the meal is extremely late

In my country, it is common such occasions including wedding dinners are never punctual. Its culture - from the host point it will be ungraceful for not waiting and from the guest to be hard ups for arriving so early. It had become so rampant that the venues are spending extra in rewarding both parties to start on time. I do not know what your friend's caterer's reputation may be but I am sure he/she had not picked a reputable one to begin with. I mean how could they be late especially when there are dignitaries in the party. Also, your friend should also have enlisted some extra help prior to the party to prepare and serve some hor de veurs and/some light cocktail snacks. So there is some slip up here - forgetting Uncle Murphy in your planning. As for me, if I am the guest, I would have some snacks prior to my arrival - this will also make me not to upset my gut if there is a delay and not to overeat as well.

I do not blame you friend for being upset, and if it was a catered event she should get some sort of compisation for their obviouse mistake. Did it put all the evenings events behind schedule then.Oh your poor friend. I hope it did not put to much of a damper on things and fun was still had.

Wow, that's a tough one...if i knew what exact time my friend would be honoured, i'd tell her "let's go grab a bite somewhere"LOL I think i'd go up to the host of the soiree and ask what the heck is going on!

I would sit there and socialize with the others that were also waiting. I would hope they had set out some form of premeal munchies. xoxoxoxo

Interesting concept you have outlayed here. I myself would sit and wait, supporting my friend. For it is her night, and I wouldn't want to make it worst for her than I am sure she is already feeling. Knowing me, I would probably make some kind of joke, or distract her with stories, to help in passing the time, and keep her mind off that the people are getting frustrated.

I always sit there and silently complain. I jsut hate it when they talk and talk and say nothing. I know you like your friend and and wish to honor her but I bet she was tired by the time it was over. I just say give me a money reward and skip the talk,

Since I am there for my friend, I wait. I drink lots of water. Get up and go to the bathroom a lot of times. Look for gum or mints in my purse, but I stay, to support a friend, just as she would do for me. I might try to cheer her up. It is inconvenient, but it is just one night out of a lifetime, and I can handle being inconvenienced, I am an adult, and as you say, it is for a friend.

I wouldn't leave, as supporting my friends is important to me. I'm willing to stay all night, if that is how long the event will be and just eat a good meal the next day. My friends know they can count on me to be there when I have said I'll be there. My purse always has mints that I can share with others, as we wait for food. The last event I attended for a friend the food was served late, so can understand how upset people are waiting for food. Somebody at another table did yell where is the food, but that didn't get any response. We ended up eating at almost 11:00pm; however, many people did leave earlier.

I would stay there to support my friend but I would find out the name of the caterer and the next day I would file a complaint with that company because who ever was in charge to cater this event did a very poor job.

Actually since I have diabetes I tend to keep a granola bar or something in my purse all the time so I'd slip off to the restroom and eat it so that I don't become ill and then wait it out...after all it isn't the host's fault that the meal is late. [b]**AT PEACE WITHIN** ~~STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS~~[/b]

Well I would always be there for my friend, if it took all night then I guess we would just sit alnight. It is one night in my friends life and she would sit on the railroad tracks all night with me if that is where I wanted to sit, so as long as she was there I would be by her side. That is what friends do for friends. As for dinner I would hope that I had something in my purse. I might ask when dinner was to be served as I am diabetic and have to eat something at certain times, so I might have to step out to get a bite of something but I would be right back within a few minutes. Friends are there for each other. Some times we have to take the good times with the bad, either way I know she will be there when it is my time to shine or when times aren't so good.

I am not that dumb lol. Dinners are supposedly to be late. Well, they are not supposed to but they are always late, almost without fail. I will have readied myself and ate something in advance. Otherwise, if we are all friends there, I may just whine a bit. I wouldn't be so rude and to raise a racket though. Then again, you said 10pm already and dinner is still not served? 2 hours delayed - 10pm!! - is definitely too late. I will have grabbed a waiter and asked why.

I would stay around. I did pay for the meal and it is a special occasion. But I would not return to the place serving this meal...

Number 2, I would stay and wait because it is for my friend. But I would probably start complaining loudly. I might quietly slip away to find out what was going on in the kitchen, and inform the person in charge that their delay was upsetting the guest of honor.

You should stand up and complain about not getting your meal. 2 hours is long enough over the time said for getting it and if they dont have it ask for your money back remembering that the chefs may have been in a car accident or something had goen terribly wrong.