Wedding reception without a meal

[Josie]

I was having this discussion elsewhere and would like to get opinions here as well.

What do you think about wedding receptions where a meal ISN'T served? Have you been to a reception where it was just finger foods, cake, drinks?

 

[Higgins86]

I was having this discussion elsewhere and would like to get opinions here as well.

What do you think about wedding receptions where a meal ISN'T served? Have you been to a reception where it was just finger foods, cake, drinks?

I haven't but I have been to wedding where it was self serve food which for me took away the formality of the wedding which personally I though was great. I think it's fun to be able to mingle with different people instead of being stuck at your designated table for a couple of hours while you wait for your pre cooked chicken/Salmon.

 

[Spartacus FPV]

Never been to one without a meal, wouldn't want to. Nor would I want people drinking on an empty stomach. In fact I thought the whole point of getting a nice wedding present was to at least "cover your plate."

Why would you ask?

 

[Winchester]

I haven't but I have been to wedding where it was self serve food which for me took away the formality of the wedding which personally I though was great. I think it's fun to be able to mingle with different people instead of being stuck at your designated table for a couple of hours while you wait for your pre cooked chicken/Salmon.

90% of our families wedding receptions (both sides of my family) are potlucks with the dishes being prepared by family. I honestly don't think I've ever been to a sit down and be served wedding reception.

 

[Winchester]

I was having this discussion elsewhere and would like to get opinions here as well.

What do you think about wedding receptions where a meal ISN'T served? Have you been to a reception where it was just finger foods, cake, drinks?

As long as there's a keg available, I'm good.

 

[americanwoman]

90% of our families wedding receptions (both sides of my family) are potlucks with the dishes being prepared by family. I honestly don't think I've ever been to a sit down and be served wedding reception.

I've been to a couple of those fancy "pay per plate" type of receptions and the food was awful. I much prefer the potluck type ones.

 

[Winchester]

I've been to a couple of those fancy "pay per plate" type of receptions and the food was awful. I much prefer the potluck type ones.

I swear to god most of my family prides itself on having the least expensive wedding possible. The bulk of my mom's family live in a very rural town and most of my cousin's weddings that I've attended over the years consisted of getting married in the church and the reception was held across the street in the volunteer fire department garage (has a small kitchen and a supply of folding tables and chairs that the community can use for free).

 

[Josie]

Never been to one without a meal, wouldn't want to. Nor would I want people drinking on an empty stomach. In fact I thought the whole point of getting a nice wedding present was to at least "cover your plate."

Why would you ask?

I have never thought about the price of my gift in terms of how much my plate of food costs. I think that's................................. odd.

 

[americanwoman]

I swear to god most of my family prides itself on having the least expensive wedding possible. The bulk of my mom's family live in a very rural town and most of my cousin's weddings that I've attended over the years consisted of getting married in the church and the reception was held across the street in the volunteer fire department garage (has a small kitchen and a supply of folding tables and chairs that the community can use for free).

They sound like good people. I really can't imagine spending 10's of thousand of dollars for a wedding just to show off or whatever and just stress out about it.

 

[Howler63]

I was having this discussion elsewhere and would like to get opinions here as well.

What do you think about wedding receptions where a meal ISN'T served? Have you been to a reception where it was just finger foods, cake, drinks?

I've been to a couple where is was 'finger foods' and buffet style. But since I don't attend weddings regulatory (i avoid it if I can) I only have about 4 to draw from.

 

[longview]

I was having this discussion elsewhere and would like to get opinions here as well.

What do you think about wedding receptions where a meal ISN'T served? Have you been to a reception where it was just finger foods, cake, drinks?

For my Daughters wedding I gave her a fixed amount.
She found a good way to limit expenses, (food was just pot luck finger foods).
What she did was rent a hall at a Baptist church, (No Alcohol).
Her savings allowed a nice Honeymoon in Hawaii.

 

[Lutherf]

I was having this discussion elsewhere and would like to get opinions here as well.

What do you think about wedding receptions where a meal ISN'T served? Have you been to a reception where it was just finger foods, cake, drinks?

Some people can afford a more involved reception than others can. The idea is to get people together to celebrate the couple, not the chef.

 

[chuckiechan]

I'd serve donuts. They can be considered a meal, and you can have a buffet with all the different kinds along the "conga line" - chocolate, glazed, sprinkles, apple fritters.

It's becoming a trend!

 

[chuckiechan]

Seriously, weddings are getting "over the top" expensive.

My son and daughter in law got married in our church with a modest reception, and used the wedding budget for a down payment on a house, which 12 years later they still live in and have two kids. What was the best use of the money?

Competitive wedding's are not for sane people. Don't invite "family" just for the hell of it that you will never see again.

Somehow the wedding industry has let itself be taken over by reality shows, and somehow if you don't spend $50K you are unworthy of married life. Remember, it's a one day affair and then your guests go to work the next day and say: "I went to what's-her-names wedding".

 

[Grand Mal]

I was having this discussion elsewhere and would like to get opinions here as well.

What do you think about wedding receptions where a meal ISN'T served? Have you been to a reception where it was just finger foods, cake, drinks?

I wouldn't hang out long, just enough to be polite.
Two of my cousins in Alberta married Ukrainian girls- the parties lasted all weekend and the food was incredible. I've been to a Chinese reception in a restaurant in Chinatown where the pushed-together tables were covered with food and the bride's father carried a bottle of Johnny Walker up and down, pouring thimblesful for the men. The meal lasted hours and it was great.
Why bother, if you're not going to feed the masses?

 

[Higgins86]

Me and my wife had a barbeque and a clam bake on the beach.

 

[CycloneWanderer]

Depends on the time involved for me. If you are going to ask me to spend an entire day at your wedding/reception, please be kind enough to feed me accordingly. I don't need steak and lobster, but if I'm there all afternoon and evening I would like something more than little wienies, cheese, and crackers. If it's a shorter even, no problems. As a note, this is as much for the benefit of the wedding party as for the guests.

 

[Mr Person]

I was having this discussion elsewhere and would like to get opinions here as well.

What do you think about wedding receptions where a meal ISN'T served? Have you been to a reception where it was just finger foods, cake, drinks?

If I could eat enough finger foods to be full, I wouldn't mind. But I show up assuming I'm going to be fed, so I'd be seriously annoyed if I had to fast until 10-11pm. Chances are I'd probably leave and get dinner elsewhere....


And a dry wedding? Don't invite me to anything again. Have a cash bar if money is that tight.

 

[faithful_servant]

I was having this discussion elsewhere and would like to get opinions here as well.

What do you think about wedding receptions where a meal ISN'T served? Have you been to a reception where it was just finger foods, cake, drinks?

I'd say tht most receptions I've been to have been cake/finger food. But I'll also state that when I got married, we had a big potluck dinner at the reception that went over great (we provided burgers and chicken and the dinnerware). In fact, we've had three friends who patterned their whole wedding after ours. We kept it simple, had the reception in the same place as the wedding, had some local talent providing music (we had friends who had a very popular local country band) and made it fun.

 

[beerftw]

If I could eat enough finger foods to be full, I wouldn't mind. But I show up assuming I'm going to be fed, so I'd be seriously annoyed if I had to fast until 10-11pm. Chances are I'd probably leave and get dinner elsewhere....


And a dry wedding? Don't invite me to anything again. Have a cash bar if money is that tight.

I have been to a few friends weddins, and they bore me, most of my time is spent drinking and hanging out with other friends who don't have to be responsible for that one day.

Even the most redneck dirt poor of them had something. One friend had a 500 dollar budget, did it at a hole in the wall church that amazingly had all the decorations on hand donated to them after a precious wedding. They brough 2 12 packs of pbr, the best man brought a 30 rack of keystone, and 2 of his friends brought bottles of whiskey, one brought jack the other brought a gallon of homebrew his brother in kentucky sent him.

Needless to say even the most cash strapped weddings can have booze without cash bars, so long as the wedding goers believe sharing is caring, or are redneck enough that they believe a wedding without beer is a blasphemy.

 

[calamity]

I was having this discussion elsewhere and would like to get opinions here as well.

What do you think about wedding receptions where a meal ISN'T served? Have you been to a reception where it was just finger foods, cake, drinks?

It's a good idea, IMO. Meals at weddings are what? $35 a plate minimum? That can get pricey.

Why not just invite friends at a hall, serve some finger foods, like chips, dip, cheese, crackers, sandwiches, sweets and a cake....oh, and, maybe limit the free alcohol to beer and wine but, of course, have a cash bar? Sure.

 

[calamity]

I have been to a few friends weddins, and they bore me, most of my time is spent drinking and hanging out with other friends who don't have to be responsible for that one day.

Even the most redneck dirt poor of them had something. One friend had a 500 dollar budget, did it at a hole in the wall church that amazingly had all the decorations on hand donated to them after a precious wedding. They brough 2 12 packs of pbr, the best man brought a 30 rack of keystone, and 2 of his friends brought bottles of whiskey, one brought jack the other brought a gallon of homebrew his brother in kentucky sent him.

Needless to say even the most cash strapped weddings can have booze without cash bars, so long as the wedding goers believe sharing is caring, or are redneck enough that they believe a wedding without beer is a blasphemy.

I too hate weddings. I avoid them like the plague. That said, I'm stuck having to attend one in November, in Chicago no less. I wish I could bail out. But...not an option.

 

[beerftw]

I too hate weddings. I avoid them like the plague. That said, I'm stuck having to attend one in November, in Chicago no less. I wish I could bail out. But...not an option.

You could always show up drunk and get kicked out.

 

[Mr Person]

I have been to a few friends weddins, and they bore me, most of my time is spent drinking and hanging out with other friends who don't have to be responsible for that one day.

Even the most redneck dirt poor of them had something. One friend had a 500 dollar budget, did it at a hole in the wall church that amazingly had all the decorations on hand donated to them after a precious wedding. They brough 2 12 packs of pbr, the best man brought a 30 rack of keystone, and 2 of his friends brought bottles of whiskey, one brought jack the other brought a gallon of homebrew his brother in kentucky sent him.

Needless to say even the most cash strapped weddings can have booze without cash bars, so long as the wedding goers believe sharing is caring, or are redneck enough that they believe a wedding without beer is a blasphemy.

I haven't been to a dry wedding myself, but I've heard of them. And since I cannot stand weddings, it would seriously annoy me.


I believe that a wedding without booze is blasphemy, so I guess something I share with rednecks.