Reception

Absolutely not.
If you can’t afford to do a full meal you could find cheaper catering options or forego a full meal and do appetizers or cake only. I don’t think you should ask for $ ahead of time like that to reserve their spot.

Not a thing people do. We are on a budget too, and 100% paid by us. I’m cutting out things like certain flowers, fancy wedding cake ect to make sure my guests have an amazing meal, free. Do not asks your guest to pre pay to attend your wedding, and don’t ask people to pay at all.

Not only is that tacky, but disrespectful. Don’t invite guests if you can’t afford them. Only invite the amount of guests you can afford.

Absolutely not. If you can’t afford to host your guests properly you need to either cut your guest list to fit your budget or find a cheaper meal alternative.


For instance, my fiancé and I are having a cake/punch reception with a few other items in between meal times.

View Quoted Comment What’s a cake/punch?

I agree with the others. You cannot ask for anyone to prepay for their meal. That is beyond tacky. We’re paying 100% of our wedding/honeymoon. His parents are paying for the rehearsal dinner. We’re only having a honeymoon fund & am hoping to recoupe some of what we spend. You will have to either adjust your budget or cut something else. The other comments had some pretty good ideas.

No, you can’t ask guests to pay for your wedding. Invite the number of people you can afford to host or elope.

View Quoted Comment It’s exactly how it sounds. There will be a cake cutting, drinks, and a couple light appetizers served to guests. It’s typically done at churches or in between meal times. The venue we are hiring created this option for small weddings. It is a nice in between option in my opinion — keeps the cost down while still hosting guests properly. On our invitations we are writing “cake and punch reception to follow” so guests know there won’t be a big meal served.

No. But perhaps lowering your guest count would help. Or have a cocktail reception without formal seating and instead a mix of taller pub tables and small cocktail tables. Then you can serve heavy appetizers in a more mix n mingle style reception setting.

Sorry, but that is just about the most disrespectful and rudest thing I can think of when it comes to a wedding. I would recommend having a cake and punch reception during a non-meal time if you can't afford to cover the cost of a full meal.

I agree. people will not expect to have to pay for dinner. Do cake and punch only if budget is a problem or be creative with something cost effective.

We do wishing wells where I am from and they are very common and no one has any issues with them. I really don’t know why Americans have take such offense to them.
Anyhow, as to getting others to pay in advance is a little too presumptive even by wishing well standards. I always say anyway, if you can’t pay for something before being reimbursed for all or part of that thing, then you can’t afford it and need to reevaluate.

View Quoted Comment What is a wishing well?

View Quoted Comment Wikipedia says...” wedding wishing well is a fancy donation box that gained popularity among bridal couples of certain countries (with one survey done in 2004 on Australia allegedly stating that up to 60% of weddings had them),[1][2] who have often lived together before marrying, or who have been previously married, and do not need any of the traditional wedding gifts. ”

View Quoted Comment Exactly what Andrea said. Instead of having a registry for gifts, people who want to give gifts give a monetary gift instead it usually goes towards the honeymoon, a home purchase etc

If you can’t afford to feed your guests you shouldn’t be inviting them or hosting that many people. Considering lowering your guests list to amount you can afford or have the wedding at a time where you don’t have to feed a full meal. Maybe just apps, drinks & cake?

View Quoted Comment True but that 60% should read more like 90%. I think I’ve been to one wedding with a registry in my life. The guests can give what they can afford rather than the obligation of having to purchase $200 towels or something equally as silly.

I agree with everyone else, asking people to pay for their dinner is not an ideal way to go. I honestly can say that if I was invited to a wedding and someone asked me to pay for my meal, I probably wouldn’t go! Maybe try doing appetizers and handheld food instead? That should cut the cost. Also for the wedding cake you can cut costs. My friend had a “fancy” cake just for the cake cutting portion of the wedding but literally only the top was real. The caterer had a regular simple rectangle cake in the back cut for the guest. You’d never know!

Def think budget friendly! For our tiny 7 person reception we did catering from a local soul food restaurant, and purchased cheese & cracker and a lunch meat tray from Walmart. Got a Boston creme cake from walmart. Even the wedding cake from shoprite. Utilize grocery stores!

No! Asking your guests to pay for their own meal is tacky and inappropriate for a wedding. You and your fiancé should restructure your wedding planning to ensure your planning a wedding you can afford. The best way to do this is to cut your guests list and have your wedding during a non meal time serving just appetizer and cake/dessert (cake & lunch reception).