Bride and groom charge guests for cups of tea at their wedding

Pre discussion questions

What do you think this wedding will be like? (in this story)

Why do you think the wedding couple charged the guests?

When two people are tying the knot we usually expect them to provide a meal and drinks.

A run of the mill wedding would be two people in love, comedy speeches, a white dress, food and drinks.
However as weddings get more expensive, some couples aren't providing refreshments for free.  One British woman discovered this after going to a wedding party where guests had to pay £2.50 ($4.50) for a cup of tea. Is this a sign of the times?

Guests on an online forum were outraged at being charged for tea at a wedding.

"Recently attending a wedding of a friend ... I just felt it was a very poor and stingy wedding. After the marriage they had a 'hot chocolate bar' – they were asking money for this wrote one user.

"Am I wrong to think if you invite people to a wedding you actually host and are then expected to provide for your guests? Not expecting a free bar but some table wine and soft drinks surely?"

The woman provided a picture advertising the hot chocolate bar.
Many people on the forum agreed, saying they thought that charging for tea was "tight".

"If you can't afford the wedding then don't charge people more than something costs! £2.50 for a coffee!" one commenter said.

Isn't it a celebration of love? One person said that people should be attending weddings to celebrate the couple, not for the free food.

However others thought this was a storm in a teacup. One woman said it was unfair to say these things about the couple and that weddings should be about celebrating love.

"Maybe they just couldn't afford to provide for everyone.  And that wedding venues hike prices up for wedding functions I don't blame them," one woman said.

"It was probably a choice of have guests pay for their drinks etc or not invite them at all. I'd be thankful for the invite. If you don't like it you can always not buy drinks and just go home."

Try to guess the meaning of the words in bold and match them with their closest meaning from the choices in the right. Some of the answers are very close and have similar meaning. The meaning of these words is how they are used in the reading. Some of these words have different meanings in the dictionary depending on how they are used.

 The answers are below the table.

A=5, B=1, C=8, D=2, E=4/6, F=4/6, G=7, H=3

Some example sentences using the new words or phrases from the meaning of how they are used in the reading to help you understand better.

1.      Many people tie the knot in the fall or springtime.

2.      This wine is definitely not run of the mill.

3.      It is an economic sign of the times that people are spending less money on going out to eat.

4.      My father was outraged that I wanted to be an artist because he wanted me to study to be a doctor.

5.      Please donate to help the poor children, don’t be stingy.

6.      He was tight with his money, he would not even pay for a bus, instead he would walk 3km.

7.      Why are you angry, this is really just a storm in a teacup.

8.      They hiked they price of the drug because they were the only company that had the legal right to sell it.

Some questions using the new words/phrases. Try to use the words/phrases in your answer.

1.      If you tie the knot, then would you do as in this story?

2.      What is a run of the mill wedding in your country these days? Has it changed from past times?

3.      Do you think that getting guests to pay at a wedding is a sign of the times?

4.      Would you feel outraged if you were asked to pay for tea or coffee at a friend’s wedding? Why or why not?

5.      Describe someone who is stingy.

6.      Do you think the people in this story are tight, or can you understand their thinking?

7.      Why is this story just a storm in a teacup?

8.      Are wedding prices hiked in your country at some times of the year?