My g/f went to a wedding reception in the South this weekend without me and it sounded a little different. There was no sit down waiter served meal, just a buffet, and there was something called a "groom's cake." Is this normal in the South?

Well since I have attended receptions in both places, I can say there is a big difference. There are good and bad points to both IMO. I think that most people around here cant see spending as much as a house on a wedding reception. [:D]

Actually I asked if the couple or their families were maybe not that well off and she said that it looked a reasonably expensive reception just no food but hor d'oeurves (however you spell that). In the north there would normally be a sit down chicken or beef main meal if it was a more expensive catered event.

She said she heard those grooms cakes came in the shapes of footballs etc.

No she didn't mention anything about angry  mobs trying to impale yankees. She would probably think that was more fun than a wedding reception, I hope for their sake they just don't decide to tangle with her. [;)]

I've been to two weddings this year and both were buffet but the weddings were like Princess Di.

One was straight out of some brides catalogue with 20 brides maids and enough candles in the church I thought it was going ot burn down. It was a long drawn out affair resulting in everyone shifting because their butts hurt.

Reception was in the country club with all that yuky finger food that no one really likes.  Total cost for that one was $40,000.

The second one was traditional church with a hall rental with roast beef and KFC in a buffet.  Cost was a fraction and I enjoyed it much better. The groom was a Marine in dress blues and about six bride maids.

Weddings are over rated.  When I got married it was in a basement in a church and we could barely afford a tie and here I am 30 years later still married.  Today couples spend tens of thousands and six months later they are divorced. Isn't the marriage more important than the wedding?  

It has made me a bit bitter for I am suspicious of any bride that insists on this massive social event to get married.  It seems to me, if you are marrying for the right reasons, how you get married should be low on the priority list. Instead, it almost seems like they are more interested in the wedding than the marriage.

I only know half of the formula and that's what works. They other half I have no idea about which is what doesn't work.

Sorry for the rant. I'm watching my nephew now saving enough money for his wedding that would make one hell of a down payment on a house.

I'd rather have the house. It lasts just a bit longer than one night.

BTW: Coolest weddings, Italian.  They know how to party and kick off a marriage$$$$$.

My wife and I were married in the old chapel at Fort Myer, VA and the reception was in the officers' club. We had guys in Revolutionary War uniforms blowing big ol' trumpets as we came out, and six Marines from Eighth and Eye doing the sword arch for us.

The wife was not expecting the last one on her side to whack her in the ass with his NCO sword! [:D]

We got married on New Year's Eve and had splits of champagne, party hats and noisemakers for every guest distributed at a couple of minutes to midnight, but we didn't have an actual dinner, just what's called by catering types "heavy hors d'heoueoevres." (or however that's spelled) I made sure there was a mountain of shrimp up in that mofo, though.