Guest Slams 7-Hour Black-Tie Wedding for Having No Dinner, Just Hors D’oeuvres and Dancing

A future wedding guest says they’re dreading an upcoming celebration after learning that no full meal will be served — despite a black-tie dress code and a marathon-length event.

Posting in Reddit’s “Wedding Shaming” forum, the invitee called the plans “tacky,” explaining that the couple’s website clearly notes there will be “no meal.” Instead, guests are told to expect hors d’oeuvres during a one-hour ceremony followed by a six-hour reception.

“One hour ceremony followed by six hour reception with hors d’oeuvres, and no transportation to the hotels requested to book or in getting across the highway from the church to the reception,” the guest wrote. “In large letters it states this on the website with the expectation we’re dancing the whole time during the reception… what???”

The poster said they would have declined the invitation if they could, but their husband is part of the wedding party — so attending isn’t optional.

“It will either be a drunkfest or will be left early,” they added in a follow-up comment.

Many Reddit users backed the guest’s frustration and argued that the event doesn’t match the formality of its dress code.

“Nothing I hate more than a black-tie dress code when they’re not putting on a black-tie event,” one top comment said.

Another chimed in, “People are wild for treating guests like this.”

Several commenters expressed concern that hors d’oeuvres alone — especially if the couple is trying to cut costs — might not be enough to feed a roomful of formally dressed guests over seven hours. Others, however, felt the original poster may have misunderstood what the hosts intended.

One Redditor, who said they work in catering, weighed in to defend the plan, explaining that “heavy hors d’oeuvres is a legit style of service for a wedding.” They shared that they’ve catered events where trays of food come out in “waves,” beginning with lighter bites, moving into more substantial options and finishing with desserts.

“It’s PLENTY of food, assuming you have selected an appropriate menu and number of hors d’oeuvres for a six-hour dance-a-thon,” they argued.

Another user still couldn’t quite wrap their head around the idea. “Wait, you’re telling me finger food for guests in tuxedos is common? Genuinely asking, this seems insane to me. Guests are standing in black tie attire and you’re serving soup spoons?”

Someone else joked about how the evening might actually play out if hunger sets in: “Imagining a steady stream of food deliveries as people break down and start ordering survival meals.”