Bride Blasted Over What She Ate on Wedding Day Defends Her Choices

Hot dogs at midnight, tequila shots, chocolate fountains. All things that both couples and guests love at a wedding, but not Samantha Cutler, 31, from Toronto, Canada, who recently shared her unusual wedding day menu on TikTok to mixed reviews.

In her viral TikTok video, Cutler revealed that on her wedding day she ate and drank a varied selection including protein smoothies, a grain salad, veggie platters, oysters, plantain avocado bites, anti-bloating pills, and a gluten-, sugar- and dairy-free wedding cake. If that wasn't enough for guests, allergen-free and low-sugar chocolates were also available.

To drink, Cutler chose Gérard Bertrand Cote des Rose wine, "because I know it's less than 2g/L of sugar, and Moët & Chandon, because I know that I can feel good when I'm drinking these two beverages," she said in her video.

"I was beyond happy and I wouldn't change a thing," Cutler told Newsweek. "I actually think our wedding menu was pretty standard, if on the healthier side. We had nine different appetizers from fig and brie crostini, rib-eye skewers to a full oyster bar and more, three choices of main, and a full taco bar with beef, veggies, guac, queso and everything else you dress tacos with.

"Plus the whole night was alongside a top-shelf open bar and specialty drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. To be honest, our guests were raving about the food. We cut no corners and opted for the best!" she said.

Users on Instagram were quick to judge Cutler's choices, with comments including, "LMFAO i cannot imagine having an eating disorder themed wedding," to which Cutler responded to in a follow-up video.

"This is exactly what my ED [eating disorder] brain would have done when i was 18. Girl life is so much more fun when you work through this and let yourself eat," said another.

"Labelling someone as having mental health or body issues for the purpose of bullying is extremely low, harmful and hurtful[...]the fact that a comment like this can get 15,000 likes only reinforces the need for women to connect and inspire each other to feel their best and learn what works for their individual body," she said in the video.

Despite being a fitness and wellbeing enthusiast and founder of wellness site The Fit Fatale, Cutler revealed that her main motivation for her food choices was to cater for every dietary and allergen requirement, including her own.

"There is no such thing as a night off from intolerances," said Cutler, "I am diagnosed with both a dairy and gluten intolerance by healthcare professionals, and as a result what I ate on my wedding was all gluten- and dairy-free. Guests had other options available to them. I also manage my intake of processed sugar as best I can to help keep a healthy brain-gut relationship."

32 million Americans suffer from food allergies. Each year, 200,000 people require emergency medical care for allergic reactions to food across the country, according to Food Allergy Research and Education, a nonprofit aiming to raise food allergy awareness.

Cutler also revealed that after suffering for years from a traumatic brain injury, she was diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome, "something that is common in professional athletes who do not fully heal from brain injuries," she said.

"I have been told by the doctors I see that it means that my concussion symptoms like light sensitivity, motion sickness, anxiety, can still be triggered, and sugar is a leading culprit, affecting not only my chronic gut issues, but also my moods."

Cutler surveyed her 60 guests prior to deciding on the menu and found that 38 percent of the guests had dietary restrictions ranging from severe allergies to personal and ethical preferences.

According to Cutler, all of them loved the food. "Many said it was the best wedding food they had ever had and everyone thanked us for having delicious food that met many of their dietary preferences."

Despite some negative comments, many users on Instagram praised the inclusive menu, "Ah I actually love this! I am allergic to dairy eggs and chicken so it would be so nice to be able to actually have dessert at your wedding!!" said one guest.

"As someone is has to be GF, and DF, this made me so happy to see you confidently make this work, I know it took so much planning ahead," said another.

Surprised to read some of the comments, Cutler knows it comes with the territory. "My community members praised the healthy options and my creativity in respecting my intolerances, while those who didn't know me (or my personal story) called my wedding "sad" or "insane".

"I do believe that much of the comments on the viral video came from a misunderstanding around 'what I ate on my wedding day' a bride with intolerances vs 'what we served guests on our wedding day' which are two different videos."

While people will continue to make their judgments on her wedding video, Cutler said she remains happy with her choices. "If there is any day I wanted to avoid sharp abdominal pains and keep my anxiety under control, it was my wedding, and I am so glad I did.

"I was able to enjoy the evening until the last moment, wake up the next day feeling present with my husband and enjoy my time with our guests as we continued the celebrations the entire weekend."

Has a wedding come between your relationship with a loved one? Let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.