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* Fiona in ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'', when [[spoiler:Farquaad gets eaten by the dragon at their wedding]].
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* Fiona in ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'', when [[spoiler:Farquaad gets eaten by the dragon at their wedding]].wedding. [[LaserGuidedKarma He got what was coming to him]]]].
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* In the end of ''Anime/GurrenLagann'', [[spoiler:Simon and Nia finally]] get married but she DisappearsIntoLight immediately after their kiss. Notably, the bridegroom knew this would happen all along but it only made him want that marriage more. [[spoiler:And the bride should've been dead ''several days befoe the wedding'', but she was such a PluckyGirl that she kept herself alive outta sheer willpower to go through it.]]
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* In the end of ''Anime/GurrenLagann'', [[spoiler:Simon and Nia finally]] get married but she DisappearsIntoLight immediately after their kiss. Notably, the bridegroom knew this would happen all along but it only made him want that marriage more. [[spoiler:And the bride should've been dead ''several days befoe before the wedding'', but she was such a PluckyGirl that she kept herself alive outta sheer willpower to go through it.]]
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* In ''Hollyoaks'', literally minutes after marrying Steph Dean and leaving the church, Max Cunningham is run over by Niall Rafferty; this also fits in with the HeroicSacrifice trope, as Max had pushed his little brother Tom safely out of Niall's path.
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* In ''Hollyoaks'', ''{{Hollyoaks}}'', literally minutes after marrying Steph Dean and leaving the church, Max Cunningham is run over by Niall Rafferty; this also fits in with the HeroicSacrifice trope, as Max had pushed his little brother Tom safely out of Niall's path.
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* The title character of Donizetti's ''Lucia di Lammermoor'' goes mad and stabs her husband (whom she was forced to marry) to death on her wedding night.
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* Subverted in a case of DetectiveConan, since the one who [[spoiler: poisoned a local bride-to-be]] is... [[spoiler: ''the groom himself'', as revenge because her OverprotectiveDad killed his mother in an accident.]] Also, [[spoiler: said bride had realized his intentions and ''could'' have not consumed the poisoned tea, but she was so depressed that she voluntarily took the poison. And she got better anyway.]]
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* Subverted in a case of DetectiveConan, since the one who [[spoiler: poisoned a local bride-to-be]] is... [[spoiler: ''the groom himself'', as revenge because her OverprotectiveDad killed his mother in an accident.]] Also, [[spoiler: said bride had realized his intentions and ''could'' have not consumed the poisoned tea, but she was so depressed that she voluntarily took the poison. And she got better anyway.]] ]]
* In ''The Princess of Death's Second Marriage'', Alicia gets her nickname from the fact that during her wedding ceremony, [[AssholeVictim her husband-to-be]] is murdered by an assassin.
* In ''The Princess of Death's Second Marriage'', Alicia gets her nickname from the fact that during her wedding ceremony, [[AssholeVictim her husband-to-be]] is murdered by an assassin.
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* In the first episode of the series ''Providence'', the mother of the bride collapses from a heart attack in the middle of the ceremony, leaving her husband a widower.
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* In the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' episode "Balance of Terror", two ''Enterprise'' crewmembers are right in the middle of their wedding ceremony when the Romulans trigger a red alert. The groom is killed in the ensuing hostilities, and the episode ends with the bride weeping in the chapel.
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This is a rare case of a legitimate subversion.
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* Averted in the ''Comicbook/FantasticFour'', when Johnny Storm married Alicia Masters ([[spoiler: before their relationship got [[RetGone retconned]] out of existence]]). Her evil step-father the Puppet Master planed to use his mind-controlling clay to force Ben Grimm to kill Johnny the moment the judge declared them legally married; he hated the idea of Alicia marrying one of his enemies, but believed that she would inherit a substantial amount as the Human Torch's widow. However, after seeing how happy his step-daughter was, [[EvenEvilHasStandards he chose not to tarnish her happiness]], [[WhatYouAreInTheDark even if she didn't even know he was there to watch her get married]].
to:
* Averted Subverted in the ''Comicbook/FantasticFour'', when Johnny Storm married Alicia Masters ([[spoiler: before their relationship got [[RetGone retconned]] out of existence]]). Her evil step-father the Puppet Master planed to use his mind-controlling clay to force Ben Grimm to kill Johnny the moment the judge declared them legally married; he hated the idea of Alicia marrying one of his enemies, but believed that she would inherit a substantial amount as the Human Torch's widow. However, after seeing how happy his step-daughter was, [[EvenEvilHasStandards he chose not to tarnish her happiness]], [[WhatYouAreInTheDark even if she didn't even know he was there to watch her get married]].
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[[folder:Comic Books]]
* Averted in the ''Comicbook/FantasticFour'', when Johnny Storm married Alicia Masters ([[spoiler: before their relationship got [[RetGone retconned]] out of existence]]). Her evil step-father the Puppet Master planed to use his mind-controlling clay to force Ben Grimm to kill Johnny the moment the judge declared them legally married; he hated the idea of Alicia marrying one of his enemies, but believed that she would inherit a substantial amount as the Human Torch's widow. However, after seeing how happy his step-daughter was, [[EvenEvilHasStandards he chose not to tarnish her happiness]], [[WhatYouAreInTheDark even if she didn't even know he was there to watch her get married]].
[[/folder]]
* Averted in the ''Comicbook/FantasticFour'', when Johnny Storm married Alicia Masters ([[spoiler: before their relationship got [[RetGone retconned]] out of existence]]). Her evil step-father the Puppet Master planed to use his mind-controlling clay to force Ben Grimm to kill Johnny the moment the judge declared them legally married; he hated the idea of Alicia marrying one of his enemies, but believed that she would inherit a substantial amount as the Human Torch's widow. However, after seeing how happy his step-daughter was, [[EvenEvilHasStandards he chose not to tarnish her happiness]], [[WhatYouAreInTheDark even if she didn't even know he was there to watch her get married]].
[[/folder]]
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* Fiona in ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'', when Farquaad gets eaten by the dragon at their wedding.
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* Fiona in ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'', when Farquaad [[spoiler:Farquaad gets eaten by the dragon at their wedding.wedding]].
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* Fiona in ''WesternAnimation/{{Shrek}}'', when Farquaad gets eaten by the dragon at their wedding.
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* There's an urban legend where a bride-to-be, feeling she looks anemic, wants to get a nice tan before the wedding. Unfortunately, she only has a week, and all the tanning salons she calls say that for safety reasons they cannot allow more than one half hour session every two days, and for the effect she wants she'd prefer to have a two-hour session every day. She gets around this by scheduling appointments at different tanning salons. A week later – voilà! A lovely tan! As she's getting ready for the wedding, though, she notices her breath has a foul odour. She doesn't have time to do anything about it, so she just pops a tic tac and is on her way. In the middle of the vows, she suddenly collapses, dead — turns out all that tanning had cooked her from the inside.
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* There an hotel by the sea (iirc in California) that has a gorgeous staircase, often used by brides-to-be to rehearse for when they'll go into their churches. It's supposedly haunted by the ghost of a bride who, during TheRoaringTwenties, died upon tripping on her dress [[StaircaseTumble and then falling to her death.]]
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* In the end of ''Anime/GurrenLagann'', [[spoiler:Simon and Nia finally]] get married but she DisappearsIntoLight immediately after their kiss. Notably, the bridegroom knew this would happen all along but it only made him want that marriage more.
* In the final chapter of ''Manga/HaouAiren'', [[spoiler:Hakuron is shot to death]] on his way to his wedding ceremony of him and Kurumi, although Kurumi is technically not a widow since [[spoiler:he dies ''before'' the ceremony is about to begin]].
* In the final chapter of ''Manga/HaouAiren'', [[spoiler:Hakuron is shot to death]] on his way to his wedding ceremony of him and Kurumi, although Kurumi is technically not a widow since [[spoiler:he dies ''before'' the ceremony is about to begin]].
to:
* In the end of ''Anime/GurrenLagann'', [[spoiler:Simon and Nia finally]] get married but she DisappearsIntoLight immediately after their kiss. Notably, the bridegroom knew this would happen all along but it only made him want that marriage more.
more. [[spoiler:And the bride should've been dead ''several days befoe the wedding'', but she was such a PluckyGirl that she kept herself alive outta sheer willpower to go through it.]]
* In the final chapter of ''Manga/HaouAiren'', [[spoiler:Hakuron is shot to death]] on his way to his wedding ceremony of him andKurumi, [[spoiler:Kurumi]], although Kurumi [[spoiler:Kurumi]] is technically not a widow since [[spoiler:he dies ''before'' the ceremony is about to begin]].begin]].
* Subverted in a case of DetectiveConan, since the one who [[spoiler: poisoned a local bride-to-be]] is... [[spoiler: ''the groom himself'', as revenge because her OverprotectiveDad killed his mother in an accident.]] Also, [[spoiler: said bride had realized his intentions and ''could'' have not consumed the poisoned tea, but she was so depressed that she voluntarily took the poison. And she got better anyway.]]
* In the final chapter of ''Manga/HaouAiren'', [[spoiler:Hakuron is shot to death]] on his way to his wedding ceremony of him and
* Subverted in a case of DetectiveConan, since the one who [[spoiler: poisoned a local bride-to-be]] is... [[spoiler: ''the groom himself'', as revenge because her OverprotectiveDad killed his mother in an accident.]] Also, [[spoiler: said bride had realized his intentions and ''could'' have not consumed the poisoned tea, but she was so depressed that she voluntarily took the poison. And she got better anyway.]]
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* ''Almost'' happens in ''Film/KillBill'', where Black Mamba's fiance is killed during their wedding ''rehearsal'', so technically she is not a widow and henceforth calls herself "the Bride".
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* ''Almost'' happens in ''Film/KillBill'', where [[spoiler:Beatrix Kiddo aka]] Black Mamba's fiance Tommy is killed during their wedding ''rehearsal'', ''rehearsal'' (alongside pretty much everyone else), so technically she is not a widow and henceforth calls herself "the Bride".
* Almost happened to Aunt Peace in EightCousins, since her boyfriend died few hours before their wedding. The poor woman almost fell victim to DeathByDespair, and even when she pulled through, she never married and was always sad because of that.
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* Happens in ''Series/RobinHood'' when Robin marries an injured and dying [[spoiler: Lady Marian.]]
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* Happens in ''Series/RobinHood'' when Robin [[spoiler: Robin]] marries an injured and dying [[spoiler: Lady Marian.]]
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* Happens in ''Series/RobinHood'' when Robin marries an injured and dying [[spoiler: Lady Marian.]]
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*In ''{{Smallville}}'', narrowly averted in two on-screen weddings - in ''Bride'', [[spoiler:Doomsday crashes Jimmy and Chloe's wedding and almost kills Jimmy]]. In [[spoiler:''Finale, Part 1'', Darkseid, possessing Oliver, tried to put a gold kryptonite ring on Clark's finger, but fortunately Chloe spotted it just in time.]]
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* In ''Hollyoaks'', literally minutes after marrying Steph Dean and leaving the church, Max Cunningham is run over by Niall Rafferty; this also fits in with the HeroicSacrifice trope, as Max had pushed his little brother Tom safely out of Niall's path.
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* In ''DowntonAbbey'', [[spoiler:William]] dies just hours after his wedding due to wounds sustained at the front (this being WWI). He wanted to marry his sweetheart before he died so she could receive a widow's pension.
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* In the final chapter of ''Manga/HaouAiren'', [[spoiler:Hakuron is shot to death]] on his way to his wedding ceremony with Kurumi, although Kurumi is technically not a widow since [[spoiler:he dies ''before'' the ceremony is about to begin]].
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* In the final chapter of ''Manga/HaouAiren'', [[spoiler:Hakuron is shot to death]] on his way to his wedding ceremony with of him and Kurumi, although Kurumi is technically not a widow since [[spoiler:he dies ''before'' the ceremony is about to begin]].
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* In the final chapter of ''Manga/HaouAiren'', [[spoiler:Hakuron]] was shot to death on his way to his wedding with Kurumi, although Kurumi is technically not a widow since [[spoiler:he dies ''before'' the ceremony is about to begin]].
to:
* In the final chapter of ''Manga/HaouAiren'', [[spoiler:Hakuron]] was [[spoiler:Hakuron is shot to death death]] on his way to his wedding ceremony with Kurumi, although Kurumi is technically not a widow since [[spoiler:he dies ''before'' the ceremony is about to begin]].
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* In ''Manga/HaouAiren'', [[spoiler:Hakuron]] was shot to death on his way to his wedding with Kurumi in the final chapter.
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* In the final chapter of ''Manga/HaouAiren'', [[spoiler:Hakuron]] was shot to death on his way to his wedding with Kurumi, although Kurumi in is technically not a widow since [[spoiler:he dies ''before'' the final chapter. ceremony is about to begin]].
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* In ''Manga/HaouAiren'', [[spoiler:Hakuron]] was shot to death on his way to his wedding with Kurumi in the final chapter.
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** And in ''CasinoRoyale'' he doesn't even make it to a wedding.
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** And in ''CasinoRoyale'' ''Film/CasinoRoyale'' he doesn't even make it to a wedding.
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Doesn\'t fit the trope. It would if they found his body at some point.
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[[folder:Real Life]]
* This is either [[RunawayBride Runaway Groom]] or this, but a real life example: In 1906, an hour after their wedding, William [=McKeekin=] told his bride he was going to get a carriage. That was the last anyone heard or saw of him, and after seventeen years of searching for him his "widow" sought an annulment instead.
[[/folder]]
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* ''OnceUponATimeInTheWest'' has a related case, in which a man marries during a visit to the city, but is murdered as he prepares the homestead for her arrival, leaving her stranded when she comes.
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** And in ''CasinoRoyale'' he doesn't even make it to a wedding.
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Subtrope of WeddingDay. See also BlackWidow for when the death is at the hands of the bride. OutWithABang might also be the cause, if it's on the wedding night (and is often used if the groom is much older and might have a heart condition). May lead to TheLostLenore and CrusadingWidower. A distant relative of {{Retirony}}
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Subtrope of WeddingDay. See also BlackWidow for when the death is at the hands of the bride. OutWithABang might also be the cause, if it's on the wedding night (and is often used if the groom is much older and might have a heart condition). May lead to TheLostLenore and CrusadingWidower. A distant relative of {{Retirony}}
{{Retirony}}, and extreme form of the CartwrightCurse.
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* Film/JamesBond is briefly married and immediately widowed in the end of ''Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService'', when Blofeld tries killing him in retribution for him foiling his plans earlier but kills his wife instead. Bond is still reeling from the trauma as late as ''Film/ForYourEyesOnly''. In another movie, ''Film/LicenseToKill'', Felix Leiter's wife is raped and killed on the day of their wedding, prompting Bond to go rogue on a vendetta.
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* Film/JamesBond is briefly married and immediately widowed in the end of ''Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService'', when Blofeld tries killing him in retribution for him foiling his plans earlier but kills his wife instead. Bond is still reeling from the trauma as late as ''Film/ForYourEyesOnly''. In another movie, ''Film/LicenseToKill'', ''Film/LicenceToKill'', Felix Leiter's wife is raped and killed on the day of their wedding, prompting Bond to go rogue on a vendetta.
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[[AC:Film -- Animated]]
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Weddings are [[WeddingAndEngagementTropes kind of a big deal]] in human society and the newlyweds are expected to live HappilyEverAfter together. Except sometimes, they don't.
This trope is about characters whose spouses die during or just after their wedding, either naturally or violently, leaving them widowed before they were even really married and heavily traumatized for the rest of their life. The violent death variation is often used for a sudden DownerEnding, though it can be foreshadowed with ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies. May involve a BloodSplatteredWeddingDress.
Subtrope of WeddingDay. See also BlackWidow for when the death is at the hands of the bride. OutWithABang might also be the cause, if it's on the wedding night (and is often used if the groom is much older and might have a heart condition). May lead to TheLostLenore and CrusadingWidower. A distant relative of {{Retirony}}
'''Since this is a DeathTrope, spoilers ahead!'''
----
!!Examples:
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* In the end of ''Anime/GurrenLagann'', [[spoiler:Simon and Nia finally]] get married but she DisappearsIntoLight immediately after their kiss. Notably, the bridegroom knew this would happen all along but it only made him want that marriage more.
[[/folder]]
[[AC:Film -- Animated]]
* ''WreckItRalph'': Calhoun's husband was killed by a Cy-Bug when she forgot to run a perimeter scan on her wedding day. [[spoiler: When she marries Fix-It Felix at the end of the movie she takes ''extreme'' precautions to make sure history doesn't repeat itself.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
* Film/JamesBond is briefly married and immediately widowed in the end of ''Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService'', when Blofeld tries killing him in retribution for him foiling his plans earlier but kills his wife instead. Bond is still reeling from the trauma as late as ''Film/ForYourEyesOnly''. In another movie, ''Film/LicenseToKill'', Felix Leiter's wife is raped and killed on the day of their wedding, prompting Bond to go rogue on a vendetta.
* ''Almost'' happens in ''Film/KillBill'', where Black Mamba's fiance is killed during their wedding ''rehearsal'', so technically she is not a widow and henceforth calls herself "the Bride".
* In the movie ''TommyBoy'', Tommy's father dies at his own wedding, presumably of a heart attack, leaving his new wife a widow. Later it is discovered that [[spoiler:she was a scam artist who was already married]].
* In ''Film/HighNoon'', the Miller gang is due to arrive at any moment to kill Sheriff Kane, on his wedding day. Everybody, including his newlywed wife, thinks the trope is going to be played straight and beg him to flee, but Kane defies it successfully.
* In FrancoisTruffaut's [[FilmOfTheBook film]] ''TheBrideWoreBlack'' five men make a young bride a widow on her wedding day. She takes her revenge, methodically killing each of the five men using various methods. Tarantino was asked if ''Kill Bill'' [[ReferenceOverdosed intentionally borrows]] key and minor details from it, but he has stated that he has never seen the movie.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* Literature/ErastFandorin marries at the end of ''The Winter Queen'' but his wife is killed as a retribution for him breaking his earlier promise to the late BigBad. This event is responsible for most of Fandorin's later quirks, such as stuttering, grey-haired temples, and inability to maintain lasting relationships with women.
* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', [[spoiler:Joffrey is murdered]] during his wedding feast, leaving [[spoiler:Margaery]] widowed for the second time--and her first husband was also killed very soon after their wedding.
* In ''Literature/{{Nemesis}}'', Verity dies right before she is about to marry Michael Rafiel.
* In ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'', this nearly happens to Miles in "Winterfaire Gifts", as an enemy of his sends Ekaterin a poisoned necklace as a wedding gift.
* In ''[[{{Deryni}} The Bishop's Heir]]'', the wedding mass barely finishes before Sidana is murdered by her brother (who can't bear the thought of her being wed to a Haldane).
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* In one episode of ''{{Two And a Half Men}}'' ("Fish in a Drawer"), Charlie and Alan's mother marries an older gentleman who is found dead on Charlie's bed during the wedding reception.
* In the ''Series/KnightRider'' episode "The Scent of Roses", Michael quits the Foundation after being shot and nearly killed on a case. He asks Stevie Mason to marry him, but right after the wedding the Criminal of the Week comes by to kill Michael and Stevie [[TakingTheBullet takes the bullet]] for him. Cue RoaringRampageOfRevenge ending with Michael nearly beating the BigBad to death.
* In the short-lived sitcom ''Series/{{Stacked}}'', a woman plans to marry an elderly man for his money. Unfortunately for her, he dies during the ceremony, before their marriage was made official.
* Narrowly averted on ''CSINewYork'', when the team discovered that an undertaker was re-selling tuxedos that had been used to dress corpses, not realizing that this was transferring toxic embalming chemicals to the purchasers. Mac and his team interrupt a wedding in progress to warn the groom to change clothes before he succumbs to his toxic tux. The previous client of the undertaker, a young bride, wasn't so lucky, however.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Music]]
* The aforementioned ''The Bride Wore Black'' served as inspiration for Music/KateBush's "The Wedding List" in which a woman widowed at the wedding hatches her revenge.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Urban Legends]]
* There's a classic ghost story where during the reception at their home the bride, groom and their guests decide to play hide and seek. When the game is over, no one can find the bride and after searching the rest of the night they decided she must have run away. Years later the husband goes into the attic and sees an antique chest in the corner, he opens it and finds a skeleton wearing a wedding dress. His wife had hidden up here and the lid of the chest had fallen and locked her in. Her fingers are bent and twisted and her mouth is open in a silent scream.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* In one possible ending of ''GrandTheftAutoIV'', an assassin is sent to kill Niko Bellic as he attends his cousin Roman's wedding. The assassin fails to kill Niko, but Roman is shot and killed instead, leaving his wife a widow.
* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', this kinda happens to female City Elf player character. She is abducted during her wedding and Nelaros, her spouse, dies while attempting to rescue her.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' parodies this when Bender marries Calculon to scam him. When he decides he can't go through with the scam, Leela and the others help him stage his elaborate death at the wedding because "if there's one thing [Calculon] can handle, it's soap opera pain."
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Real Life]]
* This is either [[RunawayBride Runaway Groom]] or this, but a real life example: In 1906, an hour after their wedding, William [=McKeekin=] told his bride he was going to get a carriage. That was the last anyone heard or saw of him, and after seventeen years of searching for him his "widow" sought an annulment instead.
[[/folder]]
----
This trope is about characters whose spouses die during or just after their wedding, either naturally or violently, leaving them widowed before they were even really married and heavily traumatized for the rest of their life. The violent death variation is often used for a sudden DownerEnding, though it can be foreshadowed with ItsNotYouItsMyEnemies. May involve a BloodSplatteredWeddingDress.
Subtrope of WeddingDay. See also BlackWidow for when the death is at the hands of the bride. OutWithABang might also be the cause, if it's on the wedding night (and is often used if the groom is much older and might have a heart condition). May lead to TheLostLenore and CrusadingWidower. A distant relative of {{Retirony}}
'''Since this is a DeathTrope, spoilers ahead!'''
----
!!Examples:
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
* In the end of ''Anime/GurrenLagann'', [[spoiler:Simon and Nia finally]] get married but she DisappearsIntoLight immediately after their kiss. Notably, the bridegroom knew this would happen all along but it only made him want that marriage more.
[[/folder]]
[[AC:Film -- Animated]]
* ''WreckItRalph'': Calhoun's husband was killed by a Cy-Bug when she forgot to run a perimeter scan on her wedding day. [[spoiler: When she marries Fix-It Felix at the end of the movie she takes ''extreme'' precautions to make sure history doesn't repeat itself.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
* Film/JamesBond is briefly married and immediately widowed in the end of ''Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService'', when Blofeld tries killing him in retribution for him foiling his plans earlier but kills his wife instead. Bond is still reeling from the trauma as late as ''Film/ForYourEyesOnly''. In another movie, ''Film/LicenseToKill'', Felix Leiter's wife is raped and killed on the day of their wedding, prompting Bond to go rogue on a vendetta.
* ''Almost'' happens in ''Film/KillBill'', where Black Mamba's fiance is killed during their wedding ''rehearsal'', so technically she is not a widow and henceforth calls herself "the Bride".
* In the movie ''TommyBoy'', Tommy's father dies at his own wedding, presumably of a heart attack, leaving his new wife a widow. Later it is discovered that [[spoiler:she was a scam artist who was already married]].
* In ''Film/HighNoon'', the Miller gang is due to arrive at any moment to kill Sheriff Kane, on his wedding day. Everybody, including his newlywed wife, thinks the trope is going to be played straight and beg him to flee, but Kane defies it successfully.
* In FrancoisTruffaut's [[FilmOfTheBook film]] ''TheBrideWoreBlack'' five men make a young bride a widow on her wedding day. She takes her revenge, methodically killing each of the five men using various methods. Tarantino was asked if ''Kill Bill'' [[ReferenceOverdosed intentionally borrows]] key and minor details from it, but he has stated that he has never seen the movie.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* Literature/ErastFandorin marries at the end of ''The Winter Queen'' but his wife is killed as a retribution for him breaking his earlier promise to the late BigBad. This event is responsible for most of Fandorin's later quirks, such as stuttering, grey-haired temples, and inability to maintain lasting relationships with women.
* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'', [[spoiler:Joffrey is murdered]] during his wedding feast, leaving [[spoiler:Margaery]] widowed for the second time--and her first husband was also killed very soon after their wedding.
* In ''Literature/{{Nemesis}}'', Verity dies right before she is about to marry Michael Rafiel.
* In ''Literature/VorkosiganSaga'', this nearly happens to Miles in "Winterfaire Gifts", as an enemy of his sends Ekaterin a poisoned necklace as a wedding gift.
* In ''[[{{Deryni}} The Bishop's Heir]]'', the wedding mass barely finishes before Sidana is murdered by her brother (who can't bear the thought of her being wed to a Haldane).
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
* In one episode of ''{{Two And a Half Men}}'' ("Fish in a Drawer"), Charlie and Alan's mother marries an older gentleman who is found dead on Charlie's bed during the wedding reception.
* In the ''Series/KnightRider'' episode "The Scent of Roses", Michael quits the Foundation after being shot and nearly killed on a case. He asks Stevie Mason to marry him, but right after the wedding the Criminal of the Week comes by to kill Michael and Stevie [[TakingTheBullet takes the bullet]] for him. Cue RoaringRampageOfRevenge ending with Michael nearly beating the BigBad to death.
* In the short-lived sitcom ''Series/{{Stacked}}'', a woman plans to marry an elderly man for his money. Unfortunately for her, he dies during the ceremony, before their marriage was made official.
* Narrowly averted on ''CSINewYork'', when the team discovered that an undertaker was re-selling tuxedos that had been used to dress corpses, not realizing that this was transferring toxic embalming chemicals to the purchasers. Mac and his team interrupt a wedding in progress to warn the groom to change clothes before he succumbs to his toxic tux. The previous client of the undertaker, a young bride, wasn't so lucky, however.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Music]]
* The aforementioned ''The Bride Wore Black'' served as inspiration for Music/KateBush's "The Wedding List" in which a woman widowed at the wedding hatches her revenge.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Urban Legends]]
* There's a classic ghost story where during the reception at their home the bride, groom and their guests decide to play hide and seek. When the game is over, no one can find the bride and after searching the rest of the night they decided she must have run away. Years later the husband goes into the attic and sees an antique chest in the corner, he opens it and finds a skeleton wearing a wedding dress. His wife had hidden up here and the lid of the chest had fallen and locked her in. Her fingers are bent and twisted and her mouth is open in a silent scream.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Video Games]]
* In one possible ending of ''GrandTheftAutoIV'', an assassin is sent to kill Niko Bellic as he attends his cousin Roman's wedding. The assassin fails to kill Niko, but Roman is shot and killed instead, leaving his wife a widow.
* In ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', this kinda happens to female City Elf player character. She is abducted during her wedding and Nelaros, her spouse, dies while attempting to rescue her.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' parodies this when Bender marries Calculon to scam him. When he decides he can't go through with the scam, Leela and the others help him stage his elaborate death at the wedding because "if there's one thing [Calculon] can handle, it's soap opera pain."
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Real Life]]
* This is either [[RunawayBride Runaway Groom]] or this, but a real life example: In 1906, an hour after their wedding, William [=McKeekin=] told his bride he was going to get a carriage. That was the last anyone heard or saw of him, and after seventeen years of searching for him his "widow" sought an annulment instead.
[[/folder]]
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