip to the town hall earlier this year, per the <a id="281972fa-f048-3280-a434-e7bac423c89b" href="https://apnews.com/f3aeb8a92a0e48f6b53672355abe0977"> Associated Press </a> .

"All of the kids always get blown away that it’s illegal to have snowball fights in Severance," Kyle Rietkerk, told the AP before the meeting. "So, what ends up happening is (town leaders) always encourage the kids with, 'You have the power you can change the law.' No one has."

After the meeting, Dane and his 4-year-old brother, Dax, were allowed to throw the first legal snowballs in the town's history.

Now, according to the AP, Best has his sights set on some of the town's other outdated laws — namely, one that outlaws any pets besides cats or dogs. The 9-year-old is personally invested in the issue, according to the outlet — he owns a guinea pig.

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A 9-year-old boy successfully led a campaign to overturn his hometown's ban on snowball fights

It was late February when the 23-year-old found herself in-between jobs and with three weeks to kill. Having recently moved across the country from <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/category/new-york?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest" id="c11bba46-b533-3b71-a59f-74904c288473"> New York </a> to <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/category/los-angeles?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest" id="e17a9d6e-21f1-302f-a861-5763917192df"> Los Angeles </a> , she was feeling isolated in her new city. At the time, Perkins mainly kept in touch with her friends by texting them about astrology.

"I was goofing around one day and started making memes and decided to do it on a separate page because I didn't want to clog people's feeds unless they wanted it to be clogged," she told INSIDER. "And it just took off from there."

Now, Perkins runs the popular astrology meme account, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/notallgeminis/?hl=en" id="b7e9c0f9-5102-3079-a1a1-ed2f65c3f4a6"> notallgeminis </a> . As of November, her account had over 300,000 followers with more than 1,200 posts. Perkins, who jokingly calls herself a meme lord, never expected that <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm1BBYRlpLh/" id="7f4759e2-eab9-3895-a1d3-9a9bc819831d"> what started out as an extension of her finsta </a> would grow as it did, but astrology memes are having a moment right now.

It was around the same time that Jake, who asked to only be identified by his first name, noticed that every time he posted an astrology meme on his personal Instagram account it "got lots of likes." Today, he runs the page <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jakesastrology/?hl=en" id="36a5da29-929d-3c9f-aea8-2d0ed3283250"> jakesastrology </a> , which has over 140,000 followers and more than 600 posts.

And it appears these two are onto something big.

<h1> People are turning to astrology to make sense of our chaotic world. </h1>

Perkins and Jake are far from alone in their meme making. There are hundreds of astrology-specific Twitter and Instagram accounts, seemingly born to satisfy a growing community of astrology-obsessed followers. Some of the of more popular astrology meme accounts include <a href="https://www.instagram.com/trashbag_astrology/" id="2930d3b7-3f61-33d4-aa8c-dd54e2ff0d2e"> trashbagastrology </a> , <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gnarlyastrology/" id="390e169f-069e-3239-a3c0-76d88b0235c7"> gnarlyastrology </a> , and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aquariuscomplex/" id="15fffb51-d2c9-366d-a525-8136abbb5bb8"> aquariuscomplex </a> , all of which are known for their distinct voices and original meme formats.

But what's driving the proliferation of these accounts?

At the risk of sounding dramatic, it might just be the world we live in. A 2017 report on the <a href="https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2017/state-nation.pdf" id="0b74d5ae-58a1-3f19-a765-a39e7100fb9d"> state of stress in America released by American Psychological Association </a> , found that 59% of millennials believe the country is at its lowest point ever, and they cite concerns over health care and mass shootings as significant causes of distress.

At the same time, fewer people are turning toward traditional religious and spiritual systems. According to a 2014 study from Pew Research, 22.8% of adults surveyed described themselves as <a href="http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/" id="e277d809-baf6-3eaa-a392-b26abbc79d9c"> not religious </a> or affiliated with "nothing in particular" when it comes to religion. According to the group, 56% of adults surveyed said that <a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/10/16/a-growing-share-of-americans-say-its-not-necessary-to-believe-in-god-to-be-moral/" id="e8674d5a-f07a-3a66-a713-a9cf08331ce1"> they don't think it's necessary to believe in God in order to be moral </a> and have good values.

And that might explain why people are seeking affirmation elsewhere. It doesn't really matter if astrology is "real" or if people's conviction that their horoscope definitely applies to them is just a manifestation of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/Barnum-Effect" id="7e580939-456e-34ff-a394-c6c613090c5f"> Barnum Effect </a> — a personality-trait specific placebo effect that describes how anyone can be convinced that any set of traits applies to them. Even if it's fake, astrology is a useful distraction.

Viktor Winetrout, who runs the satirical Twitter account <a href="https://twitter.com/Sorrowscopes" id="53d28da2-21e8-3c9c-ac16-bef45c77bda4"> Sorrowscopes </a> along with about 25 other people, said his team views the fake horoscopes as a "harmless escape from the never-ending news cycle."

While Sorrowscopes doesn't follow the same structure the Instagram accounts, it does maintain the same biting, dry sense of humor that memes have, generally speaking. "It's not that we're anti-astrology, we're just not trying to play it straight," Winetrout said. "We're using the format to be funny or facetiously bleak."

<h1> People are also turning to astrology to make sense of themselves. </h1>

Whether it's a horoscope in the back of a print magazine or an astrology meme on Instagram, astrology speaks to a need to feel "seen," and understood.

For both Perkins and Jake, making memes isn't about following a trend or fad. Instead, It's about delving into their long-held passion for astrology. Their personal attachment to astrology allows the 20-somethings create, for lack of a better term, relatable content that makes people pause and say, "that's so me."

And it's that intrinsic desire to relate to others or better understand yourself that gets people talking — or tagging their friends in the comments.

Lily Lou, a 20-year-old student at UNC Chapel Hill, said that she mainly turns to astrology when she's stressed. In particular, she said she reads her horoscope for comfort and validation. While she's not particularly interested in memes, when friends send them to her, she only looks at her sign. "It's like when you take a picture in a group and then you automatically look at your face and not anyone else's," Lou said.

She's notthe only one looking to astrology for guidance. Astrology offers a path toward external validation and community that many struggle to find in traditional structures, be it religion or politics. In a way, astrology provides its followers with a template for how to organize, categorize, and make sense of a chaotic world.

That's why Jake said he gravitated toward astrology growing up — it gave him a sense of validation that he struggled to find elsewhere.

"I found astrology to be such an empowering belief system because I was able to comfortably 'fit in' as a queer person — there are no rules for being a believer in astrology, whereas I felt excluded and uncomfortable with some of the implied stipulations that come with Christianity," he said.

Jake believes that feeling left out or excluded from traditional belief systems has driven many of his peers toward astrology, too.

"We're all able to find a practice and belief that we fit into perfectly, and we can explore and play with different spiritualities to find out which ones we like or believe in most," Jake said. "I also think that astrology and other 'unconventional' belief systems feel empowering to many people — especially marginalized groups of people."

Perkins agrees that it's a generational thing.

"I think people are looking for answers in any way that they can — especially in the younger age group. The majority of my followers are under 30," she explained. "Most of us have given up on religion, our government has failed us, and this is something that is both a distraction and a way of understanding the people around us in a really laughable way that also feels just spiritual enough."

<h1> The rise of astrology isn't surprising to those who have studied it </h1>

For folks who have been into astrology for a long time, the sudden ascendance of astrology memes comes as no surprise. Ophira Edut, who has been practicing astrology since the '90s and runs <a href="http://astrostyle.com/" id="8ff928a4-11d2-3d70-a5a3-03c7f73fef58"> Astro Style </a> with her sister Tali under the pen name of The AstroTwins, says she thinks astrology memes are funny and clever interpretations of the signs and their behavioral patterns. And she's not at all surprised that people are turning to astrology for answers. According to Edut, when politics "goes sideways," the demand for astrologers surges.

"People are looking for answers and meaning because the world seems to make no sense right now — especially with the political climate we're in," she told INSIDER. "I think people are like, 'Well, this doesn't make sense from a logical point of view. Maybe there's a bigger spiritual lesson for the world that we're learning? Maybe astrology can explain it.'"

Anna Price, a 25-year-old editor who lives in Los Angeles, California, told us that she first became truly interested in astrology in 2015 when she got her full natal chart read. Today, she turns to social media for regular updates on her horoscope.

"My current interest in astrology is for the purpose of mindfulness and self-reflection," Price said. "I follow a few astrologer accounts on Twitter and have an app on my phone that gives me personalized updates based on my birth chart information and current transits."

One app that people commonly turn to is Co—Star, which provides users with custom birth charts and daily horoscopes. Speaking with INSIDER, Banu Guler, the app's CEO and co-founder, estimated it's downloaded around 1,000 times a day. Guler says it doesn't surprise her that people are turning to astrology in droves because it offers the same mystic and community aspects as a traditional religion might.

<h1> Astrologers have mixed feelings about memes. </h1>

Susan Miller, <a href="https://www.astrologyzone.com/" id="66cbd2f0-2993-3fde-a735-6a160c548529"> the founder of Astrology Zone </a> , may not make astrology memes, but she approves of them.

"Some people are very good at them. It's accurate and it's funny," she told INSIDER. "And it's a reason to smile. And with current things in the news, I think we need a reason to laugh more."

Yet not everyone in the astrology community has been receptive to the jokes, Edut said. Some astrologers argue that the memes oversimplify astrology or use it to fear monger.

"I see some people who are practicing astrologers who are kinda like, 'Well, this is pop astrology, this is not real astrology.' I don't feel that way," Edut said. "I guess if I was to say a critique of some of the memes, it would be like, the typical sort of fear-mongering stuff. Like, 'Oh no! Mercury's in retrograde! Panic!'"

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Miller's main gripe with memes — aside from fear-mongering over Mercury in retrograde — is when the jokes become derogatory by making sweeping generalizations about the signs.

"Millenials don't know what each sign means. Some of them do — but most don't," said Miller, who began studying astrology when she was 15. Her site, <a href="https://www.astrologyzone.com/" id="89355461-ba90-32cb-a013-918688e51346"> AstrologyZone </a> , is known for in-depth monthly horoscopes for each sign that span multiple pages.

It's not that meme creators don't know their stuff. Guler said that her team has a made a point of introducing the full complexity of the natal chart into its Co—Star branded memes.

But many meme creators want to make content that serves their audience. "People turn to memes because it is one of the most digestible ways to learn about astrology if you aren't a person that wants to buy the books the way I did," said Perkins, who taught herself astrology via the book " <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Only-Astrology-Book-Youll-Ever/dp/1589796535" id="2a2e6d66-304c-37ea-ae23-ff733616567e"> The Only Astrology Book You'll Ever Need </a> ."

"You learn the behaviors just by seeing the jokes every day and seeing the way these behaviors come across in these grounded very real human ways," Perkins said.

And Edut doesn't see anything wrong with that.

"The surface-level, Astrology 101 stuff is how people get started. That's how people get interested," Edut said. "Pop culture brings people in — and then if they wanna learn more, they go looking."

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People are turning to astrology memes to cope  — and it's taking over Instagram

Sure, there's nothing better than a good <a id="feca0afc-ceac-32b0-a46f-7c29809f2e9a" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/category/wedding?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> wedding </a> . After all, <a id="2d567cf0-d89e-33c8-ada3-46da56d384a3" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/how-to-make-a-wedding-fun-for-guests-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> there's something truly special about spending a day among loved ones </a> celebrating, well, <a id="d74e4202-1fce-3b7c-ae40-01bed7d65220" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/category/relationships?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> love </a> .

[Read more: <a id="01d86e97-e4ba-3128-afdf-9e84b42e376d" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/things-wedding-guests-actually-care-about-2017-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> 9 things wedding guests actually care about that are worth spending money on </a> ]

But, to be totally honest, if there one thing better than attending a great wedding, it's reading a truly cringe-worthy wedding-related story.

From the bridesmaid who was fired via email, to the bride who threatened to delete her Facebook friends over not attending her $3,000 destination wedding, keep scrolling to revisit 17 of the most absurd wedding stories that went <a id="9a15794a-5576-3bfd-af44-c6e08d123c51" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/category/viral?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> viral </a> in 2018.

<h1> A bride threatened to delete her friends on Facebook because they wouldnt pay $3,000 to attend her destination wedding. </h1>

Earlier this year, a <a id="89408e79-c03e-3ca6-a160-aed279949649" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/bride-mad-friends-wont-pay-destination-wedding-2018-9?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> bride-to-be went viral for a screenshot of her Facebook status in which she threatened to uninvite her guests </a> from her wedding.First, she explained that she had to cancel her destination wedding, which she originally planned to hold in Thailand, after her friends said theycouldn't pay $3,000 to attend.

"At the risk of sounding entitled, I have to vent today," the bride, who has not yet been identified, began her status. "OK, I get it, paying $3K to share my special day is too much for some of you. I'd pay for yours, but whatever."

According to the status, the bride and the groom changed the event's location to Hawaii so it would be "within everyone's reach." But it would still cost guests $2,000 to make the trip to the new destination.

Following this change, the bride wrote that only seven guests said they could attend.

"It costs less but less of you wanna come?!" she wrote. "Is that what you think of [my fiance] and me? You can't spare $2K to come share our happiness?"

She concluded her post saying that if people didn't respond to her wedding invitation in three days she would delete them as a Facebook friend.

"Good luck keeping up with our lives then," she wrote.

<h1> A woman canceled her wedding because her guests wouldnt pay her $1,500 to attend. </h1>

<a id="a0430196-edaa-3451-a5ff-490940153c58" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/bride-canceled-wedding-when-guests-wouldnt-pay-thousands-to-attend-2018-8?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> A bride canceled her wedding four days before the event because her guests wouldn't contribute $1,500 each </a> , according to a series of screenshots from a "wedding-shaming" Facebook group that Twitter user <a id="03abd191-e66d-35aa-a478-fefc03a5b210" href="https://twitter.com/0lspicykeychain/"> 0lspicykeychain </a> shared on the platform.

In her post, the bride-to-be said she asked each of her guests to "pledge" $1,500 each to come to her wedding. She said her maid of honor offered $5,000 and her now ex-fiancé's family said they'd contribute $3,000. But when only eight guests RSVP'd yes to her wedding, everyone else pulled out, the bride wrote.

When it seemed like they wouldn't be able to afford the wedding, her fiancé asked if she'd be interested in getting married in Las Vegas instead. She didn't take the suggestion well. That's when the bride-to-be called her maid of honor expecting sympathy. Instead, she told the bride that she was "asking for way too much."

"I just wanted to be a Kardashian for a day and then live my life like normal," the bride-to-be wrote on Facebook. "I called her a filthy f------ poor excuse of a friend, and hung up."

Before concluding her post, she also seemed to accuse her former fiancé of cheating on her. Finally, instead of getting married, the woman finished off by saying had decided to set off on a two-month backpacking trip through South America to clear her head.

<h1> A bride was called out for insisting her bridesmaids wear $188 yellow "monstrosities," but it turned out to be an elaborate prank. </h1>

In a post that firstpicked up traction ona forum for parents in the UK called <a id="e6e52032-5c0f-3f7a-a4df-ab59d22995c7" href="https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3378648-Wedding-Drama"> Mumsnet </a> ,user Namechanger86745 said she had been a bridesmaid for her "close friend" without any major incidents, but recently things had gotten out of hand.

Apparently, she and her five fellow <a id="5216dd02-414f-362e-a9cb-169487ce8154" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/bride-called-out-for-asking-bridesmaids-to-wear-188-yellow-dress-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> bridesmaids all hated the dress the bride-to-be asked them to buy and wear </a> to her wedding, she wrote. According to the post, the bride asked them to purchase the floor-length, <a id="62c26c89-e6b7-30b8-a700-fc78a803c238" href="http://www.kissydress.co.uk/product/orange-organza-ruffles-sweetheart-floor-length-ball-gown"> $188 (£145) gown in yellow </a> .

"[Am I being unreasonable] to tell her that we do not want to wear and pay for these monstrosities?" the poster asked. "How do I do that without upsetting her? She's so stressed and I don't want to add to that."

When the user finally told the bride-to-be that the bridesmaids hated the dress, drama ensued. Luckily, it all turned out to be an elaborate prank. And it turns out there's a silver lining."On the upside, as an apology, I get to pick the bridesmaid dresses now," the original poster said.

<h1> A bride didnt understand why her African American friend didnt want to attend her wedding at a plantation. </h1>

A woman became angry that one of her <a id="26f4b26e-abff-3104-ae92-a7b688fe768e" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/category/bridesmaid?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> bridesmaids </a> bowed out of her <a id="feca0afc-ceac-32b0-a46f-7c29809f2e9a" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/category/wedding?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> wedding </a> after she decided to hold it at a plantation.

The friend, who has been identified only as J in a now-viral <a id="60c1a8e7-c99a-3546-a751-ee731bc2e2b1" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/relationships/comments/9e3qwo/my_26f_friend_25f_just_dropped_out_of_being_a/?st=JLTNZHAZ&amp;sh=3b5dc6f4"> post on r/Relationships </a> , sent a message to the bride explicitly stating her personal and professional reasons for feeling uncomfortable being a part of a plantation wedding.

"I told you then that I could not be a part of a wedding that happened at a plantation. I firmly believe that all plantations should be museums that highlight the atrocious injustices towards my community," J wrote. "We talked in great detail about exactly why I felt that way you told me that your love for me outweighed your desire to have a wedding at (plantation) and I wouldn't have to worry about it."

In her since-deleted post, the 26-year-old turned to Reddit for help processing J's message.

"How do I convince her that she's being ridiculous and that what happened there was a long time ago and has no bearing on my wedding? And that any colleague who would judge her is incredibly narrow-minded and shouldn't be paid any attention to?" the bride asked.

On Reddit, her post gained traction. And while the original post has been scrubbed, the <a id="7ae4d88f-ff26-33d0-a459-59aedfbb48b5" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/relationships/comments/9e3qwo/my_26f_friend_25f_just_dropped_out_of_being_a/?st=JLTNZHAZ&amp;sh=3b5dc6f4"> comments remain </a> — and people nearly unanimously agreed that the bride was in the wrong.

<h1> A bride fired her bridesmaid in a cringe-worthy email. </h1>

Seth Wenig/AP Photo; cduffy90/Twitter

A woman named <a id="32b4ea4f-925b-3a8c-a700-807b807ed712" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/bridesmaid-fired-from-bridal-party-viral-email-2018-7?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> Courtney Duffy who wasasked to"relinquish" her "duties as a bridesmaid" in her friend's wedding via email </a> — just after she had booked her cross-country flights for the upcoming nuptials.

Duffy shared the correspondence on Twitter where it went viral, unsurprisingly

"I have a massive favor to ask you, though — and this is one of the hardest things I've ever had to ask anyone — but I need to ask you to relinquish your duties as a bridesmaid," the bride-to-be, who was identified only as "Alex," said an email.

Alex attributed the decision to Duffy's busy school schedule, which gave a "whirlwind nature" to her travel that "just won't work with the duties as a party member."

"Please don't feel you're letting me down, I am asking you to do this," Alex wrote in the email. "I love you and value your friendship so much and I fully understand the need for you to prioritize school! I want you to be able to focus on that without also worrying about any extra wedding worries."

Duffy asked JetBlue for help with changing her flights in a since-deleted tweet. She ended up getting her travel plans changed, thanks to the airline.

<h1> A wedding planners "rules and regulations" included a strict dress code and not speaking to the bride. </h1>

Some people think one wedding coordinator took things a <a id="95790500-f80b-3a4c-ad60-6f46e35c69c4" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/wedding-planner-sent-rules-and-regulations-people-are-shocked-2018-9?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> hair too far with a list of "rules and regulations" </a> that were sent out ahead of the wedding.

The guidelines, which were first posted in <a id="361c3970-50a8-3e07-a8a8-845b32ec752a" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ChoosingBeggars/"> r/ChoosingBeggars </a> by Redditor <a id="a2f262b8-1a34-399f-a0f4-a97340f41abd" href="https://www.reddit.com/user/laika_cat"> laika_cat </a> , include such requests as "DO NOT TALK TO THE BRIDE AT ALL" and "do not have a full face of makeup."

Here's the list, which was emailed to guests, <a id="9020cff9-ba22-37d6-a55b-e52846446f73" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ChoosingBeggars/comments/9hchjc/kindly_refrain_from_upstaging_the_bride_on_her/"> per the Reddit post </a> :

"Please arrive 15-30 minutes early. Please DO NOT wear white, cream or ivory. Please do not wear anything other than a basic bob or ponytail. Please do not fave [sic] a full face of makeup. Do not record during the seramony [sic]. Do not check in on FB until instructed. Use #[redacted] when posting all pictures. DO NOT TALK TO THE BRIDE AT ALL. Everyone will toast with Rémy. No acceptance [sic]. Lastly must come with gift 75$ or more or you want [sic] be admited [sic] in."

People online found the so-called "rules" to be ridiculous and sounded off online

<h1> A couple took wedding photos of themselves appearing to be held at gunpoint atop a fiery volcano in the Congo. </h1>

30.raw/Instagram; Cecilia Christin/Facebook

In 2017, American <a id="7f92fe72-28b7-3fb0-a11b-e493012bbc4f" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/category/travel-photography?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> travel photographer </a> John Milton and his wifeDorottya Lucia Milton <a id="09b7b174-0b0e-304c-a5d4-897ca1a89dbe" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/viral-wedding-pictures-from-congo-reactions-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> had their wedding in the Democratic Republic of the Congo </a> and took staged pictures atop a <a id="2738e03d-63bb-34fe-aa5f-b18d087d5d3b" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/category/volcano?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> volcano </a> and at gunpoint.

Photos from the wedding <a id="789af243-3313-3dd3-ac95-dc4d714d3c67" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/viral-wedding-pictures-from-congo-reactions-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> went viral in October 2018 </a> after they recirculated on social media — people found them offensive on several levels and accused Milton and his wife of "poverty tourism."

When one Instagram commenter asked about how they came up with the "out of the box" poses, Milton said they "just wanted to make sure we didn't have the typical goofy wedding shots :-)"

In a <a id="548172df-f1dd-337f-af23-4b66c0e6ead7" href="http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2016/07/17/traveling-scared-to-death-and-thats-ok-interview-with-john-milton/"> 2016 interview </a> with fellow photographer Eric Kim, Milton appeared to embrace the controversial nature of his work. "I would describe my style as ' <a id="ab81fa26-c866-3f5a-ab82-5643c28b947e" href="http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2016/07/17/traveling-scared-to-death-and-thats-ok-interview-with-john-milton/"> raw and in your face </a> ,'" he said. "I like to stir the pot and push the envelope. My travel habits and photographic style clearly show that."

<h1> A bride-to-be called off her dream wedding a week before it was supposed to happen — and then donated it to a couple shed never met. </h1>

Earlier this year, Kolbie Sanders, 24, ended her engagement to her Skylar Cotton, an oil worker, a week before it was scheduled to happen. But the University of Texas at Tyler student <a id="bde09c3f-caca-3e2b-affb-fae37341d6e5" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/ex-bride-donates-dream-wedding-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> wanted to make something meaningful out of their breakup </a> .

After talking it over with Cotton, Sanders decided to donate their venue to a couple they felt was deserving: Halie Hipsher and Matthew Jones. Sanders found the couple after crowdsourcing her idea in a Facebook post that quickly went viral.

The winning couple, who has a young son, also got free catering, photography, floral arrangements, and hair and makeup — all donated by people and companies that were inspired by Sanders' generosity after her Facebook post went viral.

Sanders ultimately attended the wedding, which was originally supposed to be her own, as a guest on behalf of Hispher and Jones.

<h1> A bride-to-be posted a Facebook rant answering "ridiculous" questions about her wedding that people had asked her. </h1>

Everyonelovesabridezillathread/Mumsenet

<a id="01d50e90-02f7-3648-a126-83759e67cb69" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/category/wedding-planning?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> Wedding planning </a> can be stressful, which is probably why one evidently fed-up bride who was pushed to her limit <a id="42a9bec4-79df-3d35-af5d-337c7d5bd39b" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/bride-posted-facebook-rant-answering-questions-about-wedding-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> posted a long Facebook status answering a series of "ridiculous" questions </a> about her upcoming nuptials.

"The amount of questions I have been asked about our wedding is getting ridiculous and by people who won't even be invited," her post began.

The post <a id="a22b31e6-f282-3a2d-aa6b-da193e8af88b" href="https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3389952-Facebook-Bridezilla-Rude-or-Understandable?pg=1#prettyPhoto"> picked up attention on Mumsnet </a> , a forum for parents in the United Kingdom, and it has people split.

"[Am I being unreasonable] to think this is pretty rude?" the Mumsnet poster asked of the Facebook status. "Yes it probably is annoying when people ask questions about your engagement or wedding, but most of the time they are just making polite small talk?"

<h1> A wedding photographer shoved a brides step-mom to capture the newlyweds first kiss. </h1>

In September, Lorna Dane Gantt, 24, and Joshua Gantt, 33, got married, and the wedding <a id="86cbcda9-5ece-3ed1-ae86-eedf3076f452" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/wedding-photographer-shoved-brides-step-mom-picture-first-kiss-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> photographer had no choice but to shove Lorna's stepmother </a> out of the way to capture the couple's first kiss on camera, Lorna told INSIDER.

Lorna said her stepmother was in the way of their hired photographer, Ashley Easterling. So Easterling had to think fast.

"I applaud Ashley for capturing my special moment; she made sure to go above and beyond to do whatever she had to do to make sure I got the pictures we paid for," she said. "I couldn't be more thankful."

<h1> A bride jumped off of a trampoline and into a lake in her wedding dress straight after her reception. </h1>

After her wedding back in September,Alex Bigler decided to blow off some steam by jumping into a lake at her wedding reception. The catch? She was <a id="b9075a94-ed95-324d-a67d-7bb736a972df" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/bride-jumps-trampoline-lake-wedding-dress-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> still wearing her </a> <a id="39bdd82b-725c-361d-a696-7fee52432365" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/bride-jumps-trampoline-lake-wedding-dress-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> wedding gown </a> .

Bigler's new husband new husband, Alex Schiller, launched her off the "blob," an inflatable trampoline and into the water.

"I wasn't about to let our guests have all the fun," Bigler told INSIDER.

Ad the good news? Bigler said her dress "held up well," but it still needed a trip to the dry cleaners.

"I wanted to maximize the amount of time and fun I had with my dress," she said, "and this definitely did the trick."

<h1> British newlyweds accidentally bought a hotel in Sri Lanka when they were drunk. </h1>

While on their honeymoon in Sri Lanka in December 2017,Gina Lyons, 33, and Mark Lee, 35, from London, <a id="054a5681-5f22-3f9f-a2c1-2e1c7d2863e9" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/drunk-newlyweds-bought-honeymoon-hotel-2018-10?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> decided to buy the hotel they were staying in </a> when they learned its lease was due to expire.

After drinking 12 glasses of rum, the couple discovered it would cost $39,576 to take over the hotel for three years, they recently told <a id="16a92f23-7828-331d-a591-6b50c697fccd" href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/british-newlyweds-drunk-luxury-honeymoon-13387506"> the Mirror </a> .

"Our friends and family think we're idiots and shouldn't have been doing it," Lyons, who learned she was pregnant three months after buying the hotel, told the Mirror. "We owed a lot of money from the wedding and only lived in a tiny flat, and now we had a baby on the way."

After closing the newly-renamed Lucky Beach Tangalle for $8,000 worth of renovations, it reopened in July.

<h1> A guy proposed to his girlfriend during his sisters wedding. </h1>

17 of the most ridiculous viral wedding stories of 2018

A family in Austin, Texas, paid tribute to a classic <a id="c9ce24d0-2679-3b17-a808-3296106d04c4" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/category/movie?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> movie </a> with their home's hyper-realistic <a id="5c9fd383-1a89-3460-a959-2cb2056dea65" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/category/holiday-decorations?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> holiday decorations </a> this year — and they might have been a little too convincing. According to reports, emergency services were called out of concern over the decorations.

As an entry to a neighborhood contest, the Heerlein family recreated a scene from" <a id="d889bd82-cfed-331a-a636-8cfb5699021b" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMtBHA783c8"> National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation </a> " in which the character Clark Griswold attempts to hang string lights on the outside of his home, falls off the roof, and has to hang on to the siding.

But, evidently, some thought the Heerleins' mannequin was a little too lifelike.

Speaking to <a id="31405d17-37a2-33d4-a994-383ca67973a4" href="https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/video/man-mistakes-decoration-runs-rescue-59556191"> Good Morning America </a> , the Heerleins said that at least one person, Alfred Norwood Jr, stopped and tried to help the fake Clark down, thinking he was a real person. Norwood, a veteran, even called 911 for help, per a recording on the family's home security camera.

However, Norwood, eventually figured out that it was just a holiday display, after all.

The Heerleins told GMA that they were touched that a stranger went out of his way to help. They gave him a gift card to show their appreciation, per <a id="b21a2131-deea-3111-a5b1-658f83f175ec" href="https://fox6now.com/2018/12/02/christmas-vacation-inspired-holiday-decor-prompts-calls-to-911/?fbclid=IwAR0HPOOR8mBL6sGp0YTGRCL_g_eMfFP8i-2mWcCTyDMP0oeklGM0zZlcn0A"> Fox-affiliatedWITI </a> .

Read more: <a id="cfed6325-f48d-32c7-a2ee-e8ac9c600210" href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/igor-vorotinov-allegedly-faked-death-to-collect-2m-life-insurance-policy-2018-11?utm_source=intl&amp;utm_medium=ingest"> A Minnesota man allegedly faked his own death by putting his clothes and ID on a dead body to collect $2 million </a>

But they also don't want anyone to go that trouble again over their display.

Now, at the bottom of the ladder, the family has posted a sign that warns that the imperiled man is not real, and that he's been put up for a contest.

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