Woman Hires Chili’s to Cater a Wedding, Goes Viral, and Saves a Ton

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Weddings can be expensive, especially when it comes to paying for food and drinks per person. But one smart girlfriend on TikTok shared her version of hacking the system, ordering takeout from the popular fast-casual chain Chili’s, and it saved her a ton of money.

The internet, however, has mixed reactions.

In the video, which has been viewed more than 2 million times, bride Madison Mulkey explains how she ordered food for the big day, which came to $1,950 for 99 total guests, roughly $19.69 per person.

“It’s crazy that we only spent so much money on our wedding food,” he told viewers.

@brideisapersonality So happy to have done this!! #green screen #bride #girlfriendtok #weddingtok #bridal #wedding #2023girlfriend #2024girlfriend #2023wedding #wedding dress #weddingideas #wedding planning #bridalcontentcreator #brideisapersonality #chilies #weddingfood #wedding catering #bridebudget ♬ original sound – MADISON MULKEY

Instead of sending the food out for the 6:00 p.m. reception, Mulkey picked it up at 11:00 a.m. to avoid delivery costs, but that also meant other tasks were handled by the servers hired for his wedding, such as figure out how to keep food fresh.

“My coordinator had to show them what to do and take on a role that they weren’t really supposed to do and they weren’t really supposed to do either,” Mulvey explained, adding that the couple chose easy-to-eat foods. items like chips and salsa and egg rolls. “It was the perfect meal for our wedding. I’m so happy I chose Chili’s. So happy I did!”

The main concern among viewers seemed to be whether or not Mulkey would tip the staff and prepare them in advance for the additional tasks.

“As a wedding planner that is so unfair to the planner and servers,” one person wrote. “If people do this, hire a specific delivery pickup driver and food prep cook.”

“All I can think about is how stressful it must have been for the staff,” said another.

In a follow-up video, Mulkey explained that he tipped generously.

@brideisapersonality Replying to @reputationbestalbumstan ♬ original sound – MADISON MULKEY

“We tipped everyone: we tipped the kitchen staff at Chili’s $300, we tipped the manager at Chili’s $100 who specifically worked with us to make sure this was possible,” he said, noting that he they gave a tip to the coordinator and to the waiters.

Others, however, agreed with Mulkey’s decision.

“Not going to lie, I would have been VERY excited for this menu as a guest,” one person said.

And as for Chili’s take on the bride’s catering decision?

The restaurant chain commented with one simple word: “Iconic.”