Like everyone else, I’ve been seeing tons of trailers for the upcoming romantic comedy Ghosts of Girlfriends Past on television. In one part of the trailer there’s a scene where Matthew McConaughey’s character accidentally knocks over a wedding cake (much to the dismay of the bride who falls to her knees in a dramatic, “Noooo!”), and another scene where he takes a dive at the bride and groom, trying to keep them from marrying.

And so I started thinking: What is with movies and their sadistic urge to ruin weddings? Nothing goes right, someone is always crashing the ceremony, and someone is always diving through a wedding cake. If there’s a wedding in a movie, it’s guaranteed to always go sour. Below is a quick list of a few movie wedding disasters:

Kill Bill

It’s common to see movies where a former lover crashes a wedding because they’re still in love with the bride or groom. But it’s rare to see the former lover show up and massacre the whole wedding ceremony, including shooting the pregnant bride in the head and leaving her in a coma. She’s totally going to take him back now!

The Graduate

The wedding scene in this classic film is legendary. Ben, played by Dustin Hoffman, crashes through a window into the wedding ceremony of his former girlfriend Elaine. She decides to leave the groom at the altar to join Ben who then threatens the wedding guests with a cross before locking them in the chapel and taking off with the bride.

The Little Mermaid

When prince Eric is about to wed the evil sea witch Eursula (in her human form), the wedding being crashed by a talking lobster was probably a good thing. But unfortunately that meant the whole wedding party also had to be attacked by fish, xand I’m sure they weren’t too pleased with that.

Problem Child 2

In this forgotten kid’s film from the early ’90s, a “problem” child plots to stop his father from marrying a cartoonish villain. Somehow the kid learns to drive a bulldozer and pushes a large rock into the outdoor wedding ceremony, rolling the ball down the aisle. As all the guests run for their lives, the bride is crushed under the ball’s heavy weight. Oh, and some people get splattered with cake.

The Fifth Movie

I can’t think of one! My brain is fried. Any suggestions? And don’t tell me something obvious like The Wedding Crashers or Runaway Bride. I need something original.

Edit: Jeff from My Wedding Workbook gave me a few fifth movie suggestions! He wrote: “How about the wedding at the end of The Princess Bride, when Buttercup forgets to say “I do” which invalidates the wedding. And there’s also the “technical” disaster wedding in Diner (okay, so I’m showing my age now) where Steve Gutenberg makes his fiancee decorate the wedding in (then) Baltimore Colts colors of royal blue and white. I think that one definitely qualifies as a fashion disaster even if they did get married. Thanks, Jeff!