Groom Suggests Guests Pay for Their Own Meals at His Third Wedding

A groom is planning on leaving his guests with the dinner bill at his own wedding.

A woman shared in the Dear Abby column that her husband’s best friend “Herb” is planning on getting married for the third time. 

However, in the interest of saving money for his third jaunt down the aisle, he suggested that “the attendees pay for their meals” — something the woman noted was a terrible idea.

“I told my husband that Herb is setting himself up for failure again. (Not to mention he’s having his fiancee sign a prenup as he did with his other two wives),” she wrote. “I’m beside myself just thinking about it.”

She noted that most wedding attendees have “expenses too,” which could deter them from attending rather than encourage it. She further asked, “what will his fiancee think when people send their regrets or don’t bring a gift?” 

The woman said she was “ready to override” her husband’s suggestion to not say anything about the whole thing and “educate” Herb “on wedding etiquette.” Otherwise, she noted that he was a “super guy, very nice and well-mannered.”

“I know for a fact that his cheapness destroyed his second marriage and a subsequent relationship. Both women complained profusely to me about it before storming out,” the woman shared, before asking Abby if she should “educate Herb?”

In response to the prompt, the columnist noted that Herb was likely “not doing what he’s doing out of ignorance,” but rather because he wanted to. Abby noted that if the woman really wanted to help, she could do so in smaller ways. 

This included quietly suggesting to his fiancée that “when he hands her the prenup document, she have it reviewed by her own lawyer to avoid any surprises in the future” or even hand him one of her own.

Charging wedding guests isn’t a new controversy. Back in April, one couple imposed a $200 “entrance and gift” fee — a move that led some invitees to opt out of the celebration entirely.

For one destination wedding, a person shared in March that the bride and groom were charging “everyone to attend the welcome party” and pay for their own accommodations, including hotel stay, transportation and food for the nuptials on their own. The person noted it was a “tacky” move.