Restaurant Wedding

Q: Is it okay (if you don't have the funds to throw a large wedding) to have guests come to dinner at a restaurant and ask them to pay for themselves? I was invited to a wedding like this and also thought I may do the same. What is the proper etiquette on this?

A: To be honest, it's your wedding day and that means you have the ultimate control over how the day will be run. If you want to invite your guests to a restaurant without offering to pay for their meals, I would highly recommend that you make that incredibly obvious to them in the invitations. Most guests will assume that you're picking up the tab, so don't be shocked by their reactions. Generally speaking, the "proper etiquette" is that the tab would be picked up by the bride, groom, or family member. However, if you're still looking to have a small function where you can share the celebration of your love with your friends and family members, you may want to consider an alternate option. You could easily invite people to your home and hold a "meet and greet", or a "wedding get-together". This way, you can control how much food and liquor (if any) are purchased, which means you have control of the budget as well. This scenario may be less-likely to offend people or create an uncomfortable situation.