Ooh... mason jar cobblers. that sounds like a fantastic idea - if not for the wedding then for some other time (we're having a smaller casual grill session at a lake pavillion in lieu of the stodgy 'rehearsal dinner'). Were the cobblers baked directly in the mason jars?
What's been so enlightening to me is who in my family turns out to have the most traditional ideas about weddings. I would normally describe my parents as liberal-leaning and very relaxed, but there is something about saying the word "wedding" that instantly triggers a cascade of thoughts and expectations in their heads. Before now, I never would have suspected it.
yeah, a bit odd how such money comes with strings-attached. my parents told us they were willing to contribute far more, but at the expense of it all going towards thigns we didn't really want, like the second photographer or table service. By politely declining we get to have more of the ceremony we want, and they keep all their money. I guess that's fair :-) Our use for it would be exceedingly dull - paying off the last of our student loans.
Yes - baked right in the mini jars. This is a post from a guest at my wedding who made the cobblers for another wedding recently:
http://countrydesignhome.com/tag/mason-jar-cobblers/Ours were fall-flavors (cherry, apple, pumpkin?) and these are more summery with berries.
Re: tradition. OY. I assumed my liberal Massachusetts parents would be open to looser interpretation of the wedding rules (especially when compared to my husbands more conservative southern family), but NO WAY. My dad was very caught up in the "I'm hosting this party, it needs to look like this other person's event" thinking.
We were getting married in our 30s & we both already owned property. We had our own ideas and our own money, so we ended up paying for the things we really valued/wanted (for example: there was no way they were paying for any part of my outfit) and using the parental contributions for the extras. That's a bit of a cop-out in terms of your original question, but it was the best way to avoid additional conflict.
Your rehearsal and wedding sound awesome! Congratulations & Good luck!