History Main / WeddingBellsForSomeoneElse

[[quoteright:246: [[Literature/{{Saturnin}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/saturnin_wedding_bells2.png]]]]
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Turns out the happy occasion is being thrown for the BetaCouple or any other couple who is close enough to the assumed lovebirds. They are family or friends -- close enough to be their wedding guests. Who we assumed were bride and groom are only members of the wedding party, possibly best man and maid of honour or official witnesses to certify the ceremony, which explains their festive clothes or almost-bride-and-groom attire.

Simply put, viewers or readers have been tricked with a BaitAndSwitch trope. In filmed visual media, this trope will usually make use of the RevealShot when the camera goes slowly off the assumed couple, shifts the view and pans on the true bride and groom. Alternatively, the actual bride and groom will look a lot like the assumed bride and groom, so much so that they will be mistaken for them at the first glance, or the couple will be shot from behind as they walk up the aisle, obscuring their faces. Another common device is to switch from something like TheBigDamnKiss to an establishing shot of a church, with a crowd waiting to greet the newlyweds, and the reveal is made when the other couple emerges from the doors instead.

* In volume 7 of ''LightNovel/GoblinSlayer'', High Elf Archer receives a letter from home and suddenly start talking about marriage. After a series of misunderstandings from the party and several onlookers, [[NoSocialSkills Goblin Slayer]] is actually the first one to realize that she isn't talking about herself. Turns out it's her older sister and they are all invited.

* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'': At the end of ''Literature/{{Mort}}'', the dialogue from Cutangle, coupled with the fact that he clearly has a crush on Princess Keli, implies they're about to get married... nope. It's Mort and Death's (adopted) daughter Ysabel who tie the knot.

You only have a couple of pages to finish and the book is about to end... Or there are only a few minutes left from the screen time of the movie... Or you are pumped for this sit-com rom-com season finale. Aww, look! The guy and his crush are finally together. Their unresolved sexual tension is getting resolved. After all that WillTheyOrWontThey we are happy to find out that TheyDo after all. Or perhaps the sweethearts made up after their SecondActBreakup. Perhaps the girl unsure about her ArrangedMarriage has finally decided to go through with it. And look, the happy couple is even tying the knot.

A perfect TheyDo and HappilyEverAfter, right? Wait, what? It is not ''them'' who are getting married! These wedding bells are for somebody else.

* ''VisualNovel/RootLetter'' does this retroactively. The Bond of Marriage route in the original VN ends with Max and [[spoiler:Shiori]] having reunited for some time, and a wedding invitation can be seen on their desk, clearly indicating that the two are about to get married. The ''Last Answer'' Sequel Arc reveals that the invitation is actually for Misaki's wedding, while Max has yet to propose. He does do so by the end, however, and naturally [[TheyDo she accepts]].

* ''Webcomic/{{Insecticomics}'': Invoked in the volume 5 arc "Come For The Wedding, Stay For The Open Bar!". Kickback and Lazorbeak decide to have a wedding in protest of events from ''ComicStrip/ForBetterOrWorse'', because "the strip is ending when the one-interesting older daughter marries her emotionally-manipulative creepo high school fling. On the anniversary of when the creepo married his first wife, no less." Bombshell and Elita assume Kickback and Lazorbeak are the ones getting married; it's not until the ceremony that they learn the former two are just ''hosting'', and the whole thing is actually the Earth-legal marriage of [[WesternAnimation/BeastMachines Stryka and Obsidian]] (apparently, Earth doesn't recognize Cybertronian bond-relationships, and being recognized as married is important to the pair).

* "Marry Me" by Music/ThomasRhett. The song sounds like it's setting up a wedding between the narrator and his lover... until the line "She wanna get married, but she don't wanna marry me" reveals that she's marrying someone else because they are JustFriends and he never worked up the courage to tell her he loved her.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

[[folder:Film - Animated]]

[[folder:Film - Live-Action]]

* In Film/DoctorStrangeInTheMultiverseOfMadness, Stephen rushes into a wedding, wearing a subdued, but nicely tailored tuxedo. As he enters he looks around, then slips into one of the pews. The bride enters and it's Christine Palmer, marrying another man.

* ''Film/InAndOut'' has a big fake-out at the end where we're led to believe that ''Howard and Peter'' are getting married (they're fussing over their tuxes right before, the minister's voice-over notes that the big day involves "such an unusual couple", etc.)... only for the pan across the church to reveal the couple is Howard's parents doing a belated WhyWasteAWedding by renewing their vows. Well, ''someone'' having to get married was most of her character through the events of the movie.
* At the end of ''Film/ReturnToMe'', leads Bob and Grace have finally reconciled with a kiss. Then, as the credits start to roll, we see them standing together at the restaurant owned by Grace's grandfathers, as someone says, "Make way for the bride and groom!". It turns out two of the middle-aged restaurant workers who had some minor ShipTease throughout the film are the ones who married.

* At the end of ''Literature/{{Mort}}'', the dialogue from Cutangle, coupled with the fact that he clearly has a crush on Princess Keli, implies they're about to get married... nope. It's Mort and Death's (adopted) daughter Ysabel who tie the knot.

* In the live-action adaptation of ''Literature/{{Saturnin}}'', Jiri Oulicky (the protagonist narrator from the book NamedByTheAdaptation) has a date with Barbora near the end of the TV film/miniseries and proceeds to narrate that he knows every good story ends with a wedding. The scene is set at church, LohengrinAndMendelssohn is playing, the camera pans to Barbora and Jiri standing before the altar... but as the first couple among the wedding guests. The bride is actually Jiri's [[GoldDigger gold-digging]] aunt Katerina.

* A comedic example in Series 2, episode 4 of ''Series/DerryGirls''. The episode begins with single mother Sarah walking down the aisle in a white dress, apparently getting married at last. However, a pan-out reveals that she is actually a guest at a relative's wedding, and committed the fashion faux-pas of wearing white.

* "Marry Me" by Music/ThomasRhett. The song sounds like it's setting up a wedding between the narrator and his lover... until the line "She wanna get married, but she don't wanna marry me" reveals that she's marrying someone else because they are JustFriends and he never worked up the courage to tell her he loved her.

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* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'': "[[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0888.html Dream Wedding]]". The villains are defeated, the heroes get a happy ending, and Elan prepares for a wedding. [[OfficialCouple His wedding to Haley]], right? No, it's [[DivorceIsTemporary his divorced parents getting re-married]] - an event so [[SpottingTheThread improbable]], it causes Elan to realize that [[LotusEaterMachine he's trapped in an illusion]] and none of these events actually happened, up to and including defeating the villains.

* ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11736244/1/Walking-Down-the-Aisle Walking Down the Isle]]'' has Claire monologue about Dr. Trent at his wedding and reminisces the tender moments they've shared in the past. Then it is revealed that the doctor is marrying Elli, not Claire.

* ''Fanfic/UncertaintyPrinciple'' ends with Lars preparing to propose to Rhea. The one-shot epilogue goes on to describe a grand wedding which is quickly revealed to be between Devin and Talia instead. The story then proceeds to fast-forward several years to Lars and Rhea's daughter revealing to them that ''she'' just got back from eloping and having her own wedding (with the son of Rhea's old flame, no less).

--> '''Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III:''' As for the lovebirds... [''Shows Hiccup and Astrid kissing with a pair of wedding rings, only to reveal Dagur and Mala putting on the rings instead''] No, ''those'' lovebirds.

Wedding... perfect HappilyEverAfter, right? Wait, what? It is not ''them'' who are getting married! These wedding bells are for somebody else.

Generally speaking, this trope is usually connected to the OfficialCouple, but it can also concern any other couple from the ensemble cast. The important part is that the audience is led to believe that somebody is about to be married, but they are not really.

* ''Theatre/IfThen'' deals with a woman named Elizabeth [[SlidingDoorsPlot whose life goes in two different directions]] based on her decision to reinvent herself as Liz or Beth upon returning to New York. While Beth dives into her work and neglects her love life, Liz meets and marries the man of her dreams. The song "This Day/Walking By a Wedding" juxtaposes Liz's happiness on her wedding day with Beth's despondence as she walks past an unrelated wedding happening on the same day in her timeline.

* ''Theatre/IfThen'' deals with a woman named Elizabeth [[SlidingDoors Plot whose life goes in two different directions]] based on her decision to reinvent herself as Liz or Beth upon returning to New York. While Beth dives into her work and neglects her love life, Liz meets and marries the man of her dreams. The song "This Day/Walking By a Wedding" juxtaposes Liz's happiness on her wedding day with Beth's despondence as she walks past an unrelated wedding happening on the same day in her timeline.

You only have a couple of pages to finish and the book is about to end... Or there are only few minutes left from the screen time of the movie... Or you are pumped for this sit-com rom-com season finale. Aww, look! The guy and his crush are finally together. Their unresolved sexual tension is getting resolved. After all that WillTheyOrWontThey we are happy to find out that TheyDo after all. Or perhaps the sweethearts made up after their SecondActBreakup. Perhaps the girl unsure about her ArrangedMarriage has finally decided to go through with it. And look, the happy couple is even tying the knot.

* ''WesternAnimation/MadagascarEscape2Africa'': The film ends with Alex's father Zuba officiating a wedding ceremony. The audience is led to believe it's between Melman and Gloria, who confessed their love during the film. Turns out the ones getting married are instead [[CargoShip Skipper the penguin and Lola, the bobblehead hula doll]] from the plane.

* ''Film/GrumpierOldMen'': At the end, after Jacob and Melanie have reconciled, the kids rush to a wedding. It initially appears to be Jacob's, but is revealed to be Max and Maria's.
* ''Film/TheLoveBug'' (1997) ends with a photo shoot of bride and groom in Herbie. They vaguely resemble the main couple. At least the main couple is about to leave on a date. They don't know where they're going; Herbie will decide, just like the honeymoon at the end of the original movie.
* ''Film/{{Sprung}}'': The movie begins with best friends Montel and Clyde preparing for the former's wedding to Brandi, which leads to [[HowWeGotHere the movie essentially being a flashback to how they got to this point]]. At the end of the movie, it turns out that the wedding is actually for Clyde and Brandi's best friend Adina. The irony being that Clyde and Adina's mutual hatred of each other was the reason why they tried to [[RelationshipSabotage sabotage Montel and Brandi's relationship]] in the first place so that they didn't have to see each other more than they had to.
* ''Film/SummerSpentWithACowboy'' (original title ''Leto s kovbojem''): Honza proposes to Doubravka in front of her disapproving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, who all answer in turn: "Never!" -- "Never." -- "Never?" The bride-to-be doesn't say anything. Next shot of the film is at the wedding, Doubravka and Honza stand together side by side. She's in a white simple dress, he's in a black suit, the wedding music is playing... Turns out the groom is Honza's brother who is marrying his girlfriend. Honza and Doubravka are their witnesses.

This is a subtrope of WeddingFinale. It's usually an [[EndingTropes Ending]] spoiler trope played for laughs. Often used to subvert FourthDateMarriage -- in cases where [[DeadHorseTrope it would be silly]] for our only-just-met/only-just-got-together central couple to be getting married themselves, we can be [[Shiptease teased]] with that possibility, while still getting a schmaltzy happy ending and confirmation that they're enough of an established couple to be invited to weddings together. Compare WhyWasteAWedding.

* The ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' fanfic ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10850018/1/Inch Inch]]'' is a non-linear chronicle of the relationship between Jaune and Weiss throughout their teenage and adult years, as they become friends, fall in love, and breakup. One of the penultimate chapters ends with the two talking for the first time after years of estrangement, leading into the final chapter where Jaune is preparing for a wedding. Given what they had recently read, the audience is led to believe that he and Weiss managed to rekindle their romance and are getting married, only for it to turn out that she's the Maid of Honor. He's actually marrying [[their mutual lifelong friend Ruby]], though they briefly muse that this could have been their wedding if things went a bit differently.

* The ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'' ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10850018/1/Inch Inch]]'' is a non-linear chronicle of the relationship between Jaune and Weiss throughout their teenage and adult years, as they become friends, fall in love, and breakup. One of the penultimate chapters ends with the two talking again after years of estrangement, leading into the final chapter where Jaune is preparing for a wedding. Given what they had recently read, the audience is led to believe that he and Weiss rekindled their romance and are getting married, only for it to turn out that she's the Maid of Honor; he's actually marrying their mutual lifelong friend Ruby.

[[folder:Film - Animated]]
* ''WesternAnimation/MadagascarEscape2Africa'': The film ends with Alex's father Zuba officiating a wedding ceremony. The audience is led to believe it's between Melman and Gloria, who confessed their love during the film. Turns out the ones getting married are instead [[CargoShip Skipper the penguin and Lola, the bobblehead hula doll]] from the plane.

* In volume 7 of ''LightNovel/GoblinSlayer'', High Elf Archer recieves a letter from home and suddenly start talking about marriage. After a series of misunderstandings from the party and several onlookers, [[NoSocialSkills Goblin Slayer]] is actually the first one to realize that she isn't talking about herself. Turns out it's her older sister and they are all invited.

* ''Sprung'': The movie begins with best friends Montel and Clyde preparing for the former's wedding to Brandi, which leads to [[HowWeGotHere the movie essentially being a flashback to how they got to this point]]. At the end of the movie, it turns out that the wedding is actually for Clyde and Brandi's best friend Adina. The irony being that Clyde and Adina's mutual hatred of each other was the reason why they tried to [[RelationshipSabotage sabotage Montel and Brandi's relationship]] in the first place so that they didn't have to see each other more than they had to.
* ''Summer Spent with a Cowboy'' (original title ''Leto s kovbojem''): Honza proposes to Doubravka in front of her disapproving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, who all answer in turn: "Never!" -- "Never." -- "Never?" The bride-to-be doesn't say anything. Next shot of the film is at the wedding, Doubravka and Honza stand together side by side. She's in a white simple dress, he's in a black suit, the wedding music is playing... Turns out the groom is Honza's brother who is marrying his girlfriend. Honza and Doubravka are their witnesses.

This is a subtrope of WeddingFinale. It's usually an [[EndingTropes Ending]] spoiler trope played for laughs. Often used to subvert FourthDateMarriage -- in cases where [[DeadHorseTrope it would be silly]] for our only-just-met/only-just-got-together central couple to be getting married themselves, we can be teased with that possibility, while still getting a schmaltzy happy ending and confirmation that they're enough of an established couple to be invited to weddings together. Compare WhyWasteAWedding.

* In the WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue of the ''WesternAnimation/DragonsRidersOfBerk'' [[Recap/DragonsRidersOfBerkS8E13KingOfDragonsPart2 series finale]], the riders are all attending Dagur and Mala's wedding, the framing and Hiccup's voiceover implying it to be his and Astrid's wedding before panning out and proving otherwise.

* "Marry Me" by Music/ThomasRhett. The song sounds like it's setting up a wedding between the narrator and his lover... until the line "She wanna get married, but she don't wanna marry me" reveals that she's marrying someone else because he's the UnluckyChildhoodFriend.