One of the most enjoyable parts of a wedding is at the reception. It’s a time to eat, drink and be merry, while celebrating with your loved ones. But before you begin planning your menu, consider the ages, dietary needs, food likes and dislikes of your guests. You can get a general idea of a guest’s food preferences by asking them to indicate on the wedding response card what they like.
Be sure to discuss your meal options with your caterer and become familiar with the ingredients in the food.If possible, work with a caterer familiar with many dietary needs. Tell the chef if you need many special foods, or just one or two items. Remember, you can’t please everyone, but you need to make sure there are plenty of things available that everyone can enjoy. Whether you are having a buffet luncheon or a sit down dinner, here are some points to consider while working on your menu:
1. Vegetarians. There are two types of Vegetarians: those who will eat some animal products, and those that will not. A sure way to please everyone is to offer fruit and vegetable platters as part of the meal. Dips made without dairy products and light hors devours such as cucumber sandwiches are a light and tasty treat. Vegetable soup or bouillon and lush salads are also good ideas.
2. Diabetics. Diabetic people usually have very strict diets, and must watch their sugar intake. While it is possible to have a sugar free wedding cake, another alternative for your Diabetic guests is a choice of sugar free desserts such as gelatin or fresh fruit and cheese.
3. The Elderly and Children. Older people have vastly different tastes from children. While your kid brother would probably love a reception table full of pizza and nachos, your grandparents might not.
Some elderly people may be Diabetic, on salt restricted diets, or have a tough time chewing hard foods. Some kids may be too little to eat foods such as grapes (a choking hazard). So how do you find a happy medium? If you are offering a sit down dinner, you can give your guests a choice between meals that are “kid friendly” or “adult friendly.” Your caterer probably makes meals specific to each age group,such as spaghetti for kids and a meat dish for adults.
Inquire about salt free meals, soft foods, and recommendations for children’s fare. If your caterer can’t provide what you want, consider bringing in treats from another source as a backup plan. If you are hosting a buffet or heavy hors devours, you can pick and choose as many items as you want (and that fits your budget). So feel free to have those nachos, if you want them!
4. Religious Diet Needs. If your guest requires a kosher meal, find out what your caterer can provide for them. There should be many choices available. Again, working with a caterer familiar with specail dietary needs will be helpful.
These tips should help you, but they should not make you worry about making everyone happy! It is impossible to know the likes and dislikes of every person present, and even if you did, wasting time and energy trying to please everyone will only end up pleasing no one. Think about the types of foods that you enjoy, and have them available. By offering a variety of choices and doing some advance research, you will have a lovely reception!
1 comment:
Great post, except that you missed an entire category--medical diets (other than diabetes). More and more people have allergies to dairy, nuts, wheat, etc. These can sometimes be life-threatening, and the person will almost always talk to you beforehand, but it is important to consider.
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