I do or don’t?
A soon-to-be-wed couple called off their wedding moments before the ceremony after the groom allegedly woke up from the trance of a mystical practice known as “gayuma” among Filipino social media users, which the bride had reportedly cast upon him.
Taking place in Cagayan de Oro, a peculiar wedding scam caused traction online last March 11 after event organizers of the supposed ceremony took to TikTok to expose the 3-hour no-show of guests, judge, and the anticipated couple of the night. Audible in the host’s video, the user shared his dismay, stating, “First time in my life ay na scam man me sa bride” (“The first time in my life that I got scammed by a bride”).
@djjuyi NA SCAM KAMI SA BRIDE.. WALANG COUPLE NA SUMIPOT 😭😭😭😭 #scam #fyp #wedding #weddingscam
The video showcased the empty venue, capturing the state of the area as hours flew by, until the tense conversation between the suddenly present bride and groom was witnessed by guests who later arrived, evidently confused with the sudden commotion.
In the footage of the same source, the police had been called to the scene to cover the main reason as to why the wedding and reception did not push through. As it turns out, the bride was reported to have spent around ₱500,000.00 worth of the services that would get the occasion going but did not settle any balances to the planners.
“Pati pagkain, make-up, everything—around 500k ang ginastos sa coordinator or even more, pero wala kahit isang piso na na-downpayment si bride” (“Even the food, make-up, everything— around 500k was charged to the coordinator or even more, but not one cent was given for a downpayment from the bride”).
The organizers pushed through with the event by mere reliance on the bride’s promise that she would pay them after complications with the settlement would be resolved, reasoning that this would come through after she allegedly mentioned she was related to politicians from Davao who would be attending, before realizing that it was a fraud.
If this wasn’t already reason enough to add up to the abrupt police investigation, the groom apparently did not know he was getting married because he had been hexed by a “love potion.”
The coordinator who had been assisting the bride was informally interviewed on the matter and shared that from the very morning of the supposed wedding day, the groom already looked disoriented. Strengthening her take on the situation, she recalled, “Dili nya pinansin ang mga bata” (“He did not give notice to the children”), mentioning that the young bunch passed by and he was noticeably too unfazed by the ought to be joyous event.
Following this, disbelief continued to arise when the groom argued that he woke up from the said love potion after the wife of his friend had showered him with salt which caused him to snap him out of the charm.
Viewers from Shaira Jane Garcia’s Facebook post exposing the bride’s alleged scheme shared mixed reactions with some believing the whole “gayuma” plot, while others urged fellow media users to read between the lines, theorizing that either the groom was likely not ready to settle or probably wanted a way out from the unsettled fees.
The latest reports shared that the bride and groom were last seen in the custody of the police after they were escorted out of the ceremony venue by the authorities for further questioning in their station.
Other POP! stories you might like:
‘Plagiarized or not?’: Social media users criticize MIAA’s newly unveiled logo
‘Englishera’ claim by online dating show contestant draws criticism, sparks memes
Contestant misinterprets ‘family-oriented’ in dating show, sparks discussion online
Bahaghari chairperson slams critics for excluding trans women in National Women’s Month celebration
BINI Aiah sets the record straight after being linked to basketball player Caelan Tiongson
