Demonstrating Your Cooking Expertise

Planning a wedding is stressful enough without having to worry about the long list of dietary restrictions that your guests may have. Aunt Jean can't eat red meat, Uncle George can't eat chicken, and goodness be if Grandpa gets any cheese on his plate – there are so many types of diets that people are following for health or weight-control reasons, but is it your job to cater to each and every one of their needs? Here, you'll find a few ideas that can help meet the dietary needs of your guests without causing too many complications with the caterer.

Include Inquiries on the Invitations

If you are really concerned about the dietary needs or preferences of your guests, you can include an inquiry about any restrictions or preferences that the guests may have. So, you've chosen grilled fish and chicken parmesan for your entrees – add a checkbox for special needs or requests. Then, when you get the RSVP back, you'll know what you're dealing with – hopefully months or weeks before the wedding date.

Tip: Include a short note explaining that you're working to meet the needs of your guests, but that special requests should be limited to health or religious reasons – not simply because the guest doesn't like the options provided. Most of the time, people will be understanding and only request the things that are truly needed.

Talk With the Caterer

You don't want to have a whole bunch of food left over after the wedding, but you do want to make sure that there's enough to go around to each guest that has sent the RSVP back, as well as for a few that have decided last minute to show up or bring a guest.

Your caterer has experience dealing with these types of problems. They will be able to provide you with a few ideas about how to prepare for these unplanned guests. In most cases, a few extra plates will be prepared. If there are lots of special dietary restrictions, make sure that the caterer is on the same page as you. You want to be accommodating, but you can only do so much in some cases. If the caterer knows ahead of time that there are restrictions, he or she will be able to create a menu that will meet those needs.

Your wedding day can be wonderful – you just have to get through the planning process. Hopefully, the tips above will help you get through some of it a little easier. For more information, check out a website like http://www.mascaroscatering.com today.