Even the best-laid plans can be overturned when the unexpected occurs. Four women share tales of what went awry at their simchahs

Sparse Servings

“I never had specific requests about how I wanted my simchahs to look,” says popular children’s author Menucha Fuchs. “I was willing to go along with whatever my husband, child, or mechutanim wanted when it came to halls, bands, photographers, and waiters. But there was one thing I promised myself: At my simchahs, there would always be plenty of food. I know that people come from afar to attend a simchah. It’s not pleasant for them to sit and talk without having a full plate of food in front of them.

“My daughter got engaged right before Pesach. We didn’t want to push off the vort until after Yom Tov, so we held it during Chol Hamoed. But what do you serve all the guests when it’s Pesach?

“I thought of a great idea: I’d buy large quantities of fruits and vegetable from the shuk, and I’d hire someone who’s an expert at making artistic fruit and vegetable creations to make fruit and vegetable platters.

“Two days before the vort, our whole family drove to the shuk. We filled our car with tremendous quantities of fruits and vegetables, barely looking at the prices. We also bought out-of-season fruits like peaches, apricots, and grapes, which were incredibly expensive.

“The car was full, but I wasn’t satisfied. ‘It’s not enough,’ I told my family. We went to the hall, unloaded the produce into the refrigerator, and went to the shuk for a second time. We filled the car again and then unloaded the contents in the hall.

“The third time we went, we loaded dozens of watermelons and cantaloupes into the car. The giant fridge at the hall was packed to the brim with our produce, so we left whatever didn’t fit on the kitchen counter.

“The big day arrived. The fruit sculptor began creating works of art from the fruits and vegetables and arranging them on decorative platters. I was so busy receiving guests that I didn’t have time to check on the kitchen. But there was one thing I wasn’t happy about: Every time I glanced at the tables, they were empty. Once every ten minutes, a single platter would come out, and it would be emptied in seconds. How could that be? I thought to myself. We bought so much.