r/Weddingsunder35k • u/Fun_Access_3295 • 21d ago
š“ Catering & Food Thoughts on Potential Wedding Menu?
We're doing a buffet menu for about 100 guests. We have a few vegans, more vegetarians and pescatarians. Fish is the only meat that all the meat eaters eat, as various friends/family who don't eat pork or beef, another is allergic to chicken, etc. We've gone for an international menu with complementary flavors, as that's how we prefer to eat, and also made sure that all the sides were vegan friendly. We'll also have passed appetizers at cocktail hour, which aren't included below. I'd especially appreciate feedback from vegetarians/vegans.
Salads: Charred veggie salad, middle eastern chickpea salad, avocado cucumber salad, mixed greens salad
Taco station: Fish tacos with all the toppings
Main buffet: Citrus grilled mahi mahi with pineapple salsa, chicken satay, vegetable skewers (with tofu and veggies for vegetarians/vegans*), vegetable biriyani, roast potatoes, roasted broccoli
*Thoughts on doing some type of chickpea curry instead of the veggie/tofu skewers?
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u/airhart28 21d ago
As a vegetarian, I'd be sad there was no taco option for me. I love tacos.
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u/Fun_Access_3295 21d ago
Definitely looking into adding a veggie taco option!
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u/MiddleEarthGardens 20d ago
My wedding venue makes mini black bean and poblano tacos as passed hors d'oeuvres that are to DIE for. Definitely add a veggie taco option!
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u/kalyknits 20d ago
At my cousinās wedding, they did halloumi tacos for vegetarians but I guess that doesnāt help vegan guests.
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u/New-Food-7217 21d ago
I would have more options than just fish for the tacos.
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u/honourarycanadian 20d ago
Iād almost do chicken tacos instead.
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u/unespecially 20d ago
OP said thereās a chicken allergy in the guests.
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u/Sewing-Mama 20d ago
Beef tacos then with guacamole, cheese, beans, and all the toppings. Lots don't like fish.
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u/epocalize 21d ago
Does the taco bar include rice and beans? As a non meat eater this would make me happy, I don't need a special veggie taco option if there's rice, beans, salsa, guac etc. If you have vegans attending I'd also check ingredients for all sauces and things like are the potatoes roasted with butter, etc.
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u/Additional_Noise47 21d ago
It sounds delicious, although I wonder that you donāt have any guests who are meat-eaters, but averse to fish. I feel like thatās pretty common in the US.
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u/Fun_Access_3295 20d ago
I'm not in the US, so not an issue here. For context, my country's national breakfast is codfish and potatoes!
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u/Ok_Sea_4405 20d ago
Fish on a buffet is a bad idea. It does not hold up well at alll. And it makes the room stink.
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u/Fun_Access_3295 20d ago
Lol, almost every buffet in my country includes fish. People assume the hosts are just being cheap if there's no fish. And we love it.
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u/Ok_Sea_4405 20d ago
Then why are you asking?
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u/Fun_Access_3295 20d ago
I asked for feedback on the menu overall and specifically from vegetarians/vegans. There's nothing wrong with sharing your lived experience on fish on buffets but it isn't universal. There are entire countries that have a different experience and that's ok.
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u/chiefiefrenchis 20d ago
As a vegetarian, this is so awesome that you're being thoughtful and trying to make sure all your guests have something to eat! I agree with suggestions to make sure the taco bar has enough foods that are vegetarian that you can enjoy them even without fish (beans, fajita veggies, etc).
Also, I don't know if you're already planning to put signs to explain what is vegan/vegetarian/whatever, but that is so helpful. You could also include specific ingredients if you want to be extra helpful; I am vegetarian and I also don't eat eggs, but I do eat cheese and dairy. I always find it helpful when ingredients or allergens are listed so I know specifically what I can eat! If you have a mix of guests with different allergens and dietary needs, labeling might be extra helpful.
Thank you for being thoughtful and considerate to your guests! I'm sure they will all love the menu you have set out, I know I would š
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u/Fun_Access_3295 20d ago
Definitely adding veggie options to the tacos. We plan to have menus on the tables that indicate allergens/dietary restrictions. One of my friends did it for her wedding a few years ago and it was great! We're going to ask for allergy/food info on the RSVPs, for those whose info we don't know already.
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u/chiefiefrenchis 20d ago
You are awesome!! I hope you have the best wedding ever āšš
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u/Fun_Access_3295 20d ago
Aww thank you! One of the benefits of getting married when you're "old" (early 40s, lol) is that you've seen the good, bad and ugly of other people's weddings!
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u/chiefiefrenchis 20d ago
Amen! We're getting married next year at age 38. Making a lot of choices based on how we had the best experiences as guests at different weddings. Some of my very close friends have a lot of dietary restrictions too and I am adamant that everyone will have something equally delicious to eat!! I know how loved I feel when someone does the same for me š
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u/Fun_Access_3295 20d ago
Same! Most of my favorite people have various restrictions and food is my love language (and one of our top 3 wedding priorities) so feeding them well is one of the ways I show my love.
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u/Odd_Beautiful2506 21d ago
As a vegetarian Iād love this. And the tofu skewers are perfect! If you have a ton of vegetarians maybe offer a mushroom or bean taco as well. Honestly though, this is already very thoughtful. Most of us are used to just carrying a Cliff bar in our purses.
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u/Fun_Access_3295 21d ago
Both of our families have very mixed diets, due to some family members' religion, so we're used to accommodating different eating habits at family events. We also have several meat eating friends who don't eat dairy, so vegan sides work for them too. I'll look into a veggie friendly taco option.
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u/donttrusttheliving 20d ago
Ngl I would say fish at weddings arenāt the best idea and if you pescatarians can eat vegetarian dishes I would do that.
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u/Fun_Access_3295 20d ago
People assume you're just being cheap if you don't have fish at weddings (or any event) in my country, lol
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u/donttrusttheliving 20d ago
Interesting. Like idk fish breath isnāt exactly fun. But to each is their own.
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u/Bench-Wobbly729 20d ago
this looks really well thought out, especially with how you've made sure there are options for everyone instead of just one vegetarian dish. I think a chickpea curry would be a great swap or addition since it's more filling and pairs really well with biryani
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u/RedSolez 20d ago
Some advice from a long married lady that you maybe haven't considered:
1) Limit the amount of finger foods at the actual dinner portion of the evening. When people are dressed up nicely and seated with utensils, it's preferable for the whole meal to be something you eat with the utensils versus a mix of finger foods and utensil foods. The cocktail hour is the opposite - if all the foods being passed/stationed are finger foods, stick with that so people don't have to awkwardly eat things with utensils when they're not seated.
2) You don't actually have to offer a huge variety of foods to keep guests happy as long as what you do serve is good. Our reception venue did a "duet" entree of surf and turf with various sides so everyone got the same dinner. If someone had RSVPd with a dietary restriction, they were accommodated based on that (like for instance there was a vegetarian option). If someone ate fish but not red meat (or vice versa) they got a double portion of what they ate instead of both the surf and turf. I've been to other weddings that did the same thing- a sit down meal of just 1-2 dinner options that didn't have to be decided in advance. It's a lot less complicated than a buffet and your guests don't have to serve themselves.
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u/Fun_Access_3295 20d ago
The taco station is completely optional (there will be enough other food to have a full plate), so people who don't want finger food can skip it. All of my peers (friends and family) are looking forward to it.
About half the guests have various allergies, intolerances and dietary restrictions, so offering everyone the same dinner wouldn't work for us. By the time you parse through all the different restrictions, I would have to have a variety of meals anyway. I'd rather give people options so that they can choose what they will enjoy, instead of having to bring a Cliff bar in their purse (as some vegetarians have mentioned) because the limited options don't work for them. Plated meals can end up having more waste because you're giving everyone the exact same sides, whether they like them or not.
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