Funny Wedding Moments: 9 Mishaps Brides Laugh About Later

3. What funny moments happen while the bride gets ready?

The getting-ready room is where the first laughs of the day start. Lots of people, lots of nerves, and one dress that needs three sets of hands.

• The zipper or the buttons: they always take longer than anyone thought.
• The missing thing: a shoe, an earring, the ring box, or the vows printed on paper.
• Mom in charge: the mother of the bride gives directions to everyone, including the photographer.

A simple fix: give the bustle and the buttons to one calm person, and practice once before the day. Then let your mom run the room, because she will anyway. The Mother of the Bride mug says it for her: "Don't mess with me, I'm the M.O.B, mother of the bride." It is a fun thing to hand her that morning with her coffee, and it gets a laugh in the room while everyone is still nervous. Looking for more funny gifts for the bride herself? We have a separate list.

4. What usually goes sideways during the ceremony?

Words, music and small children. The ceremony is short, everyone is nervous, and there is no second take.

• Vow mix-ups: a wrong name, a giggle you cannot stop, or a promise that sounded better on paper.
• Sound trouble: a mic that cuts out, or one that catches a whisper meant only for your partner.
• The ring moment: a ring that will not go over the knuckle, or a ring bearer who forgot he had it.
• The friend officiant: a long pause, a lost page, or a joke that makes the bride cover her face.

When a close friend leads the ceremony, it is often the funniest part of the day. Your friend knows your stories and will tell at least one of them. Thank them after with something they can keep, like the World's Best Wedding Officiant mug. It is a simple black mug with big white words, so it works for a friend, a family member or your pastor. If a minister led your ceremony, these pastor appreciation gifts are another way to say thank you.

5. What funny moments happen at the reception?

The reception is where the bridal party and family take over. Speeches, cake and dancing are three chances for something to go off script.

• The toast: the best man reads from his phone, then loses his place when it locks.
• The cake cut: the knife will not go through, or the top tier starts to lean.
• The new in-laws: your partner's brother or sister finally tells you what they really think, in front of everyone.
• The bouquet toss: nobody wants to catch it, or two cousins dive for it.

New in-laws are often the ones with the best lines, because they have known your partner the longest. The I Smile, I Laugh mug sums up that kind of teasing. It reads: "I smile because you are my sister in law. I laugh because you married my brother." It is a good gift from the groom's sister to the bride, or the other way around. If you want a line to write in the card that goes with it, our guide to what to write in a funny wedding card has plenty to choose from.

6. When does a wedding joke stop being funny?

When the joke is on someone who did not agree to it. A mishap is funny because it happened to everyone. A prank is only funny if the person it targets laughs too.

• Cake in the face: fine if you both agreed beforehand, not fine if one of you said no.
• Fake-outs at the altar: pretending not to say "I do" can scare your guests, and some will not find it funny.
• Speech stories: exes, money and anything the grandparents should not hear stay out.
• Gag gifts: keep it about the couple, not about one person's flaws.

Guests can use the same rule when they pick a present. Our notes on when a gag gift works and how to match a joke to the couple's kind of humor walk through it. Funny is good. Funny at someone's expense, on their wedding day, is not.

7. How do you make sure you laugh about it later?

Plan to catch the moments, then let them happen. You cannot stop things from going wrong, but you can make sure someone saved them.

• Tell your photographer you want candids: not only posed shots, but the laughing and the mistakes.
• Ask guests for their clips: a shared photo album or a QR code on the tables works well.
• Write it down that week: list the funny things before the details fade.
• Retell them on your anniversary: the story gets better every year.

If you are still planning the wedding, leave a little slack in the schedule for things to run late. They will. And if you are a guest, remember why people give wedding gifts in the first place: to help two people start a life together. A gift that brings back a laugh from the day does that well.

For ideas that fit the couple, start with gifts the couple will laugh at, the ones worth giving, or a few trending ideas for every couple. There are picks for funny gifts for the groom, for older couples, and funny gifts under $30. Some favorites show up in our five favorite picks, our gifts that make people laugh, and our mugs and drinkware for newlyweds. If you want something less silly, see the wedding gifts couples truly love.

The day will not go exactly to plan, and that is fine. The part that goes wrong may well be the part you are still laughing about years from now. You can browse all of our funny wedding mugs when you are ready.