What should have been a perfect wedding took a bizarre turn when a coffin, complete with a giant bow, was carried down the aisle. The bride was left stunned, the guests sat in silence, and what happened next will be remembered as the most unexpected prank of the day.
“Are you sure you’re ready?” my father asked, his warm hand resting on my shoulder as I adjusted my veil in the mirror.
“I’ve been ready my whole life, Dad,” I replied with a smile.
I wasn’t the kind of girl who dreamed of fairy tales, but I had always wanted this day – a day full of love, laughter, and family. And now it was happening. Everything was perfect, down to the smallest detail, just as I had planned.
I had spent months choosing the flowers, the right colors, and making sure everyone knew their place. My mother said I was a bit of a control freak, but it reassured me to know that things were in order.
“You look beautiful,” my father added.
“Don’t start crying yet,” I said teasingly. “We still have to walk down the aisle.”
I couldn’t wait to walk down the aisle and see Jacob, my future husband. He wasn’t like me. He never overthought. Jacob was quiet and funny, always ready to make me laugh when I got too serious. That’s what I loved most about him.
Jacob and I met four years ago at a mutual friend’s party. I was sitting in the corner, avoiding small talk, and he approached me with a big smile.
“You look like you’re having a blast,” he said, holding a drink in each hand.
“I hate parties,” I said.
“Me too,” he laughed, although he was clearly enjoying himself.
That was Jacob: easy-going and able to make the best of every situation. We started talking and it wasn’t long before I started laughing too. That night changed everything for me.
We were opposites in many ways, but we got along perfectly. I liked order, he liked spontaneity. I had my life planned, he preferred to go with the flow. But somehow it worked.
“I can’t believe you’re getting married,” my best friend Kate had said at the bachelorette party. “You used to say you didn’t believe in all this wedding stuff.”
“I didn’t believe it,” I said, thinking of Jacob. “But then I met him.”
Jacob had his own group of friends—guys he’d known since elementary school. They were a loud, boisterous bunch, always pulling pranks on each other. Sometimes they drove me crazy, but Jacob loved them, and I knew they meant a lot to him.
His best man, Derek, was always the ringleader, coming up with crazy pranks and schemes. The guys called themselves the “singles club,” as if they were still in high school.
“They’ll grow up one day,” Jacob always said with a smile.
But even though they were immature at times, Jacob was different when he was with me. He wasn’t just a prankster – he was thoughtful and kind, always finding little ways to make me smile. He left me notes, made dinner when I was tired, and listened to my endless wedding planning without complaint.
“That’s what you’re supposed to do when you love someone,” he once told me, shrugging as if it were the easiest thing in the world.
The day had finally arrived, and the sun was shining. It was perfect. As I stood there, ready to marry the love of my life, I took a deep breath. My dad was by my side, my family and friends were all waiting outside, and Jacob… well, he was probably cracking jokes with his friends, trying to calm his nerves.
“Are you ready?” Dad asked again, sensing my excitement.
“I’ve never been more ready,” I replied.
Looking at myself one last time in the mirror, I smiled. Everything was exactly as it should be. I wasn’t nervous, just excited to see Jacob standing at the end of that aisle, waiting for me.
And then we went out.
The ceremony was going perfectly. The soft hum of music filled the air as Jacob and I stood face to face, hands intertwined. He smiled at me, and I could feel the warmth of his love radiating from that moment. My heart swelled with joy, and I could see tears welling up in his eyes. We were about to exchange our vows, the most important words of our lives.
But just as I opened my mouth to speak, something strange caught my attention. A group of people appeared at the back of the room. They were walking slowly, carrying something heavy. At first, I thought it was a joke—someone bringing a last-minute wedding gift. But as they got closer, I saw what they were carrying. A coffin.
My stomach dropped. I blinked, hoping I was imagining things, but no, there it was. A real wooden coffin, with a huge red bow on top.
“What the…?” I muttered to myself, barely able to comprehend what was happening. This can’t be.
The guests, who had been smiling and laughing moments before, fell silent. The music seemed to fade and all eyes turned to the approaching coffin. Confusion reigned in the crowd. My pulse quickened. I looked at Jacob, expecting him to react, but he stood there, his eyes wide like everyone else.
“What is this?” I thought, panic building in my chest. “Is this a prank? Something gone wrong?” I looked around, searching for any answers, but no one seemed to know what was going on. My head was spinning and I felt dizzy, like I was going to pass out.
The group of men carrying the coffin moved closer. My heart was pounding in my chest and I felt my knees shaking. I squeezed Jacob’s hand tightly, but even he seemed too shocked to move.
They walked up to the altar and laid the coffin at our feet. I could barely breathe.
Then one of Jacob’s friends—Derek, the best man—stepped forward. Of course, it was him. If anyone was behind something as crazy as this, it had to be Derek. He reached toward the coffin lid, his hand moving slowly, as if he was deliberately building suspense.
“Derek, what’s going on?” I finally managed to say, my voice shaking.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he smiled – a big, goofy smile – and lifted the lid.
I stood there speechless. Inside the coffin was not what I had feared. No sinister surprise or morbid joke. Instead, there was a large framed portrait of Jacob, with a huge gift bow wrapped around it as if it were a present.
For a second, I was too stunned to react. My brain was struggling to comprehend what I was seeing. Then, from behind the coffin, Jacob’s other friends burst out, shouting, “Surprise!!!”
I stood there, frozen, trying to comprehend what was happening. My mind raced from panic to confusion to… realization. Slowly, I realized that this was a prank. A ridiculous, over-the-top prank by Jacob’s friends. The coffin, the portrait, everything. They symbolized the fact that Jacob was “dead” to them now that he was getting married.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered, still in shock.
Derek burst out laughing, clearly pleased with himself. “He’s married now! He’s gone forever!” he shouted, pointing at Jacob’s picture. The other guys laughed too, patting each other on the back like they’d just pulled off the greatest prank ever.
I turned to look at Jacob, who was now smiling sheepishly. “I had no idea,” he said quickly, holding up his hands as if he was innocent in all this. “I swear, I didn’t know they were planning this.”
For a moment, I didn’t know what to do. Part of me wanted to strangle Derek for doing something so outrageous in the middle of my wedding. But then… the absurdity of it all hit me. Jacob’s friends were always doing these kinds of stunts. It was their way of showing they cared. And, honestly, it was kind of funny.
Before I knew it, I started laughing. I couldn’t help it, the situation was so ridiculous. Soon, Jacob was laughing too, and then the guests joined in. The tension dissipated and the mood relaxed again. The wedding wasn’t ruined. On the contrary, it was made even more memorable.
“I can’t believe you did that,” I said, wiping away a tear from laughing so hard.
“It’s for fun,” Derek replied, still grinning from ear to ear. “We couldn’t let Jacob off the hook that easily. We had to say goodbye properly.”
Jacob shook his head, still smiling. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Well,” I said, still catching my breath, “it’s a good thing all our family and friends have a good sense of humor. This could have gone very badly.”
I turned to Jacob, feeling a surge of love and relief. Despite the madness, everything was perfect. This was our wedding, and it would be a day we would never forget.
Jacob leaned down and kissed me softly. “I love you,” he whispered, his eyes sparkling.
“I love you too,” I whispered back, thinking to myself, “ What a day!”