A woman has recalled how she was forced to wash dishes at a relative's wedding because the couple ran out of money to hire caterers.
The guest, who shared the story on Reddit, explained the newlyweds had splashed out on a pricey venue and wedding dress, leaving them little to no budget left to spend on food.
But the decision came with all kinds of problems - including expecting guests to wash up plates during the reception.
The guest explained: "The bride (a relative of mine) and groom have gone all out, renting a gorgeous and expensive venue for their wedding. Beautiful ceremony, lovely pictures, etc. The buffet line and tables have been set up on the screened porch of the building.
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"Food looks great, I serve up my plate and go sit down. My BF at the time, now my husband, has gone to the restroom. There were only a few restrooms available for guest use so it took awhile for him to get through the line. He then comes back to the table with an empty plate. When I asked why, he says there's no more food.
"Okay, no problem. I find the bride's mom and whisper that she should probably ask the caterers to put out more food. She gets a peculiar expression on her face and says there is no more food. What was on the buffet line is all that they have. Period.
"It then comes out that the bride and groom blew most of their wedding money on the venue and the bride's (admittedly beautiful) couture gown, so they decided to 'self cater.' A family friend who was a chef volunteered to make the food.
"They wanted a certain "opulence" so they purchased top-of-the-line ingredients (good cuts of meat, artisan breads and cheeses, etc.) which meant they ended up with only enough to feed about 3/4 of the guests. The rest went hungry."
If that wasn't truly shocking enough, the woman then goes on to explain she was later forced into washing up the guests' plates - along with nine others.
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"Dinner is over, we are starting the reception thing, when the MOH starts coming around and asking some of us to come with her into the kitchen. We go. There is no AC so this kitchen is about a zillion degrees.
"She shows us stacks of plates and cups and then tells us we need to wash them?!? Apparently part of self-catering is you rent the dishes and glassware, and if they aren't returned clean at the end of the evening you lose your deposit.
"But since the bride and groom are pinching pennies at this point, they haven't hired anyone to clean up. So I and about nine other guests spend most of the reception in the kitchen, elbow deep in soap and water.
"We miss the first dance and the cutting of the cake, which turns out to be for the best because (wait for it) they hadn't purchased enough cake for everyone either.
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"The couple divorced three years later. I declined my invitation to the bride's second wedding."
Naturally, other Reddit users were utterly horrified at the story.
One person said: "Imagine having to wash dishes when you didn't even dirty one because there wasn't enough food for you."
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We're speechless!
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