Asking wedding guests to pay for their own food has been branded as "tacky" and "crazy".
It comes as a wedding caterer asked for online advice following an increasing trend for brides and grooms to ask guests to pay for their own food at their wedding. It was branded as "the most cheapskate move ever".
One user took to popular forum Mumsnet to ask for advice. They wrote: "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.
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"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, five food trucks and half of them have brought a picnic instead, and I lose money.
"Am I being unreasonable to think most guests would baulk if I presented a card reader for their dinner at a wedding?"
It resulted in mixed opinions across dozens of users. One person wrote it was "crazy" as it is "quite expensive to attend a wedding so this does seem very mean."
Another said: "Yikes, I'd not be very impressed to have to pay for my own dinner at a wedding. There are many cheaper options available, it doesn't have to be a £25 a head sit down dinner, we got married on the coast and got a local, award winning chippy to deliver suppers for approx. £7 a head. Everyone seemed to love it, and got a choice in advance. It's making the guests pay for the couples expensive choices."
A third added: "Very tacky behaviour on behalf of the brides and grooms. Are the guests always made aware of this? If I was unexpectedly presented with a card reader at a wedding breakfast I'd refuse to pay."
A fourth wrote: "I think it's tacky but I am aware it's become more common. I'd only bother going if it was affordable/someone close. I think the idea of a minimum charge for your services is reasonable. You've got to make a living."
However, some people supported the decision. One person said: "If guests are happy to attend on that basis then I'm sure a caterer can find some way to make it work. It's not anyone's fault if the bride & groom can't afford to feed people."
A second commenter wrote: "Why is it okay to have a paid bar at a wedding, where guests have to buy their own drinks, but not okay to ask them to pay for food?"
