With veganism on the rise, it wouldn’t really be a surprise to find out that some of your guests might request a vegan or vegetarian meal at your wedding. While it’s not abnormal to see these requests, a vegan/vegetarian diet is something that can be rather neglected at weddings sometimes. Weddings can run long for you and your guests, so it is important that everyone gets the opportunity to receive a nice, energizing meal regardless of dietary restrictions. Today I’m going to give some tips that will make accommodating to vegan/vegetarian lifestyles much easier for you and your guests.
I have heard and read countless stories about how some vegans/vegetarians basically starved for about 7 or more hours because nothing fit their dietary restriction needs. Even though the majority of your guests probably won’t be vegan/vegetarian, it is important that you consider their needs like you would for the majority of your guests. Accommodating to dietary restrictions isn’t as difficult nowadays because caterers are much more flexible but taking the right measures in choosing your vegan/vegetarian options will make the day of the event flow much more smoothly.
1. Response Cards
This is one of the options that will help you best prepare for your vegan/vegetarian guests. While putting your regular options like which meat your guest would prefer, make sure to include a vegan and/or vegetarian checkbox. Doing this will give you and your caterer an estimate of how many people would need a different meal than everyone else. Make sure to ask your caterer about their experience dealing with these kinds of dietary restrictions, so you can know whether to take more steps in accommodating for your guests.
2. Buffet-Style Dinner Option
While this might seem like an obvious solution to the issue, buffet-style dinner options aren’t always as inclusive as one may think. Yes, your guests have a lot more options to choose from, but sometimes, especially for vegans, their options may range from salad, steamed vegetables, rice and maybe even some fruit. While these are all obviously very delicious, it certainly isn’t enough to keep someone running for the duration of the entire wedding. To avoid the possibility of tired and cranky guests, make sure you sit down with your caterer and request different side dishes like Vegan Mac and Cheese or some Vegetable Fritters.
3. Multiple Dessert Options
If a vegan wedding cake isn’t your style, there is no need to worry and that’s okay. While vegan/vegetarian guests are used to limited options, that doesn’t mean they would want to miss out on some tasty desserts. To make sure everyone gets to feed their sweet tooth, make sure to look into multiple dessert options. Your caterer can look into making things such as Mini Chocolate Crème Cakes or even simple Vegan Chocolate Covered Strawberries. Either way your vegan guests will be eternally grateful for you considering their dietary restrictions in your dessert options.
In the end, you won’t be able to adjust to every single need your vegan/vegetarian guests have. Just by giving them a few more options, your guests will appreciate the extra effort you put in to giving them more than just a side salad to eat. Giving them a little something extra, even if it isn’t much, is 100 times better than just ignoring what they need and letting them figure it out for themselves. By including more vegan/vegetarian options in your reception, it lets your guests enjoy themselves and it lets you not stress about whether or not your guests are being fed properly.
Have more questions about accommodating to your guests’ dietary restrictions? Contact Lively Events today!
