In a viral Reddit post shared in the Am I The A****** subreddit, user Houstonstan explained they let their 22-year-old son get some fast food, despite the wedding reception having a “nice buffet” and the son having no medical or dietary issues that would have made it impossible for him to eat the food provided.

Houstonstan added the food on offer was soup, salad, tenderloin, barbecue beef and pasta, describing it as “actually really good wedding food.”

But the Reddit user said their son “is a picky eater” and not only went to get himself food, but also brought items back for people who asked for some.

Zoe Burke, editor of wedding publication Hitched, told Newsweek: “The poster in this scenario states [their] son doesn’t have medical issues but instead a limited palate—in this case, I think it was quite rude to bring food back and to get it for others too.

“If he really couldn’t eat anything there, a more polite solution would be for him to leave and eat something else discreetly in the car. But to bring it in, it’s a direct rejection to the couple and the money they’ve spent on hosting everyone.”

The Reddit user said: “We are at a table near the dance floor and you could probably smell it there but nobody in our immediate family had a…problem even the bride and groom.

“Apparently the venue and the family of the bride were appalled and I don’t understand why. It was a great party but he wanted something different and other people did too.”

They continued: “Everyone else who partook in the fast food did so because, well, it was there and tasted good. They didn’t have a problem with the venue’s food.

“Also, as some people said, one or two chicken bones did end up on the floor in the venue. That was unfortunate.”

The post has attracted more than 8,000 upvotes and some 3,800 comments since it was shared on Sunday.

A majority of those who commented on the post were shocked by the parent’s decision to let their son bring fast food to the wedding reception.

Reddit user sandiercy said: “You should have arranged something beforehand instead of doing this. Oh, and stop enabling your adult son, he is 22.”

Janet_colgate added: “If he were 22 months old, the parents would have brought along a little pre-made meal or snacks for him, as they would be used to feeding him and toddlers can get picky at the most inconvenient times. But wow, 22 years. Good heavens.”

Crackersucker2 posted: “How tf (the f***) do chicken bones end up on the dance floor, OP? Is your 22-year-old still in nappies too and tosses his food on the floor?”

Burke said: “You can’t please everyone with your catering choices, no matter how hard you try—but I do understand their annoyance that not only did a number of their guests eat fast food at their wedding, they also left chicken bones on the floor.

“It’s not polite wedding etiquette when a couple has forked out a considerable amount of money to host you. It sounds like they had a broad variety of food on offer so they’d clearly tried to please as many people as possible.”

Consumer information website ValuePenguin said the average cost of a wedding in the U.S. in 2022 was $20,300, a $4,400 per-wedding decrease from the year before.

Burke continued: “Couples should really be able to serve their favorite foods, or meals that mean something to them—but it’s a little tricky with mass catering. It needs to appeal to the masses and also be easy for your catering team to create en masse. It’s always wise to avoid anything too messy—as people will be all dressed up in their finery—and to avoid obvious allergy triggers.

“If you can afford to do it, it’s nice to offer your guests a choice of meals so they can pick the option that appeals to them most. If this isn’t an option, I love the new wedding trend of grazing tables where guests can help themselves from a beautiful and delicious selection of food—it’s not as heavy as the traditional wedding breakfast and allows people to select what appeals to them and politely skip over what doesn’t.”

Newsweek has contacted Houstonstan for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.

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