Quinta Brunson Plays a Wedding Party Survivor in SNL's "Bridesmaid Cult Documentary"
You'll never look at hot pink matching "bride tribe" shirts the same after this The Vow-style tale.
There’s no doubt that getting asked to be a bridesmaid is a huge honor. But navigating the waters of phallic straws, hot pink chiffon gowns, and extremely active group chats has always been intense. Intense and oddly strict, almost like… a cult? The "Bridesmaid Cult Documentary," from Quinta Brunson's first time hosting Saturday Night Live echoes true crime tales like NXIVM exposé The Vow to highlight the very real demands from some needy brides (and their maids of honor).
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Quinta Brunson and Bowen Yang are at the mercy of a bridezilla SNL’s “Bridesmaid Cult Documentary” sketch
In the pretaped “Bridesmaid Cult Documentary,” Quinta Brunson — who returns to host SNL on May 3 with Benson Boone as Musical Guest — stars as a shell-shocked bridesmaid who, along with several Season 48 cast members, shares her story in an eerie true crime-style documentary titled, I Was a Bridesmaid.
“It all started with a box on my doorstep,” Heidi Gardner says.
“And a note with a question,” Ego Nwodim adds.
“I just got this feeling that it wasn’t the kind of question you could say no to,” Brunson's character explains as an off-white floral card reveals what the note said: “Will you be my bridesmaid?”
“Each year, more than 6 million women fall into this type of cult,” James Austin Johnson, playing a professor of cult studies at UCLA, chimes in. “They prey on vulnerable groups like college roommates and sisters-in-law.”
“I thought it was a one-day commitment,” Gardner tells the camera. “But for 18 months, I was fully sucked in.”
While Nwodim vents about being added to endless email chains, DMs, and a “whole a-- conversation in the comments on Venmo,” Brunson says she was sent a 200-question poll for customized group shirts that ultimately ended up with “Bride Tribe” printed on the front.
These bridesmaid cults, according to documentary’s UCLA expert, “also target another vulnerable group — outgoing gay men.”
“I’ve been a bridesmaid at nine weddings this year,” one man (Bowen Yang). “Whenever a girl starts calling me ‘sis,’ I know I’m in trouble.”
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Don’t even think about backing out of a Nashville trip or its activities, even if the bride (Chloe Fineman) sweetly tells you, “It’s okay!” The punishing MOH (Molly Kearney)will take care of it, either with a passive aggressive text or, you know, physical violence.
“I don’t have many memories from the bachelorette trip because I was drugged...by myself,” Yang reveals. “I had no choice! These women were terrorizing every gay bar in town!”
“The final ritual was the most demeaning,” Yang says of the reception. “We had to write and perform original lyrics to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”
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“Then, all of the sudden, it was over,” Brunson explains before revealing a diamond ring on a certain finger. “But I just got engaged! Don’t worry, I’m gonna be such a chill bride!”
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How many times has Quinta Brunson been on SNL?
Twice, as of May 3, 2025.
The Abbott Elementary star and creator made her debut as an SNL Host on April 1, 2023 (Season 48, Episode 16). A seasoned sketch performer, Brunson's SNL hosting debut earned her a nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series at the 75th Emmy Awards.
The comedian and actress described the experience as "surreal" in a 2023 interview with NBC's Mark Barger. "This is a dream come true," she said of hosting SNL. "[This is] why I got into comedy in the first place."
Watch Quinta Brunson's Emmy-nominated SNL sketches
