Wedding Guest Complains After Buffet Runs Out of Food During Reception, Caterer Says 'It's Not Our Problem'

Mar. 15, 2025

A bride getting food at a buffet (stock image).Photo:Getty

Getty

A hungry wedding guest was disappointed to find there was no food left when it was their turn at the buffet. But when they addressed the issue with the catering company, they were told “it’s not our problem.”

“I essentially was told, ‘People took too much food. That’s not our problem, and we can’t get you any more,’ " the guest wrote. “I even said we’d be happy with some bread or ANYTHING, since we didn’t get the same options or portions as the rest of the wedding — we were just hungry.”

A buffet of food (stock image).Getty

Exacerbating the situation, the catering manager also pointed out that the wedding vendors did not get food either — a claim the guest disputed. “We watched all the vendors go make their plates before our table was even called,” the guest wrote.

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“This really sounds like it’s on the catering staff,” someone else commented. “They know how many people to plan for and should have made more than enough!!”

A few others wondered if the bride and groom were trying to cut costs in their wedding budget.

“I’ve seen hosts lie about head count to save money, thinking everyone will still get food because… buffet,” a Redditor wrote, adding that unexpected guests can also contribute to the issue. “And I recently went to a wedding where over 20 extra guests showed up that had rsvp’d no.”

“My bet is the hosts didn’t pay for enough meals to feed the vendors and the vendors ate your food,” someone else suggested.

“We got it in our contract that there would be endless food served throughout a time period. Our vendor did not stop making pizzas or shucking oysters the whole time they were there. People were stuffed,” they wrote. “It was a small wedding group so it didn’t cost all that much in the grand scheme of things, but I wouldn’t dream of doing self-serve without the promise that everyone gets to eat their fill.”

source: people.com