I left out a couple of details!
The tables were set with plastic plates, forks and knives, and glasses. I can sort of understand this, as the couple was concerned that the food be kosher and it could be tough to round up 200+ properly prepared place settings. The food was a buffet, and we were not warned to bring our plates with us to the buffet line, which left more than one guest scurrying back to the table for their plates.
(A better approach with the food, given the difficulty of finding a kosher caterer, would have been to serve a vegetarian meal, maybe with some fish.)
The plastic "wine glasses" were in the shape of champagne glasses. Champagne was not being served. I saw other tables set with plastic wine glasses that were actually shaped like wine glasses. It was apparent that they'd gone to a party supply store, bought whatever wine glasses were in stock, realized there weren't enough, and rather than going to another party supply store for more wine glasses, they made up the difference with champagne glasses.
Before a meal, it is traditional to say kiddush and motzi (blessings for wine and bread, respectively). These prayers are usually led by relatives of the bride and/or groom. We were instructed where to go to wash (it's traditional to wash your hands before the motzi) but no one told us that we were expected to say kiddush and motzi for ourselves... so there we were, sitting and waiting and very confused and hungry, until my husband finally gave up and recited the prayers for the benefit of those at our table.
Then there were the invitations. We received ours about two weeks before the wedding. (We'd gotten a verbal invitation, and other guests had also received their invitations around the same time, so it's not like we were on the B list. They really sent all the invitations that late.) There was no reply card; rather, there was a slip of paper instructing us to RSVP by
email.
And they plainly assumed all the people who didn't reply were going to be there; three of the people seated at my table didn't show up, and there were similar gaps at the other tables (and even so, they ran out of food).
Needless to relate, after we ducked out of the reception, we made tracks to a bar.
The important thing is that they are married and happy. I wish them many wonderful years together.
Jill, thank you for that website. I've been reading it and LMAO! I'm going to submit this story if I find any evidence that it's still being maintained.