Hands up who thought the ceremonies on Don't Tell The Bride were the real deal? Well, you may not want to read on because it turns out the hugely popular reality show ain't quite what it seems.
According to some contestants who appear on an episode this year, the ceremonies aren't actually legally binding. Shock. Horror. In the era of fake news, we've gotten pretty used to checking the validity of the media we consume, but fake marriage ceremonies? Too far E4, too far.
Instead of getting legally wed on the show, the soon-to-be married couples are instructed to hold a legal wedding at a later date in order for them to become officially married, The Sun reported.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
“It was written into our contract that our ceremony would not be legally binding and so we should go to a register office later," one groom told the newspaper. “That is what we did. But we had no follow up from anyone from the show after the filming, so we could easily have avoided it and had the party for free."
Each couple on the show is given £14,000 for the groom to plan the ceremony without the bride's input (precisely the detail that makes the show such a delight to watch). However, the anonymous groom went on to suggest that the producers should probably rethink their process.
“It makes a bit of a mockery of the process that the bride and groom go through this huge ordeal for a ceremony which isn’t even legal,” he added.
However, an anonymous TV source explained the rationale behind their decision to not show legal weddings. Apparently, the show would only be able to film a legal wedding if the bride saw the wedding venue beforehand. To ensure the couples marry, a member of the TV crew accompanies each couple when they declare their intent to marry.
“An update or photos from this legal ceremony is shown at the end of each episode,” they added.
Regardless of the reasoning, no surprises for guessing how the news of the treachery went down with viewers on social media. Badly. Very badly.
Can't believe Don't Tell the Bride is actually a sham. My entire life has been a lie ?
— Lana (@lanajadeb) August 13, 2017
The ceremony in Don't Tell the Bride not being legally binding is ruining the sanctity of marriage
— Will (@__picturesofyou) August 13, 2017
Not everyone was surprised, however.
"Don't tell the bride is fake!" You don't say....
— annie rebekah (@annierebekah_x) August 14, 2017
Don't tell the bride is fake.... No shit.. knew it from day 1 ?
— Steve Carruthers (@FallenShadows82) August 13, 2017
We'll never watch it in the same way again.