Brides & Grooms expecting wedding guests to pay for their own dinner

[ohwhyohwhyohwhyohwhy]

I run a wedding catering company - based on a food truck and catering to the less formal weddings. I'm now seeing a trend where brides and grooms are emailing me and are telling me that they expect the guests to pay for the dinner themselves on the day 😮

I'm turning down these events as a matter of policy - largely because I think it is the most cheapskate move ever. But also because I could arrive and find they have 50 guests, 5 food trucks and half of them have brought a picnic instead, and I lose money.

AIBU to think most guests would baulk if I presented a card reader for their dinner at a wedding?

You’re doing the right thing by telling these CFs you’re already booked on that day.

In response to a PM I received earlier from a journalist, under no circumstances will I be giving permission for this thread to appear in a news outlet of any description whatsoever.

You don’t need to give permission.

They can take it with or without your permission. Mumsnet is public platform and people can take your posts and share them in as many ways as they like: sending a screenshot to friends, Reddit post, print the post out and stick on the village noticeboard, write news articles about it, have a T-shirt custom made, banner from a plane, ten part mini series...

I had a thread make it to the Mirror once. Didn't care because I wouldn't share something in public that I want to be kept private (especially in AIBU).

DH and I were witnesses for friends many years ago, registry office ceremony, close family and friends only. She didn't want a do and so we were just going for a meal on the afternoon. BG came knocking on our door the night before asking for £10 deposit to book the table. Wasn't even a restaurant was a Harvesters pub or the like iirc.

If I found out I had to pay for my own food at a wedding reception. I would just leave and delete the couple from my life. Call me petty but I said what I said🤷‍♀️

In response to the OP that said would never give permission for news outlets to share your post. I read your story on Newsweek. I'm sorry to say since this is a public forum. They don't have to get your permission.

I agree - but suspect we are lone voices…

Not sure people are saying you can’t celebrate if you can’t afford it. They’re saying cut your cloth appropriately. If a couple is genuinely strapped for cash, what makes you think all your friends have sufficient to afford to eat out and want to do so at your wedding, which as discussed comes with other costs. What happens when you get multiple invites per year as often happens?

All that aside, think the point is often (not always) the wedding party are spending large sums on make up, dresses etc. to make it an insta day whilst simultaneously pushing costs, aka charging guests, to make their day for them. A genuine couple having a low key event with a small gathering of close family/friends who know the score re. self-funding guests is not what is mostly being described.