Your wedding is your day to shine, but it’s also important to consider your guests’ happiness.
While it’s true that the bride and groom should plan their wedding to reflect what makes them happy, including decisions like having a child-free event or not serving alcohol, they should avoid making the occasion an unpleasant experience for those attending.
Guests often travel far to celebrate with you, and you’d want them to have fond memories of your special day. Ensuring that guests are well-fed and have access to plenty of drinks is typically part of creating a positive experience.
One woman recounted her shock at a wedding she attended, where the food offering was so sparse it left her horrified and hungry. The spread was so disappointing that some speculated the couple might have been trying to “punish” their guests.
Sharing her story on Reddit, the woman described how she arrived at her cousin’s wedding reception only to find a “baked potato bar” as the sole dining option. Each guest was given just one baked potato with a limited selection of toppings, and nothing more.
She penned: “My younger cousin got married a few years ago. The ceremony was nice. The cowboy theme wasn’t my jam, but that’s what they like, so it was not unexpected. The reception was when it got odd.
“The dinner was a baked potato bar. Just potatoes. One per guest. You could add chilli, cheese, sour cream, onions, and/or lettuce. That was it. No alcohol. No cake. No desserts at all except for a bowl of fun-sized candy bars.”
The woman added that while she is a fan of “cheap weddings”, she believes you still have to “feed people” and not “skimp on food” if you want to have a successful ceremony that your guests won’t resent you for. Commenters agreed with the woman.
One person said: “A baked potato bar sounds great. With a few salads, some appetisers, cake, and at least some beer and wine. There is cheap, and then there is punishing folks for attending.”
Another added: “I think the idea is great but you do need to round it out. A few different salad options and rolls. Wedding cake for desserts. Even if you don’t go all out on a cake, you can serve multiple sheet cake-style cakes. Already cut and portioned out. Wouldn’t even cost that much.”