A bride was left furious after finding out that her so-called “fake” social media stunt wedding was actually a real ceremony.
A woman from Melbourne, Australia, found herself officially married after what she believed was a fake wedding stunt for social media.
This surprising turn of events left her feeling furious and betrayed when she learned the truth.
The proposal and prank wedding
In September 2023, the unnamed woman met a man on a dating app.
They quickly fell in love, and by December, he proposed to her.
Just two days after the proposal, she was invited to a “white party” in Sydney.
She thought this would be a fun gathering with friends, so she packed a white dress for the occasion.
However, when she arrived at the event, she discovered that there were no guests.
Instead, only her partner, a photographer, a friend of the photographer, and a celebrant were present.
Confused and disappointed, she soon learned from her partner that the gathering was meant to be a prank wedding for his social media page.
The social media stunt
Her partner, who has over 17,000 followers on Instagram, wanted to create content to boost his online presence.
He thought that staging a fake wedding would help him gain attention and start monetizing his account.
The woman felt alarmed when she realized the event was not what she expected.
Initially, she believed that a civil marriage would not be valid unless certain legal steps were taken, such as filing a notice of intended marriage.
This led her to participate in the ceremony, even though she felt it was all a joke.
During the event, she acted happy for the cameras, thinking it would enhance the prank.
Bride angry upon finding out social media stunt wedding was truly real
Two months later, the woman’s partner asked her to help him apply for permanent residency in Australia.
He wanted her to list him as a dependent, which raised red flags for her.
She reminded him that the wedding was just a prank, but he then confessed that it was indeed real.
Upon further investigation, she discovered that a notice of intended marriage had been filed a month before the ceremony.
This revelation left her feeling furious.
She felt deceived, as she had believed the whole time that the marriage was not legitimate.
She said: “I’m furious with the fact that I didn’t know that that was a real marriage, and the fact that he also lied from the beginning, and the fact that he also wanted me to add him in my application.”
The woman takes legal action
The woman sought legal advice, and the situation escalated to court.
The judge ruled that she did not give real consent to participate in the wedding.
The judge resolved: “She believed she was acting. She called the event ‘a prank’.
It made perfect sense for her to adopt the persona of a bride in all things at the impugned ceremony so as to enhance the credibility of the video depicting a legally valid marriage.”
In October 2024, the marriage was annulled, a decision that provided some relief for the woman.
She expressed anger about the entire ordeal, feeling betrayed by her partner’s actions and the lies he told from the beginning.