A newlywed said they lost thousands of dollars on a wedding after more than half of their RSVP'd guests didn't show up

• An 18-year-old who said most guests who'd RSVP'd yes for their wedding didn't show up went viral.
• They said they weren't sure why so many people couldn't make it but most no-shows were coworkers.

An 18-year-old newlywed shocked viewers with a video in which they said more than half the people who'd RSVP'd yes to their wedding didn't show up.

Gray Narvaez-Dragion told Insider that they were in consistent communication with their no-shows, so they're also baffled by the disappointing turnout. Strangers are now rallying around the newlywed.

Narvaez-Dragion's first video, which has over 3 million views, was a short clip of a mostly empty banquet hall with only a couple of people seated at tables.

The on-screen text read, glumly, "88 people said yes… not even 40 showed up."

The creator said that as a result they had to cancel the dinner, the private dance, and the sparkler send-off. The reception was also cut short. In the description of a follow-up clip, Narvaez-Dragion said they and their partner, Nyx, sat together in the ceremony room and cried.

Along with offering sympathy, many viewers said they were puzzled about why so many of the 88 people didn't make an appearance — that prompted the creator to show proof with a Google form of the RSVP responses.

The creator told Insider that they couldn't say for certain why so many people didn't come but that many of the no-shows were their coworkers. The creator said they'd had "almost daily contact" with everyone invited before the deadline.

"Every person we invited wasn't random; we loved every single one very dearly," Narvaez-Dragion said.

Narvaez-Dragion said one person even texted them the morning of the wedding saying she was so excited to attend but then did not actually attend.

In total, Narvaez-Dragion said, they lost about $2,500 of the $3,000 they'd paid toward the food, a DJ, and gifts for their guests. They were left with a ton of food, including a massive charcuterie table and most of the wedding cake.

Narvaez-Dragion also put a lot of thought into the gifts for their guests: custom-made resin magnets and soaps and "spell jars" to manifest fortune, love, and grounding.

"We have most of them in my car right now," Narvaez-Dragion said. "We haven't even really unpacked it. My flowers are still in there. It hurts too much now."

They'd also put money into a fun photo booth for guests. "There's so much we didn't get to do because of how early people had left," Narvaez-Dragion said. "We were signing our marriage license when I saw a few people leave."

The comment sections of Narvaez-Dragion's videos have been flooded with thousands of sympathetic messages.

"You deserved the most extravagant wedding. I am sorry that people are so heartless," one top comment said.

"Just know everyone here on tiktok is celebrating you two!!" another viewer wrote. Several people suggested a do-over of the wedding and promised they'd be in attendance.

People were viscerally angry on the newlyweds' behalf.

"I would immediately go no contact with everyone who ghosted," one top comment read. Some people even advised them to send their no-shows a bill for the money spent on them.

"Give them a no-show fee cuz aint no way," another top comment said.

Influencers like James Charles felt compelled to send their sympathies. "I am so so so so so sorry," Charles wrote.

Narvaez-Dragion said they were incredibly overwhelmed by all the attention. Despite the initial disappointment of the turnout, they said, they're starting to appreciate the small party they had. They said the ceremony itself was beautiful and successful, and they were thankful that the people in attendance truly cared about them.

"Nyx and I have been through a lot in the past three years of being together," Narvaez-Dragion said. "Flaky people really mean nothing in the grand scheme of things. We still love each other all the same."