People think it’s crazy that I let CHILI’S cater my wedding, but I love it
A bride who chose Chili’s to cater her wedding after she and her husband bonded over their love for the restaurant chain has sparked a furious debate online — as she revealed the whole thing only cost her $1,950.
Madison Mulkey, from Georgia, tied the knot with her longtime boyfriend, Greg Mulkey, in March.
They decided to serve food from Chili’s on their big day — and while their choice netted them thousands of dollars, it left the internet divided.
In a video shared with TikTok earlier this week, Madison explained that they spent just under $2,000 to feed 99 guests, which works out to about $20 per person. According to The knotis the average price for wedding catering $75 per head.
A bride who chose Chili’s to cater her wedding after she and her husband bonded over their love for the restaurant chain sparked a debate online — while revealing it only cost her $1,950
Madison Mulkey, from Georgia, tied the knot with her longtime boyfriend, Greg Mulkey, in March. They are seen at the wedding
They decided to serve food from Chili’s on their big day — and while their choice netted them thousands of dollars, it left the internet divided
In a video shared on TikTok earlier this week, Madison explained that they spent just under $2,000 to feed 99 guests, which works out to about $20 per person
That included trays of chicken tenders, sliders, spring rolls, chips and salsa, Cajun chicken pasta and salad, as well as “five special meals” for people who were “gluten or dairy free.”
‘We loved the price. You really can’t beat that price, just like you just can’t,” Madison gushed in her video. “It’s insane that we only spent so much on our wedding dinner.”
In addition to cutting costs, the couple also wanted to have Chili’s at their wedding, as it was something that bonded them early on in their relationship.
Madison shared a screenshot of an old text conversation between her and Greg, in which he asked her what she thought of the necklace.
“It’s the best restaurant in the whole country,” she replied. It’s the place with endless chips and salsa and the best two for $20 deal in the world. It’s the place that should host my wedding.’
“Okay, we can get married,” Greg wrote back. “That’s the only acceptable answer.”
Although it was much cheaper than a normal wedding caterer, Madison admitted that they encountered some problems along the way.
Instead of having it delivered, she said they opted to pick up the food to avoid a high cost – it would have been an extra $300 plus tip – but since it was St. Patrick’s Day weekend it was restaurant very busy.
That included trays of chicken tenders, sliders, spring rolls, chips and salsa, Cajun chicken pasta and salad, as well as “five special meals” for people who were “gluten or dairy free.”
In addition to cutting costs, the couple (seen) also wanted to have Chili’s at their wedding because it was something that bonded them early in their relationship
Madison shared a screenshot of an old text conversation between her and Greg, in which he asked her what she thought of the necklace and she said, “It’s supposed to take care of my wedding.”
Although it was much cheaper than a normal wedding caterer, Madison admitted that they encountered some problems along the way
To make sure it would be ready on time and to avoid the St. Patty’s Day rush, Chili’s told her to come at 11 a.m. — despite planning to have the food ready seven hours later, at 6 p.m., to serve.
They had to pick up the food a few hours early and figure out how to keep it safe, then reheat it “properly so no one got sick,” which she said was “much more work than she anticipated.” Above you can see a photo of her wedding
That meant figuring out how to store the food safely and then reheating it “properly so no one got sick,” which she said was “much more work than she anticipated.”
“Luckily my aunt works in the hospitality industry, otherwise we would have been out of luck,” she continued.
“She set it up and then we had to let our hired servants, who were supposed to clean and serve, do much of the cooking and prep.
“They had to take on roles they weren’t allowed to play. But thank God everyone made it happen.’
Despite the mishaps, Madison said the “food was amazing” and she was “so happy” they chose Chili’s in the end.
Her video, which has been viewed more than 1.3 million times, sparked a major debate among viewers – some praising her for the money-saving decision and others calling it “crazy” to serve Chili’s at a wedding.
Despite the mishaps, Madison said the “food was amazing” and she was “so happy” they chose Chili’s in the end
Her video, which has been viewed more than 1.3 million times, sparked a major debate among viewers – some praising her and others calling it “crazy” to serve Chili’s at a wedding
“I’d be so hyped to find out it was Chile wedding food,” one person wrote.
“My sister got married in March and spent like $10,000 on the food and it was worthless. I should have had chili,’ someone else said.
“Normalize this,” another user added. “Weddings get so out of hand. What a great idea.’
“I just want to point out that your food selection is much nicer than a mediocre to terrible chicken, fish, steak setup,” a fourth comment read. ‘I love this.’
Another user agreed: “Smart. Some caterers are so expensive and not such a good quality.’
Chili’s even commented on the video, simply writing “Iconic.”
Others quickly knocked Madison down. One person wrote: “Genius price wise. But do guests really want food that has been handled five or more times and eight hours after preparation? No. Bad idea.’
“Chilli’s in a wedding is crazy,” another joked, while another said, “I imagine everything is cold and mediocre.”
“This definitely didn’t taste right,” another user commented.