“Am I an a****** if I say no just because I can’t/won’t spend that on dinner at someone else’s wedding?” they asked, saying the couple’s request made them feel “straight-up awkward”. “Can I be offended for you?” one user asked, adding: “I think that this is atrocious behaviour. “Why does this person have zero class and zero etiquette?” another user asked, calling the request “sickening and an absolute breach of civility and manners”. The backlash echoed a 2021 controversy in which another cost-cutting couple sparked outrage after reportedly asking guests to help wash dishes at their wedding. A relative of the bride later claimed the wedding was self-catered but the couple could only afford to feed three-quarters of their guests.

Source: New Zealand Herald February 23, 2026 02:02 UTC