Wedding catering was a bit shit

[Brieonabagel]

My best friends wedding, I was a bridesmaid. The happy couple work hard but aren't well off so had a strict budget.
The whole event was booked at a hotel. So the ceremony was there and then the reception, then guests booked rooms (paid for by themselves) and stayed the night.

The budget was tight so, when ordering the food, the groom asked what their options were.
They were told that they don't 'do' buffets. They only do a sit down meal.
The options for this began at £14 per head. As such they could only afford the cheapest menu.

The hotel has a strict policy on not bringing in your own food and drink, which is fine.

We were served a (small) spoonful of cottage pie each (one large catering tray for 50 guests) 2 pieces of broccoli each and some carrots.
Dessert was a scone with clotted cream and jam.

Aibu to think that's pretty meagre considering it was £14 per head?

I was not full from that meal and it certainly didn't serve to soak up the alcohol later on!
Also, they didn't sell bar snacks?! Odd, with their no bringing in food from outside rule I thought.

The groom was fuming as the meal had been described in fancy detail and he thought he'd get something decent for £14 a head. The bride and groom hadn't been able to eat all day due to nerves so that was their only food for all day and night.

Is £14 per head reasonable for that meal?

P. S wedding was fab.

Ugh, cottage pie is disgusting. And even if you like it, it's not exactly festive food. It's the sort of food you bulk-cook and sling on the table on after-work nights.

@Crunchymum I honestly think they thought they had!

@GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER
That explanation about the buffets makes a lot of sense actually. Thank you.

People saying the £14 a head has to pay for service, tables, linen etc, did you miss that they paid £3k for the venue?

The flat 3k will most likely have been for the exclusive hire of the hotel, use of their grounds for photos, the room and set up for the ceremony and to pay for any event organiser they might offer etc.

Food, drink and staff to cover the serving will be paid for from the catering element of the budget, or at least it was when I was looking at venues three years ago.

This is what you get when you go for venue over providing food for guests, all fur coat and no knickers. Seems to be very common these days, too, to want to get married in these fancy places where people have to travel to get to them and possibly spend the night and then starve them whilst telling them to pay for your honeymoon, too.

I don't think it matters what they paid. They were sold a menu that promised one thing and delivered something that was substandard . IMO, they were entitled to what was offered. I don't see this as any different to buying any product and finding out it is not as advertised - under those circumstances I believe a refund would be in order and I don't see why this situation should be any different. The cost of the meal is irrelevant. The venue agreed to supply a meal at a certain cost and should therefore supply it as advertised. If they can't do it at the price they quoted, they should increase their prices.

A refund? They ate all the food! The product is gone! The time to go for that was at the time of service to give the management a chance to rectify it. Gah some people really want to take the piss.

so I do think they've either cleverly worded it to sound better than it is

It'll be this. They're not fools. They're in it to make money. I highly doubt they promised individual pies.

They were sold a menu that promised one thing and delivered something that was substandard

What do you mean? The menu sounded nicer but as far as I’ve read nothing was actually on there that was different or not delivered

The only issue he might be able to raise is the individual pies. But everything else, well, they did provide it, just not in great quantities. And even then, if they sold it as 'cottage pie' then they fulfilled their obligation.

I'm really surprised that they did not have a tasting. That's a bit like buying a wedding dress after simply reading a description. :-/

My DSIS and her DH rented a family owned restaurant. They did the catering (buffet) and cake(s). It was so much cheaper than most wedding venues. And absolutely delicious. I'd really recommend it!