McDonald's Indonesia now offers catering for weddings... could it work in SA?

The stress of your wedding day is enough to second guess the big “I do” and the receipts that follow are sure to put you in the ICU for your honeymoon. In an attempt to make this a little easier, a McDonald's chain in Indonesia has offered an affordable solution.

To “make wedding moments unforgettable”, the franchise offers 100 chicken burgers and 100 boxes of McNuggets or 100 cheeseburgers and 100 chicken fingers for 3.5m rupiah (R4,404). 

Durban wedding couple Danielle and Nathanael van Wyk made headlines recently when they took to McDonald's for their wedding photos. This reflects the sentiments of some of our readers who felt McDonald's wouldn't bother them if served at a wedding.

However, one of South Africa's most sought-after events planners, Precious Thamaga-Mazibuko, says this wouldn't translate well to South African audiences. Thamaga-Mazibuko believes “it would only work for a private celebration”.

“It doesn't matter what culture they come from, food is quite an important element for any South African celebration. Especially a wedding.”

And while the McDonald's menu is seemingly a cost-effective way to cater for one's wedding, does it really make it cheaper?

According to Thamaga-Mazibuko, costs for catering can range from R600 to R800 a head, which totals R60,000 to R80,000 compared with the 100 guests McDonald's promises to feed.

Financial journalist Maya Fisher-French has suggested couples keep a budget of R290,000 with other costs, including traditional weddings. The lavish wedding of YouTuber Gugu Mhlungu recently turned heads with her R10,000 spent on a wedding cake and R56,000 spent on catering for a budget well over R400,000.

While a pricier menu might make guests happy, Thamaga-Mazibuko notes they might not mind being offered McDonald's, depending on the couple.

“This is perfect for DIY couples,” she says, adding for those who want to have control over every detail, “it can work for a picnic wedding or it might be great for an after party. If you want to keep your guests longer at the wedding it might work to serve McDondald's for those who will hit the dance floor. But not as the main meal for the wedding.”