'If you smash cake, I don't know what it represents, but for some reason, none of my brides and grooms who did that are still together...'
It's almost every day that we hear of couples splitting up. Divorce rates have been on the rise, especially over the last few decades. In fact, nearly 1 million women (992,677) were divorced in the USA alone in 2023. But what exactly triggers people to take such drastic steps? Could there be signs before marriage that suggest it would fail? Well, Robin 'Birdie' Yarusso, an expert wedding planner who goes by @birdie1216 on TikTok, says yes. In a video (posted on August 27, 2025), she disclosed four signs that indicate a couple will get divorced.
After planning for over a hundred weddings and a few proposals, she said she could now say if a couple is going to get divorced in the future. The first sign for her is "smashing cakes" on each other's faces. "If you smash cake, I don't know what it represents, but for some reason, none of my brides and grooms who did that are still together," the wedding planner shared. Moving on, she explained how disagreements regarding the budget could also mean that the marriage would end in a divorce. The third point was something we know but often overlook in relationships — overbearing in-laws. "If your mother or the groom's mother, the bride's mother, whichever one it is, if that mother is overstepping where she shouldn't and her child doesn't check her, it usually leads to problems in the marriage," she added. Lastly, the wedding planner mentioned how she gets to know if a marriage is going to work or not by seeing how involved the groom is in the functions. She said, "I don't mean like, 'Oh, honey, it's your big day, you pick whatever flowers you want.' I mean, his one job was to pick the DJ, and we're a week before the wedding, and he hasn't gotten that done. That husband is completely checked out," she explained.
@birdie1216 Signs that the marriage will fail during wedding planning #wedding #weddingplanning ♬ original sound - Birdie
Meanwhile, @mixvla commented, "I played in a wedding string quartet for over a decade. I could tell from the couple's music choice and behavior who was going to stick together." @brends7891 said, "Anytime a couple gets married after several years together or renews their vows, they are trying to convince themselves." @user2459027281531 wrote, "Every one of these is a micro representation of a top reason for divorce — money disagreements, lack of boundaries with in-laws, respect, etc."
@stacy.lawler.thom shared, "My parents were married for about three months and had a fight. He was a bit of a mama's boy and went to his mother and complained about the argument and his bride. My mom was livid and didn't stand for this. She kicked him out for about three days. Let's just say my dad learned his lesson and never made the same mistake twice. They were happily married for almost 60 years. P.S. My dad's mom gave my dad an earful to never put her between him and his wife. My mother had a wonderful relationship with her MIL lol." @b_authentic18 commented, "I used to do makeup for weddings, and I could often tell if the marriage wouldn’t last. When a bride spoke to the groom with constant disrespect, those relationships rarely survived. Ladies, treat your men with respect; they are partners, not children."
You can follow Robin Yarusso (@birdie1216) on TikTok for more wedding-related content.
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