Jessica Buchanan, 33, a makeup artist and content creator from Toronto, Canada, tells Fabulous how her fiance called off their wedding just three weeks before.
“There was a moment of silence after he spoke, then I realized he was shouting. Grabbing our photo from the bedside table, I threw it against the wall and started crying.
With less than three weeks until the big day, my fiancé canceled our wedding.
I met Adam* in 2010, at a university party, when we were 19 years old. He was cute and funny, but we were just friends until our first date in July 2015. By September, we were a couple.
We loved each other and never argued. But as the years went by, I sometimes wondered, ‘Is this what it’s supposed to be like to find the One?’
In March 2022, Adam organized a big proposal. He filled a warehouse with candles and a giant heart made of flowers.
Knowing I’m a huge Taylor Swift fan, he played Love Story when I walked in to find all my friends and family there. It looked like a scene from a movie.
I never pushed to get married – but seeing how much Adam loved me, the effort he made, was the best feeling in the world.
O euphoria It didn’t last, however. From the beginning, Adam didn’t seem interested in planning weddings. I thought this was normal and, as a creative person, I threw myself into it.
I found a converted greenhouse for the 130 guests and chose five themed buffets, paying a £4,000 deposit. I also created a huge bulletin board at home covered in sticky notes for all the tasks that needed to be done.
I had an amazing day choosing my £4,000 wedding dress – the second I saw all the lace and sparkle I knew it was the one. My mother and sister cried when they saw me in it.
But when everything fell into place, I felt something wasn’t right. Adam and I started arguing, which we had never done before. I loved him deeply and wanted him to be happy.
I told him if he couldn’t talk to me, he would talk to someone else. I tried to push my worries aside and cut back on planning.
On April 1, 2023, I had my bridal shower and celebrated with my friends and family. But all the while, I felt a growing sense of dread.
A few days later, I had a bad feeling all morning and was still trying to calm my nerves when Adam walked in. The second I saw his face, I just knew.
But when I heard him say he couldn’t get married, I lost control. A wave of anger and humiliation hit me. As I screamed, Adam stood there looking broken.
He couldn’t give any specific reason – he just said how terrible he felt, how he hated doing this. We knew our relationship was over.
Adam went to stay at his father’s house and I stayed at home, surrounded by wedding things. I couldn’t stop crying. We wasted around £16,000, but my family was very supportive – they only cared about my happiness.
I didn’t want to see Adam after that, but we had to decide how to tell our guests. We sent them a message: ‘The wedding is cancelled, please respect our privacy.’ But some people thought it was an April Fools joke!
I couldn’t bear to spend my wedding day at home, so I made the decision to go to a Taylor Swift concert. I paid £1,700 for a ticket and flew to Texas, 1,300 miles away.
On April 21st, instead of floating down the aisle in my wedding dress – which is still in my closet – I was in a packed stadium in a sparkly jacket, singing my heart out. It was fantastic.
Over the next year, I let go of my anger. I started dating a lovely guy and realized that Adam and I had a narrow escape.
Our marriage would never have worked, and when we see each other at parties now, we are civil. On what would have been our wedding anniversary, I threw a Taylor Swift party for my friends and felt nothing but joy.
I don’t know if I’ll ever get married. But I learned how important it is to be honest with the person you love. No relationship can survive without it.”
Follow Jéssica on Instagram @Makeitjess.
Speaking of which…
One in five appointments are cancelled, with financial pressures cited as the biggest reason.**
The average cost of a wedding in the UK in 2024 is £20,775 (not including the honeymoon).***
*Name has been changed Words: Kate Graham, Photography: Arcadia Collective Studios Sources: **Favoursfirst.co.uk ***Bridebook. with
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story