Please DO NOT HAVE A WEDDiNG Reception and invite more than you can afford...

Wow.. poor bride and groom.. I am sure they were disappointed.

@Robyn T... I felt so bad for them.

Love the name change Phyllisann and 2d. Hopefully this helps clarify for a few brides.

Thanks Puffins. I wanted to help.

I think it's great to have a reception that is about YOU, YOU and then YOU! It serves two purposes:

a) It cuts your number of friends significantly. People do not like feeling disrespected and used. Or hungry for that matter.

b) It shows future couples what NOT to do for their wedding. So it's educational.

So all those who want their guests to sneak out to go to the nearest McDonald's because they're starving, I'd say go ahead. I did that once. It taught me a whole lot about what not to do at my wedding.

The funny part of the night, was that the grooms family was out at the same bar stuffing their faces and washing their food down with alcohol... lol "good times" "good times"

I went to a wedding that didnt have any alcohol, but the food was amazing and we were around lots of friends. So I had a good time. I am right in the middle of planning our wedding, so I was observing everything!!! One of THE most important things to me at our reception is making sure we had a great DJ and lots of good food. We are on a tight budget, so are only doing a cash bar as our venue would not let us buy the liquor for the bartender to serve...so their open bar was we picked up the tab at the end of the night...that scared me! So we are doing champagne for the toast and coffee tea and water for the dinner part. I always like to eat at weddings and have even brought down the budget of my dress to have more to play with for our reception!!!

Ya, I wouldn't do that to my guest.. there may be variables to this story that no one knows about. Perhaps someone was going to help with the food (that they thought they could count on) and didn't follow through. I feel a little bad for them actually.

I felt so bad for the couple, and the parents of the groom looked embarrassed.

Ok so this thread has me thinking... How much food is enough? I'm worried!!

Physlisann, why would you feel bad for the couple? I'm sure they knew they were only going to provide water. Also, food was probably not kept secret from them either. They made a choice. A poor one.

Also, so much for "who cares what anybody else thinks" that is becoming frequent as advice in threads again.

Mrs. S you are right.

Last night I was watching "Bride Wars" during the movie the network had actual bridal consultants, planners, etc. The most important thing to remember is its "Everyone's Day" The Bride and Groom, the parents and the Guest. The advice was its everyone's day and you want everyone to enjoy themselves........

I am getting married this year and I've caught myself so much stress trying to meet the standards of wedding should be nowadays weddings are prioritizing to be materialistic and having to serve a filet mignon 5 course meal and spending this amount of money and providing an open bar for your guests or they're not valid as a true wedding that was enjoyable what answer about love and people lose sight of that whether you spend $1,000 or $30,000 it doesn't guarantee that you'll stay together any longer yes I agree that if you're going to do reception for multiple guests make sure you're prepared and they know what to expect but I guess you're coming expecting free alcohol all night long and they're mad about just getting beverages such as water and tea then that sounds a little selfish to me it sounds like a mix up with how many people were coming it's easy to not get enough food catered in I'm sure they're just as embarrassed as you assume they are hopefully they will have a long life of love together I realize at the end of the day it wasn't about the food or the drinks or how many people showed up it was a thought that the next morning they were married I get what you're saying if you're going to do something do it right and if you can't afford to do it that way then people should switch your priorities and just do a small ceremony and use the money they would spend on a reception and go on vacation. But at the end of the day it is still your day and if your favorite type of food is appetizers style and so be it your guests are coming to celebrate that you love each other and that they were special enough to be a part of your day I doubt they intentionally meant for the food to run out. You should definitely be prepared because no one likes to be embarrassed but if you have people coming throwing out that they spent money on a gift and their outfit just to show up to your wedding and it wasn't that fun then their priorities are mixed up to you don't have to bring a gift. They just want j to be a part of their day. Weddings are about loving each other all the rest is background noise I personally I'm having a intimate ceremony in a Japanese stroll garden flower gazebo with just immediate family and putting the rest of the money towards buying our first home it's all about what you make it it's your day I struggle with thinking if I had a reception that it had to be a formal please everyone production that is not it but yes be prepared have enough food for your guests if you're having your reception and be 100% confident in that because of the end of the day it's the memories that you have forever there's always going to be someone that wasn't happy so congrats to their marriage

I think its important to plan accordingly for what u chose to have. Sounds like an accident in RSVP. And if any of u know some ppl don't RSVP and show up. Turkey 100% that it is etiquette if you're going to have a reception and they think they're being fed have enough food but if you're going to have a reception and it's a lower budget wedding and you have snacks and drinks that does not mean it's not any less special than someone who spent $30,000 on their reception guests that are traveling to see you're making that choice to be a part of your special day if you can't afford to do something like that that should be totally fine they don't have to show up and better yet they don't have to give you a gift so I hate when people brag about how much money they spent on and guess what they didn't get to eat a steak it is about the bride and groom in the long run know if you can't afford to do that you shouldn't be having tons of guests come to something that's not really worth having I think that money should be put towards a nicer honeymoon or in our case we are skipping out on during the reception and putting it towards buying a house every couple is different and every priority is different but I think it's very rude to ask the bride and groom when it sounds like they just didn't have enough food accidents happen yes it's frustrating but I doubt they meant to do that in the end of the story they're married and hopefully happily ever after make the wedding about love not about a production but if you can't afford to have the reception that you would choose I wouldn't have a reception at all you're still going to be just as married the same day and most likely your family is going to throw you a low-key barbecue and the ones that want to will still give you a gift regardless of expecting anything in return if you have any event you shouldn't skip out on areas that are important but if you do have an event that's just a hey come celebrate that we got married with a snack and have some drinks and stuff you don't have to have a full open bar for 6 hours for it to be good enough for your guests sometimes people only come to receptions for the free alcohol and free food and that's just as rude as someone not supplying a three-course meal I think it's important to remember that everyone is different and what works for some couples isn't going to work for the next just as long as you're happy and your intentions are true the marriage is going to be just as special as a person whose waking up the next morning in debt