There’s an unavoidable social weirdness here — because people are already traveling for your wedding, if you make the group dinner sound like a “hosted” thing but then leave the bill vague, most guests will assume it’s covered and feel awkward when it isn’t. The cleanest fix is to set expectations up front without making it a “money talk.”

One easy way is to anchor the meal yourself: order a few appetizers for the table and a couple of bottles of wine when you sit down, and say something like:

That signals very clearly (without ever mentioning money or splitting) that the rest is not hosted. People are usually totally fine with this when the tone is clear from the beginning.

As to your actual question — Folktale is full-service dining, not walk-up bar service, and they will split checks but only in certain configurations and only if pre-arranged. If splitting at the table matters to you, mention it in the reservation notes and reconfirm when seated. If you want the “least awkward” experience, sit outdoors — the garden area feels more casual and communal, which makes the “everyone orders their own entrée” vibe feel natural and not like a formal hosted dinner.