A woman who sparked backlash for including a strenuous volcano hike as part of her wedding festivities has defended the decision.

When Fey Deleon Rana, 33, from New York City, and her then-fiancé Omar Rana, 32, jetted off to Guatemala in 2024 and hiked to the top of a volcano together, it was ‘one of the highlights’ of the vacation.

At the time they were in the midst of planning their destination wedding in Antigua, and Deleon Rana instantly knew she wanted to include something similar at her nuptials.

When the two tied the knot in November 2024, they and 22 of their closest friends and family members climbed a 8,300-foot volcano together, which Deleon Rana described as a ‘really fun and memorable experience.’

But it didn’t come without some chaos, as she explained that the ‘soft volcanic sand’ was very hard to walk on and left them constantly struggling to keep their footing as they made their way down the massive volcano.

Deleon Rana recently went viral on TikTok after she shared a series of videos from the endeavor.

‘Pre-wedding activities, but it’s hiking a volcano with your guests the day before your wedding,’ she wrote in a text overlay as a montage of clips showed her guests sliding and falling throughout the hike.

And while many people were in shambles over it and inspired by her idea, some people slammed Deleon Rana for including such a ‘dangerous’ and ‘exhausting’ activity in her wedding festivities.

A woman who sparked backlash for including a strenuous volcano hike as part of her wedding festivities has defended the decision

When Fey Deleon Rana, 33, and her then-fiancé Omar Rana, 32, jetted off to Guatemala in 2024 and hiked to the top of a volcano together, it was ‘one of the highlights’ of the vacation 

Now, she has responded to the backlash during an exclusive chat with the Daily Mail, and she insisted that she was unbothered by the negative comments.

Read More

Doctor who was branded ‘tone deaf’ for flaunting her Louboutin heels at work furiously hits back

‘For anyone who questioned it my response is simply that it was optional guided and meant to be a fun experience shared with close friends and family,’ she said, adding that thankfully ‘most of the response was positive and lighthearted.’

Deleon Rana vowed that she and her now-husband were ‘very clear’ to their guests from the start that it was ‘completely optional’ and insisted that nobody seemed put off by it.

‘The reaction was overwhelmingly positive and guests were excited by the idea,’ she explained.

‘Everyone appreciated having the choice to participate based on their comfort level.’

During the hike, she said everyone went at their own pace and that they took ‘plenty of breaks’ so it never felt too strenuous.

‘It felt more like a shared adventure than a challenge. Everyone who joined embraced it with a great attitude and a lot of humor,’ she dished.

While the video showed her guests tripping down the volcano, Deleon Rana said it was never dangerous because they had guides with them who ‘made sure everyone felt supported.’ 

At the time they were in the midst of planning their destination wedding in Antigua, and Deleon Rana instantly knew she wanted to include something similar at her nuptials

When the two tied the knot in November 2024, they and 22 of their closest friends and family members climbed a 8,300-foot volcano together 

But it didn’t come without some chaos, as she explained that the ‘soft volcanic sand’ was very hard to walk on and left them constantly struggling to keep their footing 

Deleon Rana recently went viral on TikTok after she shared a series of videos from the endeavor

She gushed: ‘Reaching the top was incredibly rewarding. We took group photos, took in the views, and just enjoyed the moment together’

‘The soft volcanic sand made it feel a bit like sliding or skiing downhill which led to a lot of laughter and those viral video moments,’ she explained.

‘But any slips or slides were minor and part of the fun of navigating the volcanic terrain.’

And the view from the top made it completely worth it, as she gushed: ‘Reaching the top was incredibly rewarding. We took group photos, took in the views, and just enjoyed the moment together.

‘It created a shared memory that brought everyone closer together and made the weekend feel even more meaningful and personal,’ she added.

She said she shared the video because it felt like ‘such a unique and funny part’ of their wedding weekend, but she never expected it to get the reaction that it did.

‘The response was a total surprise,’ she admitted.

In the end, she said she wants others to remember that no weddings are the same and you shouldn’t be afraid to go against the grain.

‘I hope people see that weddings do not have to be rigid or overly formal,’ she concluded. 

‘They are about celebrating love and creating meaningful memories with the people you care about.’