A couple has sparked a heated online controversy following a decision to auction off a dinner plate during their own wedding reception. The strange act, which also went viral on social media, sparked a debate among netizens and resulted in an outcry against wedding protocol and guest courtesy.
A First Plate, Up for Bids
It was initially posted by the X user @turbothad, who informed that the bride and groom sat their guests after the wedding ceremony and made an unexpected statement. “The bride and groom sat everyone down and said ‘Alright folks we know everyone’s hungry… So we’re auctioning off the first plate of dinner, whoever buys it gets their table served first. Proceeds go to our Alaska fishing trip honeymoon.’ Plate sold for $1500. Brilliant,” the post mentioned.
The bride and groom just sat everyone down and said “Alright folks we know everyone’s hungry… So we’re auctioning off the first plate of dinner, whoever buys it gets their table served first. Proceeds go to our Alaska fishing trip honeymoon.” Plate sold for $1500. Brilliant
— Thad🥛☀️ (@turbothad) July 20, 2025
From the user, the first plate alone was auctioned, but the buyer would be served first before any other person. The remaining guests would get their food later.
The post continued to commend the couple’s move: “Selling to a room full of emotional people drinking on empty stomachs who love you… Genius.”
Internet Users Aren’t Impressed
While others viewed the move as a groundbreaking innovation, others were shocked. Many took the couple’s gesture to task, labeling it as distasteful and insensitive on social media.
“This is ridiculous and conniving. Everyone has spent so much time and money to come to your wedding. Charging them extra to be served food in a timely fashion is horrible,” one individual said.
Another wrote, “Sucks that weddings for some are just a money grab. Selling a plate of banquet food, that has already been paid for, at your wedding to your close friends and family, is shameful behavior.”
Guests Considered Leaving
Some users commented they would have walked out if they were there. “I would’ve walked out of that wedding and gotten McDonald’s drive-thru on the way home,” is what one commenter wrote. Another wrote, “How I would have walked out WITH my card.”
Though the backlash ensued, the pair did have a successful auction, raising $1,500 for their honeymoon in Alaska, a step in the right direction, but a leap into viral wedding controversy.
