If you’re a bride deep in the trenches of planning your dream day, you’ve probably already had a stress dream or seven about what could go wrong. So, forgive me for adding to your worst-case scenario maladaptive daydream rotation. Still, this entire wedding of 40 people, including a bride and groom, got food poisoning from their wedding reception, and I can’t stop thinking about it. Imagine one second you’re twirling somebody’s great aunt around the dance floor, and the next, you’re unleashing demons projectile style in a bridesmaid’s dress. So how TF did this massive fuck up go down, and how can you avoid it at your wedding? This viral wedding food poisoning story got me thinking about how to properly vet the vendors for your reception.
40+ People Got Food Poisoning At Their Wedding
@earthtoness_ 40+ of our guest including us got food poisoning at our wedding… we haven’t been able to fully soak in our day which sucks @TacoXotic take some accountability!!!!! Us and many others have had to go to the ER because of this!!!! #foodpoisoning #weddingday #weddingtiktok #tacoxotic #bayarea #badservice #nbcnews #newbayarea #localnews #ksbwnews #ksbw #kron4news #kion546 ♬ original sound – Earthtoness|2025 Bride💍
Shawn and Azalea probably didn’t expect to be talking about bodily fluids when they hopped on TikTok to share their wedding story, but life comes at you fast. The couple started by prefacing their ceremony was “movie quality” at a park, “but unfortunately, everything [else] didn’t go as smoothly as we would have liked, namely with our food vendor that we booked.” Shawn and Azalea were excited to serve their guests tacos but weren’t impressed when their vendor showed up when the couple claimed they were supposed to start cooking.
It was bad enough that the couple felt an “unfriendly, unprofessional” vibe gave their guests the impression that “[the vendor] did not want to be there,” but the real cracks began to show when people noticed alleged “unsafe food handling” going on. Mixing utensils for the meat, vegan, and vegetarian options, cross-contaminating raw meat with other foods, and basically everything a foodie fears about eating off a food truck was allegedly happening in plain sight, according to Azalea and Shawn.
But the newlyweds weren’t sure something was wrong until her sister told her both she and her husband had thrown up on the ride home. Not long after, the groom started feeling “dizzy and nauseous,” and his breathing became shallow. Eventually, Shawn and Azalea’s daughter were in and out of the bathroom “every hour” all night. And the worst part? They were on a campsite in the mountains with many of their guests, so they could hear shit going down (pun intended) like a scene out of The Hangover.
In the end, the couple was more than bummed that their special day was “kind of tarnished” and even allegedly landed some friends and in the ER?! Azalea allegedly contacted the vendor to “get some accountability,” but instead, the entire family got blocked. Let’s hope they get treated way better on their honeymoon!
How can you check if your food vendor is safe?
Verifying that your food vendors are as high quality as their pictures look on Instagram is no easy task in 2025. When you come across a wedding service provider you might want to work with, don’t be afraid to ask every single question that comes to mind. If they’re annoyed about your magnifying glass approach, that might be your first sign that they have something to hide. But wedding pros advise you to go above and beyond direct conversations with the vendors themselves to determine whether they are worthy of entrusting the best part of your big day.
In addition to checking their reviews online, try reaching out (or even asking to be connected directly) with former customers to get the tea. Local Facebook groups or wedding review sites could have unfiltered feedback on recent experiences. Plus, all food trucks need permits to operate pretty much everywhere in the US, so you can also check if they are in good standing with the health department, just like you would for a restaurant or catering company. Big companies like The Knot offer curated lists of thoroughly vetted vendors (including food and beyond) if you want a cheat sheet to a thoroughly screened source.
Whatever you do, if you’re getting even the smallest of signs this vendor might be slacking, keep looking for something better. Just like you (hopefully) didn’t settle for your husband, your wedding food should be your perfect match.
