“[psh] Welcome to McD’s, home of the make you fat.” – Adam Montoya, a.k.a. SeaNanners
Nah, just joshin’ ya, it won’t make you fat. A calorie excess makes you fat. But that’s besides the point.
McDonald’s, though technically considered a restaurant, is the epitome of fast food. By proxy, you’d probably never think of it as food you’d be serving at a fancy dinner party or even a wedding, right? Right?
Well, it happened. A couple from France recently tied the knot and decided to indulge themselves by serving McDonald’s to the wedding guests.
McDonald's has a particular reputation where you wouldn't think of it as anything other than fast food to be served in very particular settings
Image credits: satchephotography
Image credits: satchephotography
So, a (now-married) couple (congratulations out there, by the way!) recently shared a moment from their wedding reception in the form of a TikTok video. In the video, we see the 25-year old bride, Ophélie, with her husband Thomas (27 years old) standing at her side, thanking the guests and directing their attention to the night’s meal. At that moment, we see a caterer bring in some take-out bags full of… McDonald’s.
This is followed by applause and cheer, though it was only the loudest part of the reaction because feelings all around were mixed. By saying all around, we mean across the internet, not as much at the party, though there were some confused looks there too.
So, it came as a bit of a surprise for the internet to witness McDonald's being served at this couple's wedding in France
Yep, Thomas and Ophélie love McD's and ended up deciding to serve it to the 45 guests at their wedding
Image credits: satchephotography
Image credits: satchephotography
In an interview with People Magazine, the couple explained that the two are big fans of McD’s and one time joked how they should get it for their wedding. Well, fast forward to September 16, in comes the caterer and brings everyone burgers and nuggets. They elaborated that the people who knew them well weren’t all that surprised by this call.
Unfortunately, no fries or potatoes were served because of their inept evolutionary capabilities of withstanding the test of time, i.e. if you don’t eat them in about 7 minutes, they will turn inedible due to their soggy and tasteless texture. Also, no dessert, but their pastry chef friend helped them out. So, yay, cake!
In total, they fed roughly 45 wedding-goers. Some folks were reluctant and skeptical at first—mostly aunts and uncles—but in the end everyone loved it. Get it? Because… they’re loving it. I’m gonna walk myself out... [points in a random direction]. “The guests were surprised, happy, and some were initially hesitant, but everyone ended up loving it,” said Thomas.
Thomas, the groom, now-husband, explained that while they wouldn’t probably recommend McD’s for just any wedding, they encouraged couples to do whatever the heck they want with their wedding—after all, it’s their wedding. As long as there is a good vibe and the guests are enjoying themselves, why not, right?
The reason behind it is they've always loved McDonald's food, and one time jokingly it should be served at their wedding. Well, it happened
Image credits: satchephotography
Image credits: satchephotography
Bored Panda also got in touch with Thomas, the groom in question, for an interview. And we just had to ask Why McDonald's and not any other chain? "Because we have gained a reputation among our loved ones as fans of McDonald's, but in reality, we enjoy other fast food chains just as much," elaborated Thomas.
As such, it felt appropriate funny for the couple to have a complete buffet of burgers and nuggets. "[It's] something that reflects our personalities and would surprise our guests," added Thomas. McDonald's isn't something an event couldn't go without for the couple, but the fact that they prompted for it for their wedding made it all the more unique.
It is important to note that they didn't do it to save money. Thomas told Bored Panda that some media outlets have misinterpreted the information, but, in reality, it was all so as to indulge themselves and make the guests happy. "Everyone loves McDonald's, but we understand that not everyone agrees with it. It's been publicized, so it's normal that not everyone is on board with the idea, and we understand that," explains Thomas.
And it ended up being all in good fun. The guests, though some skeptical at first, dug into the food like there's no tomorrow, and enjoyed it: "No one approached us directly, but we could tell from some people's initial reactions when we made the announcement. However, their opinions changed afterwards. We could see that it surprised them at first, but they ended up enjoying it."
The guests loved it (eventually), but the internet was torn about it, with all the trolls saying they're feeding their guests cheap, low-quality food
Image credits: satchephotography
Image credits: satchephotography
Well, you can guess what happened when the internet got involved. Internet trolls quickly swarmed in to bash the couple for their cheapness and not serving actual quality food. And that’s where the hate really ended before it got bombarded with overwhelming positivity and encouragement.
Mostly, folks approved of the practicality of feeding people with something that is reasonably priced rather than overpriced fancy foods that not everyone has a taste for. This is besides the fact that people got there for the wedding, not the food, and the celebration is what actually matters. It’s a celebration of love, not a banquet (though it is, but you get the point).
And yet others in the comments were in it for the idea, but had other preferences, like KFC or getting a pizza van or whatever other fast food to scratch that peckish itch. No matter the fast food joint, folks agreed that this was actually a smart idea in light of how expensive weddings can be.
Many others, however, said this was super practical, saying they saved a lot on "wedding" food, and, hey, it's their wedding, let them do them
Image credits: satchephotography
Image credits: satchephotography
If you’re wondering, the average meal at McDonald’s costs anywhere between $5 and $8, so feeding 45 people would translate to $225 to $360. On the lower end, it would be everyone getting crispy chicken sandwiches, and on the higher end—Big Macs. If McNuggets were involved, that’s another $6.89 per 20-piece meal.
It is also important to note that these prices might differ because we’re referencing the US restaurant pricing, and the couple had their celebration in France, but at least your curiosity has been sated.
A TikTok moment from their wedding of folks reacting to the McD's surprise went viral with 2.3 million views
Image credits: satchephotography
Image credits: satchephotography
Needless to say, the wedding went viral. Besides a number of news outlets covering the story, the TikTok video itself got 2.3 million views with 60,000 likes. You can check out the video here.
And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go order a burger with fries because all this talk about McD’s has made me hungry. In the meantime, share your ideas, opinions and stories in the comment section below!
You can see a glimpse of the discussion below
