“People have to learn to live within their means, I see people spend thousands and thousands of dollars. But the chasunah is only for seven or eight hours. And then what?”
Rosenzweig says that some halls may try to persuade people to upgrade their simchah by using fancier tablecloths or serving beef instead of chicken. But in his experience, much of the meal usually just ends up in the garbage. Most guests eat at the smorgasbord and are too full by the time the seudah comes around to enjoy any more than a bite or two of the main course. “I see every night how it all gets thrown out,” he says.
Some people recommended taking home the leftover food and using it for Shabbos sheva brachos. While Rosenzweig agrees in principle it would be a good idea, he does not see it happening in a practical way.
“We’re happy to give you the food and let you use it for Shabbos sheva brachos,” he says. “But most mechutanim just want to go home after the chasunah rather than start taking home a huge amount of food.”
Another realistic area to cut, Rosenzweig says, is the spirits. “Most people overestimate the amount of alcohol they’ll use,” he says. “Wine itself could sometimes be as much as $2,000. The right thing would be to have a conversation with the place where he buys the wine to allow him to bring it back. It’s such a shame seeing the loss of money, every night, again and again.”
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