Groom-to-Be Wants to Get Inked on His Wedding Day — His Fiancée Calls Off the Wedding in Response

Everyone has their own wedding disaster, but this one takes the cake — or, in this case, the ink.

Reddit user u/Suspicious-Fruit243, a tattoo artist, recently shared a story on r/AmItheA----- (AITA) that left readers shaking their heads (very strongly) and received 6.6K upvotes.

But, spoiler alert: the story has a happy ending!

Our tattoo artist (OOP) got an unexpected text from their cousin Matt, just one week before Matt's wedding. Matt wanted OOP to tattoo him on his wedding day. OOP was baffled, as this request came out of nowhere. OOP hadn’t planned on bringing any equipment or doing any guest spotting (a practice where tattoo artists work in different studios to grow their clientele).

When OOP expressed concerns about the logistics and hygiene of tattooing at a wedding, Matt (and later OOP’s mom) pushed back. OOP stood firm, explaining that this kind of work requires preparation and planning, which they hadn’t done.

OOP's mom called, furious that OOP wouldn’t just “pull it together” and give Matt his tattoo. OOP explained the reasons again, emphasizing the lack of preparation time and the unsanitary nature of tattooing at a wedding. But the mom wasn’t having it and hung up in frustration.

OOP turned to Reddit, where commenters overwhelmingly supported OOP's decision.

Floored by the story, one top commenter wrote, “I read the first post and I was flabbergasted that someone would want a tattoo on their wedding day, considering they wouldn't be able to drink and would have to sit still for a while even for a small tattoo (and he wanted a big tattoo!!!).”

Another user shared a painful firsthand account: “When I got my chest done I was like hunched over for a week because if the front of my shirt hit my raw skin it really really sucked.”

More flooded the comments concerning the pain and the impracticality of the situation. One wrote, “People wanting to give you a hug when you've got a fresh chest tattoo... Ouch,” and another, “Your bride wanting to have marital relations on your wedding night when you've got a fresh chest tattoo. All the oh-gods would be pain-related.”

Determined to resolve the situation, OOP reached out to Matt’s bride-to-be, Becky. Becky was shocked — she had no idea about Matt’s plan. She thought OOP was painting them a piece of art for their new home, not giving a wedding-day tattoo. Becky was furious and thanked OOP for the heads-up.

A few hours later, Becky sent a bombshell message to the family group chat: the wedding was off. She and Matt needed to “figure things out,” and the wedding ceremony was canceled.

Becky called OOP to apologize for Matt’s behavior and revealed that she was hosting a party instead of a wedding, inviting OOP to still come and celebrate. She explained that Matt had been pressuring her to change in various ways, and the tattoo incident was the last straw.

OOP attended the party, which was a hit despite the circumstances. Becky’s friends were relieved the wedding was called off, sharing stories about Matt’s controlling behavior. Becky revealed that Matt had wanted to tattoo not only their wedding date but also his ex-girlfriend’s birthday on his chest, thinking it was Becky’s birthday. Yikes! One groom-to-be fail after the next!

At the party, Becky and OOP bonded, and OOP felt good about their new friendship. Meanwhile, Matt was out of the picture, and Becky moved on.

Engagement breakups, while less reported than divorces, are not uncommon. It's been reported that about 20 percent of engagements in the U.S. don’t lead to marriage, often due to incompatibility or lack of commitment.

In this case, Matt’s blunder may have saved Becky from a more messy divorce down the line.

So, cheers to Becky for dodging a bullet and to OOP for standing firm. “Speak now or forever hold your piece…” They all spoke. Loudly. Sorry, Matt.

So what do you think? Was OOP right to refuse Matt's request? Or do you think that it's worth potentially infecting your cousin's arm for the sake of their wedding?