Wedding question - midwestern thing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread reminds me of the bridesmaid who said her friends were having their wedding around dinner time, but only serving fruit and veggie trays from Giant because the food budget was $100, and there would be no alcohol. And bride and groom thought everyone would dance late into the night.
I was kind of hoping OP was the recipient of that invite. st

I was in no hurry for my guests to leave. I invited them for a reason. It's not about entertainment per se, but if you want your family and friends to hang out for 5 or 6 hours, you have to provide something for them to do, eat and drink or they won't stay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

We feed the kids at 6. We eat after the kids are in bed around 7.

I think this is the norm around here (DC/NY/etc). Not sure it's the best strategy, as it deprives the family from eating together.

First time I have heard of this. This must be an in certain circles type of deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread makes me want to move back to the Midwest.

This thread makes me want to continue to stay far away from the Midwest.

Good. We don't want you there.

You're the one on DCUM, snoozeville. Maybe you should head over to Shit Kicker Country Moms (and Dads!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is wrong with the timing? It is normal to eat dinner at 5 or 5:30 in the midwest. I live in the midwest and my dinner parties all start at 4:30 or 5. It's nice and everyone else does the same.

How is that possible? Don't people in the midwest work an 8 hour day, plus time for lunch and a commute, even if it is a short one?

They get to leave early because they are All. Just. So. Nice!

Unlike us dickweeds on the coasts.

I love the term "dickweed!" Haven't heard it for years.

Anyway, late dinners do tend to be the norm on the east and west coasts, and early dinners are more common in the midwest, especially rural areas.

A few years ago my brother was working in Missouri, and I went to visit him there. I was really suprised how things opened and closed earlier there. I even made a comment about it to a store manager and she told me that around there, it was common for the work day to be done and people home by about 4 pm or so. Heck, even tv shows are an hour earlier there.

...because of the time difference...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is wrong with the timing? It is normal to eat dinner at 5 or 5:30 in the midwest. I live in the midwest and my dinner parties all start at 4:30 or 5. It's nice and everyone else does the same.

How is that possible? Don't people in the midwest work an 8 hour day, plus time for lunch and a commute, even if it is a short one?

They get to leave early because they are All. Just. So. Nice!

Unlike us dickweeds on the coasts.

I love the term "dickweed!" Haven't heard it for years.

Anyway, late dinners do tend to be the norm on the east and west coasts, and early dinners are more common in the midwest, especially rural areas.

A few years ago my brother was working in Missouri, and I went to visit him there. I was really suprised how things opened and closed earlier there. I even made a comment about it to a store manager and she told me that around there, it was common for the work day to be done and people home by about 4 pm or so. Heck, even tv shows are an hour earlier there.

...because of the time difference...

If a program is on at 8pm EST, it plays at the exact same time, 7 Central...but it doesn't play at 5 pm for the west coast people, they broadcast it 3 hours later. They don't need to do that with midwest people, because their lifestyle is typically already earlier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also grew up in the midwest, where we ate at 5 PM every night. Thinking back I'm not sure how that worked out, but I know my dad left for work at around 6, so he probably worked a 7-3 shift, getting him home around 4:00. (Rush hour there is nothing compared to here, but because he's blind, he rode the equivalent of Metro Access, making his trip take MUCH longer than it could have if he drove). Mom ran a daycare out of our house until she went back to school to get her RN, then she worked 11p to 7a or 3p to 11p. When she worked those shifts, dinner was waiting for us in the oven.

I was going to write that depending on where in the midwest you were going, there might not be alcohol or dancing at the reception, even if a full meal were served... shocking, I know ... but I see dancing will be a part of the dessert reception, so there will probably also be alcohol.

But I do need to defend my friends/relatives that didn't have dancing or alcohol at their receptions - it wasn't an economic decision, but rather a religious one. Their churches frown on these...

They also are less likely than east coasters to have guests flying in from all over the world. I kinda wanted our friend who flew home from Moscow for 3 days to have a wonderful time to look forward to. Dessert wouldn't have cut it.

True. They are less also likely than East Coasters to have friends who would judge them or think their wedding was less important or special or worth attending because it was a simple church+cake+punch affair.

I really think it's sad that the thing people are focusing on here, as guests, is how much food and entertainment they're going to get. Or when they'll apply their lipstick. The wedding is about a commitment and a ceremony and celebrating your friends, and the party is just the trapping. Or at least that's the way I was raised. So I would happily travel five hours to be part of that commitment, and my decision would be *entirely* unaffected by what they were going to feed me (or not). I would expect my friends to feel the same way; otherwise, I would not be friends with them. OP, I like your follow-up response. I think you have exactly the right attitude to enjoy this wedding, and I can see why this couple is friends with you.

This exactly. There are plenty of things I don't miss about the Mid-West but this is the kind of issue that makes me feel homesick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is wrong with the timing? It is normal to eat dinner at 5 or 5:30 in the midwest. I live in the midwest and my dinner parties all start at 4:30 or 5. It's nice and everyone else does the same.

How is that possible? Don't people in the midwest work an 8 hour day, plus time for lunch and a commute, even if it is a short one?

They get to leave early because they are All. Just. So. Nice!

Unlike us dickweeds on the coasts.

I love the term "dickweed!" Haven't heard it for years.

Anyway, late dinners do tend to be the norm on the east and west coasts, and early dinners are more common in the midwest, especially rural areas.

A few years ago my brother was working in Missouri, and I went to visit him there. I was really suprised how things opened and closed earlier there. I even made a comment about it to a store manager and she told me that around there, it was common for the work day to be done and people home by about 4 pm or so. Heck, even tv shows are an hour earlier there.

...because of the time difference...

If a program is on at 8pm EST, it plays at the exact same time, 7 Central...but it doesn't play at 5 pm for the west coast people, they broadcast it 3 hours later. They don't need to do that with midwest people, because their lifestyle is typically already earlier.

Hilarious. Yes, that is why they do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread reminds me of the bridesmaid who said her friends were having their wedding around dinner time, but only serving fruit and veggie trays from Giant because the food budget was $100, and there would be no alcohol. And bride and groom thought everyone would dance late into the night.
I was kind of hoping OP was the recipient of that invite. st

Was the wedding cake also a sheet cake from Giant?

[Anonymous]

We don't have Giant in the midwest, dear. Kroger, Meijer, Martin's.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We don't have Giant in the midwest, dear. Kroger, Meijer, Martin's.

You and I must be from the same corner of the Mid-West. My home town has all 3 of these.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread reminds me of the bridesmaid who said her friends were having their wedding around dinner time, but only serving fruit and veggie trays from Giant because the food budget was $100, and there would be no alcohol. And bride and groom thought everyone would dance late into the night.
I was kind of hoping OP was the recipient of that invite. st

Was the wedding cake also a sheet cake from Giant?

Good question! I can't remember if there was cake! And wedding was for 200 guests.

[Anonymous]

I guess I will keep flying over then. Dinner at 5? Uh, no.