$30K 'Wedding' Was Just a Big Party, Officiant Grandpa Forgot To File Marriage Paperwork

As soon as you say "I do," you're married, right? Well, not quite. As far as everyone at the ceremony is concerned, you and your spouse have started your happily ever after right in front of their teary little eyes. It always feels like a beautiful moment, and we assume the happy couple is now lovingly and lawfully united.

That is, of course, if everyone does what they're supposed to do. One TikTok couple found out the hard way that if the officiant doesn't follow through, a wedding is nothing more than close friends having really expensive party.

You never know if you don't ask.

Madalyn and Bill Smitley married recently, and it was a lovely affair. Madalyn explains in a now-viral TikTok that they were basking in the glow of being newlyweds but realized they had to take care of some business. Madalyn wanted to add Bill to her military insurance and needed a copy of her marriage certificate to do that.

Madalyn looked everywhere and thought she had lost it. But then Bill saved the day and handed her some paperwork from the wedding.

She points to the top of the paper and says, "This is the marriage license."

OK, we're with you.

"This is the portion that the officiant was supposed to send to the probate court to legitimize our marriage!" she screams.

Uh, oh.

Why is she so upset? Can't she just mail it in or drop it off?

Well, that was kind of the problem. "It expired nine days ago. We are not married!" she screams.

She then takes a sip of her wine and says, "We spent $30,000, not for a wedding, but for a f---ing social gathering."

An exasperated Madalyn says she and Bill now have to go to the courthouse to get married. But it gets worse.

"Our officiant was my f---ing grandpa. Congrats!"

Bill's just sipping from a brown bottle, admiring his ring, and shaking his head.

OMG. Pass the bottle, Bill.

Talk to moms about mom stuff. And make money doing it.

People were dying.

The story, the delivery, and the groom going all bottoms up in the background had people rolling.

"I'm so sorry but thank you for sharing this, not only so others can avoid it but also be HILARIOUS," one person commented.

"You did have a wedding ... you just didn't get the marriage part completed lol," a follower pointed out.

"Grandpa was all: ’I’ll just leave this here in case she changes her mind,'" another person joked.

Don't feel bad, kids. You're not alone.

"I had to call my pastor and meet him after to get him to sign Bc we forgot to 😂 so we have photos of everyone in the car signing it," another comment reads.

Sure, it's all funny, but TikTokers still had questions.

Madalyn posted a second video so she could answer all those burning question. Lots of people wanted to know why they didn't just mail the paperwork themselves.

Madalyn pulled out a piece of paper that stated, "At the completion of the marriage ceremony, it is the sole responsibility of the officiant to return the marriage certificate to the probate court. You may do so by mail or in person. Do Not — in bold letters — give it to the couple to return."

Sorry, gramps, but this one's on you.

Thankfully, court officials took pity on the couple.

By the time the couple realized they weren't legally married, they were 70 days past the court's cut-off date to file paperwork. Thankfully, the court made an exception and granted Madalyn and Bill a legal marriage. They are now officially Mr. and Mrs. Smitley, just in time for the holidays.

Congratulations to the happy couple. May your marriage be filled with love and plenty of laughs. And we hope grandpa is around for a long time. He sure makes things a lot more exciting.