FMIL is the pickiest eater alive!

BlueSprite

Facing a bit of a conundrum with my FMIL in regards to our caterer. My FI and I are on a crazy tight budget and DIYing most of our wedding. One of the only things we'd like to quasi-splurge on is the food. We both LOVE Indian food. The only other thing in our budget is horridly boring chicken and meatloaf type food so shahi paneer is looking great. We have a very diverse, international group of friends (we're both anthropologists), so most of our guests would appreciate it too. Yet when we mentioned the idea in passing to the FMIL, she had a meltdown of horror. "Oh god! No one will eat that! You can't do that to your guests!" I swear she was near tears. This woman thinks the only spices worth consuming are salt and pepper, and she's not entirely sure of the pepper. She has the palate of a pathologically picky 5-year-old. On the other hand, most or all of our friends and family are very adventurous eaters. Should we really cater to the lowest common denominator on the taste scale? Also, we are (so far) paying for everything. They claim that they are going to help out, but haven't suggested an amount or offered to pay for anything in particular except a dessert table that we don't want or need (she also told us not to invite any children because they'll eat all the cookies...). We have every intention of serving some not-too-spicy dishes for the food-timid crowd. Is this really so unreasonable?

MesmrEwe

Well, let me introduce you to the review of SIL's wedding from DH's cousins - they had the "mystery meat" mini French style plated meal, of which the guests looked at and said "WTF is this"...  and proceeded to leave before the dance even began because they were flipping hungry! 

While you may be adventurous and think most (which is NOT ALL) of your guests are as well, that might not be the case.  Have at least one option that is fairly neutral.  It can still have an Indian twist, but really, nothing succeeds like the simple done well...

AddieCake

I'm an incredibly picky eater. I would have to pray there was bread and cake or starve at your wedding. You will never be able to please everyone with the food, but I believe you should strive to please the masses. I couldn't eat any of our appetizers, but I got them because I knew the majority of guests would like them.

TrixieJess

I'm an adventurous eater as is my son and my FI. However, I have a couple of food allergies and have to be careful when eating out. While you may not like catering to the "lowest common denominator" you do have to make sure that you have something that non-adventurous eaters will be able to eat.

jacques27

1. This is a relative.  One would think you at least like this person enough to care that they will have food to eat at your party, even if you think their taste in food is unnecessarily picky or pedestrian.  I'm going to guess she is not the only one - I was actually surprised to find a few of my friends are much pickier eaters than I thought - it just doesn't come up a lot...until I hosted a party and planned a menu with one of my more adventurous friends and found that some of our mutual friends were very resistant to some of our menu.

2. While I liken throwing a reception to a throwing a dinner party, where this differs from a dinner party (where if you were to say "I'm inviting you to a homemade Indian food buffet dinner party at my house" and they can decline if they just really don't like Indian food), this party is a THANK YOU to your guests for attending your ceremony and witnessing your marriage.  So yes, to thank them you should be thinking about what will have the most appeal and please all of your crowd as best you can, not thinking about what YOU like necessarily.

If you detail your budget and number of guests, I'm sure some people on your local board or the budget or food boards can help you brainstorm affordable ideas besides meatloaf. 

climbingsingle

I love Indian food, so I think this is a great idea. But, is there any way to maybe offer just one plain dish? 

frenchiekin

I consider myself a pretty adventurous eater, but I cannot stand Indian food.  It's one of the only things I won't go near.  I do think you should pick food that you love for your wedding, but also consider your guests.  Maybe a few Indian dishes and then some slightly more neutral things, even if they still come from the Indian caterer?  I would basically be housing naan.

However, don't stress too much.  You'll never please everyone, especially your FMIL it seems.  As long as you make an effort to have a variety of foods for everyone in your crowd, you've done your due diligence.

Jen4948

Unfortunately, many people are picky eaters and/or not "adventurous" with food.  If the majority of your guests aren't familiar with or don't like Indian food, it won't appeal to them and they'll do that "wtf?" that a PP mentioned above.  And they'll talk about your wedding for years after-for the wrong reasons.

Weddings or other occasions where large numbers of people are eating together are, at least IMO, not the time to be "adventurous" with your food and drink offerings.  Having 2 or 3 Indian dishes is one thing, but I'd still offer other mainstream dishes as well so as not to have that "wtf" reaction.

Edited to add: You also need to keep in mind allergies, food intolerances, and other dietary conditions that might mean that guests can't or won't eat Indian food and plan for there to be items on your menu that they can eat.

beachyone15

I don't like/wouldn't eat Indian food either. If you insist on doing this, could you have something more basic in addition? Grilled chicken and veggie skewers, or some kind of vegetarian dish?

I get that you are annoyed with your FMIL, but she's your husband's mother and I would think, one of your VIPs. She should be well-hosted and shouldn't have to leave her son's wedding hungry!

lyndausvi

  Once a  year I go to an Indian place to make DH happy.  I'm nauseous for a good 30-60 minutes. The smell of the spices and curry just makes me sick. It's awful. 

 I can still find something to eat that is not curry based.  They have some plain chicken dishes that I can eat without a problem.    Can you caterer find a few plain dishes to add to the menu?

To answer your question the more people you have the more food restrictions and/or picknes you will encounter.   If you want to be a good host you should pick a menu that is crowd pleasing.  I would not go as far as to say the lowest common denominator, but Indian food might be too far from normal for the masses.  

Why not add some indian appetizers along with "normal" ones?  Have stations that include indian food and other types of food?    There are options.   

We had a full blown raw bar at our wedding and I do not eat that stuff.  I got it because I knew my guests love raw bars.    Our entree was a filet of beef and a crab cake.  I don't really eat crab cakes, but again, I knew my guests would love it and they did.

BlueSprite

Yeah, I should've mentioned that we plan to have either one American option, for those like my FMIL, or something like a super mild tandoori chicken that couldn't possibly offend the infantile eaters. I think the real problem here is a cultural one. I wasn't raised like a typical picky American kid, we ate what our parents ate, we tried everything. I never saw a chicken nugget, white bread, or mac 'n cheese till I went to school. That doesn't mean I like every food on earth, I'm not terribly fond of kimchi and sushi, but I NEVER bluntly refuse to eat things when offered. It was the same for everyone when I lived in France. No one would think to refuse an entire cuisine type, refusing any food is the ultimate in poor manners there. When I was served cuttlefish, which seemed really foreign to me, I picked a small piece and discovered it was pretty good. My FMIL eats nothing but grilled chicken and potatoes 90% of the time while the FI and I are foodies that are known for hosting massive dinner parties with fairly exotic foods at the holidays. With the exception of his parents' guest list, whom I don't know at all, our circles are extremely diverse. They're coming from France, Bulgaria, Poland, Japan, Spain, Peru, Greece, and India. Plus half the Americans currently or previously have lived across the globe, Armenia, Ireland, Turkey, Russia, and Mongolia just to name a few. So there really isn't a common denominator at all, the Midwestern Americans are the minority.

lyndausvi

BlueSprite said:

Yeah, I should've mentioned that we plan to have either one American option, for those like my FMIL, or something like a super mild tandoori chicken that couldn't possibly offend the infantile eaters. I think the real problem here is a cultural one. I wasn't raised like a typical picky American kid, we ate what our parents ate, we tried everything. I never saw a chicken nugget, white bread, or mac 'n cheese till I went to school. That doesn't mean I like every food on earth, I'm not terribly fond of kimchi and sushi, but I NEVER bluntly refuse to eat things when offered. It was the same for everyone when I lived in France. No one would think to refuse an entire cuisine type, refusing any food is the ultimate in poor manners there. When I was served cuttlefish, which seemed really foreign to me, I picked a small piece and discovered it was pretty good. My FMIL eats nothing but grilled chicken and potatoes 90% of the time while the FI and I are foodies that are known for hosting massive dinner parties with fairly exotic foods at the holidays. With the exception of his parents' guest list, whom I don't know at all, our circles are extremely diverse. They're coming from France, Bulgaria, Poland, Japan, Spain, Peru, Greece, and India. Plus half the Americans currently or previously have lived across the globe, Armenia, Ireland, Turkey, Russia, and Mongolia just to name a few. So there really isn't a common denominator at all, the Midwestern Americans are the minority.

I ate what my parents ate.  I had to eat everything on my plate.   That said,  my parents didn't (and still don't) eat Indian, Chinese or even Mexican foods.  So I wasn't really exposed. 

As I said it's a smell issue for me.  The smell of curry literally makes me nauseous.   I'm not trying to be difficult, I'm literally wanting to throw up  just walking into an Indian place. 

I've travelled to a lot of places around the world and have never had a problem finding something to eat (and no it wasn't the local McDonalds).   I also do not like hot spicy foods.   There a few items I refuse to eat (like curry based items), but for the most part I work around my issues.

mikenberger

BlueSprite said:

Yeah, I should've mentioned that we plan to have either one American option, for those like my FMIL, or something like a super mild tandoori chicken that couldn't possibly offend the infantile eaters. I think the real problem here is a cultural one. I wasn't raised like a typical picky American kid, we ate what our parents ate, we tried everything. I never saw a chicken nugget, white bread, or mac 'n cheese till I went to school. That doesn't mean I like every food on earth, I'm not terribly fond of kimchi and sushi, but I NEVER bluntly refuse to eat things when offered. It was the same for everyone when I lived in France. No one would think to refuse an entire cuisine type, refusing any food is the ultimate in poor manners there. When I was served cuttlefish, which seemed really foreign to me, I picked a small piece and discovered it was pretty good. My FMIL eats nothing but grilled chicken and potatoes 90% of the time while the FI and I are foodies that are known for hosting massive dinner parties with fairly exotic foods at the holidays. With the exception of his parents' guest list, whom I don't know at all, our circles are extremely diverse. They're coming from France, Bulgaria, Poland, Japan, Spain, Peru, Greece, and India. Plus half the Americans currently or previously have lived across the globe, Armenia, Ireland, Turkey, Russia, and Mongolia just to name a few. So there really isn't a common denominator at all, the Midwestern Americans are the minority.

Congratulations on being cultured and eating all the foods. Would you like an international cookie? It's like a normal cookie but with all the smugness of your post.

kaos16

And, also.....if you have a tiny food budget, Italian, Mexican and BBQ are often very inexpensive options with mass appeal.  Maybe look into them.  If you friends are so diverse, you can do a little Italian, a little Mexican and a little Indian.  Voila, everyone is happy!

jacques27

If your friends are from all those places, then how did Indian get to be the common denominator?  I mean, sure, statistically, they have a billion people, so I suppose if you're playing the odds then 1 in every 7.2 guests will be Indian and accustomed to the food.  Meanwhile, grilled/baked/roasted chicken exists in nearly every culture - so, not sure why you feel the need to feel so superior to your FMIL.

Even amongst my more adventurous foodie friends, I have a hard time convincing people to get Indian food with me - probably only half of those more adventurous will and I'd say most of them gravitate towards dishes like Aloo Gobi, biriyani, and samosas rather than anything more curry-like or saucy.  It does seem to be an acquired taste and there are lots of people who claim to not even care for the smell (as evidence here - and while I personally don't get it because I find Indian food delicious, I do understand that Indian cuisine is one of the more fragrant out there in a way a lot of people aren't accustomed or just don't care for). 

And on the topic of "I don't get it..." that's where you need assistance.  You may not get your FMIL's pickiness or even seem to understand that there are people who maybe don't rise to the level of her pickiness but still wouldn't care for Indian food - and that's where you have to try to empathize and try to understand not everyone is like you (which seriously, you'd think someone who claims to be such a cultured anthropologist could understand that with tolerance and not resort to calling people "infantile").  They probably can't understand why you like it.  Approach your menu choices from the perspective of a good hostess who considers ALL of the guests comfort.  If you had the budget for a big blow-out multicultural stationed buffet, then I'd say bring on the Indian station - but when you're on a limited budget with only the ability to offer one or two options for 200 people, then it's time to think mass appeal and you have a very good cross section of people here from a variety of backgrounds who are giving you very good feedback on your current plans.

kmmssg

BlueSprite said:

Yeah, I should've mentioned that we plan to have either one American option, for those like my FMIL, or something like a super mild tandoori chicken that couldn't possibly offend the infantile eaters. I think the real problem here is a cultural one. I wasn't raised like a typical picky American kid, we ate what our parents ate, we tried everything. I never saw a chicken nugget, white bread, or mac 'n cheese till I went to school. That doesn't mean I like every food on earth, I'm not terribly fond of kimchi and sushi, but I NEVER bluntly refuse to eat things when offered. It was the same for everyone when I lived in France. No one would think to refuse an entire cuisine type, refusing any food is the ultimate in poor manners there. When I was served cuttlefish, which seemed really foreign to me, I picked a small piece and discovered it was pretty good. My FMIL eats nothing but grilled chicken and potatoes 90% of the time while the FI and I are foodies that are known for hosting massive dinner parties with fairly exotic foods at the holidays. With the exception of his parents' guest list, whom I don't know at all, our circles are extremely diverse. They're coming from France, Bulgaria, Poland, Japan, Spain, Peru, Greece, and India. Plus half the Americans currently or previously have lived across the globe, Armenia, Ireland, Turkey, Russia, and Mongolia just to name a few. So there really isn't a common denominator at all, the Midwestern Americans are the minority.

The bold above pisses me off beyond belief.  I am a picky eater.  So what?  That makes me infantile?  No, it doens't.  You like what you like, I like what I like.  And it doesn't mean I don't/haven't tried things.  I have.  I am a picky eater.  Oh, and I did try Indian food at a well established, well rated restaurant.  Hated it.  That does not make me an infantile eater.

beachyone15

How I picture the OP ---

banana468

The issue with Indian is that there's a smell to many Indian dishes.  And while I like Indian food and would now love to go out for some, I also know adventurous eaters that absolutely hate it and LOATHE the smell of curry.   And it is nearly impossible to serve curry to one person at a table and have no one else smell it.   So sure, you're offering something to someone else but you're going to have that scent permeating the room.   For those who aren't a fan, they're REALLY going to dislike it.

There's just no way that DH and I would have ever picked an option like that knowing the eating habits of our immediate families (and I also had to eat what I was served).   I'd pick pretty standard meals that people would eat and I'd save the exotic for the honeymoon.

southernbelle0915

1) Do not count on them paying for anything until the money is in your bank account. Promised money isn't worth a dime until you can see the funds on your statements. Remember that.

2) I would have one plain dish and then whatever else you want. And personally, I'd make the plain dish vegetarian so it covers those folks too. So you could have "pasta primavera" (or something) and then "shahi paneer" "goat curry" or whatever your heart desires.

Yes, you should cater to the lowest common denominator because those people need food, too. Is it annoying that you might have to have an entire menu choice for 10 people who can't think past bland chicken and rice? Definitely. But it's good hosting to make an effort.

The other option (and you'd have to talk to your caterer about options and logistics), would be to notify people on your RSVP cards that the food will be "traditional Indian fare" and if they want an alternative meal of "chicken, rice and broccoli" (or whatever), to indicate that. Then have some kind of check box or line where they can write their initials. Example of what I mean:

"Please RSVP by July 18th

___Accepts

___Declines

We will be serving a buffet of traditional Indian fare for dinner. If a plated meal of roasted vegetables and linguine is preferred, please write your initials on the line below:

_____ I prefer roasted vegetables and linguine"

flbride2015

BlueSprite said:

Yeah, I should've mentioned that we plan to have either one American option, for those like my FMIL, or something like a super mild tandoori chicken that couldn't possibly offend the infantile eaters. I think the real problem here is a cultural one. I wasn't raised like a typical picky American kid, we ate what our parents ate, we tried everything. I never saw a chicken nugget, white bread, or mac 'n cheese till I went to school. That doesn't mean I like every food on earth, I'm not terribly fond of kimchi and sushi, but I NEVER bluntly refuse to eat things when offered. It was the same for everyone when I lived in France. No one would think to refuse an entire cuisine type, refusing any food is the ultimate in poor manners there. When I was served cuttlefish, which seemed really foreign to me, I picked a small piece and discovered it was pretty good. My FMIL eats nothing but grilled chicken and potatoes 90% of the time while the FI and I are foodies that are known for hosting massive dinner parties with fairly exotic foods at the holidays. With the exception of his parents' guest list, whom I don't know at all, our circles are extremely diverse. They're coming from France, Bulgaria, Poland, Japan, Spain, Peru, Greece, and India. Plus half the Americans currently or previously have lived across the globe, Armenia, Ireland, Turkey, Russia, and Mongolia just to name a few. So there really isn't a common denominator at all, the Midwestern Americans are the minority.

I'm horrified right now. Kimchi is food of the gods. Take that back!

And I agree with PP, I like Indian food but I don't like the smell of curry. Hence why I don't eat it often. I would look into some other options.

The restaurant we're using is an Asian restaurant. They're doing an American menu with an Asian twist. It was our way of including the food we like while ensuring our picky eaters plenty to choose from. Can they do a more basic menu with some Indian flair?

Maggie0829

So because I don't like Indian food I am an infantile eater?  How about you get off that high horse of yours OP and realize that just because some people are picky eaters, doesn't mean that they are horrible people.

OllisaurusRex

I'll just be over in the infantile eaters table. Call me picky, but I have to deal with severe food allergies. Boring grilled chicken is usually safe.

thespeshulestsnowflake

BlueSprite said:

Yeah, I should've mentioned that we plan to have either one American option, for those like my FMIL, or something like a super mild tandoori chicken that couldn't possibly offend the infantile eaters. I think the real problem here is a cultural one. I wasn't raised like a typical picky American kid, we ate what our parents ate, we tried everything. I never saw a chicken nugget, white bread, or mac 'n cheese till I went to school. That doesn't mean I like every food on earth, I'm not terribly fond of kimchi and sushi, but I NEVER bluntly refuse to eat things when offered. It was the same for everyone when I lived in France. No one would think to refuse an entire cuisine type, refusing any food is the ultimate in poor manners there. When I was served cuttlefish, which seemed really foreign to me, I picked a small piece and discovered it was pretty good. My FMIL eats nothing but grilled chicken and potatoes 90% of the time while the FI and I are foodies that are known for hosting massive dinner parties with fairly exotic foods at the holidays. With the exception of his parents' guest list, whom I don't know at all, our circles are extremely diverse. They're coming from France, Bulgaria, Poland, Japan, Spain, Peru, Greece, and India. Plus half the Americans currently or previously have lived across the globe, Armenia, Ireland, Turkey, Russia, and Mongolia just to name a few. So there really isn't a common denominator at all, the Midwestern Americans are the minority.

First bolded - judgey much?

Second bolded - Gold star? I was raised the same way, hell for my third birthday I wanted to get frog legs. Doesn't mean that I like everything thing. I hate pizza. There are types of food people just don't like. My mom was raised on meat and potatoes, the "classic american"  stereotyping you are perpetuating. She didn't start trying new or "different" foods for her until her 20s. Now she'll try almost anything. I'm shocked that an anthropologist would make such sweeping generalizations.

Third bolded - Great you have manners. So do other people.

Forth bolded - Thanks for judging mid-western americans

mikenberger

thespeshulestsnowflake said:

BlueSprite said:

Yeah, I should've mentioned that we plan to have either one American option, for those like my FMIL, or something like a super mild tandoori chicken that couldn't possibly offend the infantile eaters. I think the real problem here is a cultural one. I wasn't raised like a typical picky American kid, we ate what our parents ate, we tried everything. I never saw a chicken nugget, white bread, or mac 'n cheese till I went to school. That doesn't mean I like every food on earth, I'm not terribly fond of kimchi and sushi, but I NEVER bluntly refuse to eat things when offered. It was the same for everyone when I lived in France. No one would think to refuse an entire cuisine type, refusing any food is the ultimate in poor manners there. When I was served cuttlefish, which seemed really foreign to me, I picked a small piece and discovered it was pretty good. My FMIL eats nothing but grilled chicken and potatoes 90% of the time while the FI and I are foodies that are known for hosting massive dinner parties with fairly exotic foods at the holidays. With the exception of his parents' guest list, whom I don't know at all, our circles are extremely diverse. They're coming from France, Bulgaria, Poland, Japan, Spain, Peru, Greece, and India. Plus half the Americans currently or previously have lived across the globe, Armenia, Ireland, Turkey, Russia, and Mongolia just to name a few. So there really isn't a common denominator at all, the Midwestern Americans are the minority.

First bolded - judgey much?

Second bolded - Gold star? I was raised the same way, hell for my third birthday I wanted to get frog legs. Doesn't mean that I like everything thing. I hate pizza. There are types of food people just don't like. My mom was raised on meat and potatoes, the "classic american"  stereotyping you are perpetuating. She didn't start trying new or "different" foods for her until her 20s. Now she'll try almost anything. I'm shocked that an anthropologist would make such sweeping generalizations.

Third bolded - Great you have manners. So do other people.

Forth bolded - Thanks for judging mid-western americans

Since I'm from the Midwest, does that mean I have to stop eating sushi (well, when it's fresh) and Chinese and Cuban and Mexican and and and and??... Am I doomed to suffer a life of meat and potatoes and CASSEROLES!?!?

thespeshulestsnowflake

mikenberger said:

thespeshulestsnowflake said:

BlueSprite said:

Yeah, I should've mentioned that we plan to have either one American option, for those like my FMIL, or something like a super mild tandoori chicken that couldn't possibly offend the infantile eaters. I think the real problem here is a cultural one. I wasn't raised like a typical picky American kid, we ate what our parents ate, we tried everything. I never saw a chicken nugget, white bread, or mac 'n cheese till I went to school. That doesn't mean I like every food on earth, I'm not terribly fond of kimchi and sushi, but I NEVER bluntly refuse to eat things when offered. It was the same for everyone when I lived in France. No one would think to refuse an entire cuisine type, refusing any food is the ultimate in poor manners there. When I was served cuttlefish, which seemed really foreign to me, I picked a small piece and discovered it was pretty good. My FMIL eats nothing but grilled chicken and potatoes 90% of the time while the FI and I are foodies that are known for hosting massive dinner parties with fairly exotic foods at the holidays. With the exception of his parents' guest list, whom I don't know at all, our circles are extremely diverse. They're coming from France, Bulgaria, Poland, Japan, Spain, Peru, Greece, and India. Plus half the Americans currently or previously have lived across the globe, Armenia, Ireland, Turkey, Russia, and Mongolia just to name a few. So there really isn't a common denominator at all, the Midwestern Americans are the minority.

First bolded - judgey much?

Second bolded - Gold star? I was raised the same way, hell for my third birthday I wanted to get frog legs. Doesn't mean that I like everything thing. I hate pizza. There are types of food people just don't like. My mom was raised on meat and potatoes, the "classic american"  stereotyping you are perpetuating. She didn't start trying new or "different" foods for her until her 20s. Now she'll try almost anything. I'm shocked that an anthropologist would make such sweeping generalizations.

Third bolded - Great you have manners. So do other people.

Forth bolded - Thanks for judging mid-western americans

Since I'm from the Midwest, does that mean I have to stop eating sushi (well, when it's fresh) and Chinese and Cuban and Mexican and and and and??... Am I doomed to suffer a life of meat and potatoes and CASSEROLES!?!?

Same? 

Honestly though, that would be a nightmare.

littlemushroom

I am a very adventurous eater and LOVE spicy food, but I absolutely HATE Indian food. Hate it. I have tried so, so many different things and have not liked a single one. On the other hand I absolutely love every Thai dish I have ever had. Same with Mexican food, except cuitlacoche which is just disgusting. Same with most other cuisines. Indian is the outlier for me.

Both my H and I love to try new things, love every type of cuisine, and almost never have basic "American" food. But his immediate family and my mom and sister are not like that. So we served prime rib, fried chicken and glazed ham at our wedding. They are crowd pleaser and we knew everyone would be able to find something to eat that way. We liked them too, it just isn't what we typically gravitate towards. It was more important to please ALL of our guests. We got so many compliments on the food from everyone because they were so happy to have a bunch of options they liked to choose from rather than be relegated to one sad thing from a sea of options they didn't care for.

Even adventurous eaters have cuisines they don't care for, and Indian is more divisive than most others in my experience. Just the smell of curry makes my dad physically ill, and he is typically a very adventurous eater. I know several other people who are the same way. You need to plan accordingly for a large group you want to stay in one place for hours. If some people leave because they are hungry and others leave because the smell, that is something to be concerned about.

Maggie0829

I also find it funny that OP only has two options...Indian food or dry, boring chicken.  Pretty sure there are many other foods to choose from that can still be adventurous but yet crowd pleasing (and budget friendly) at the same time.

lyndausvi

Maggie0829 said:

I also find it funny that OP only has two options...Indian food or dry, boring chicken.  Pretty sure there are many other foods to choose from that can still be adventurous but yet crowd pleasing (and budget friendly) at the same time.

nope, you are so wrong.  Boring horrid chicken is the ONLY other option for wedding food.   How did you not know this? 

sparklepants41

lyndausvi said:

Maggie0829 said:

I also find it funny that OP only has two options...Indian food or dry, boring chicken.  Pretty sure there are many other foods to choose from that can still be adventurous but yet crowd pleasing (and budget friendly) at the same time.

nope, you are so wrong.  Boring horrid chicken is the ONLY other option for wedding food.   How did you not know this? 

Plus, how else are we going to be unique and make our guests realize how cultured we are and how close-minded and infantile they are???

OllisaurusRex

I'm still thinking burgers and pizza are reasonable options for my wedding, considering the wedding and reception are at a brewery, and everyone local is saying do their burgers......

How do I adult that shit up? Oh wait, that's what the beer is for.

Maggie0829

OllisaurusRex said:

I'm still thinking burgers and pizza are reasonable options for my wedding, considering the wedding and reception are at a brewery, and everyone local is saying do their burgers...... How do I adult that shit up? Oh wait, that's what the beer is for.

Your wedding is so infantile even with beer.  If you want an adult wedding then you need to have unicorn meat and fairy piss.  That is the only way you will seem cultured and sophisticated.