Is it rude not to cater for allergies/special diets?

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  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,265 Member
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    So if we are supposed to cater to the life threatening nut allergy, should we also cater to Bee sting allergies? Should we make sure that all of the bees in the vicinity are exterminated before we invite anybody to our home? When does it end?!?! If you have any kind of allergy, YOU are responsible for making sure you don't eat it - not the rest of us.
  • wewon
    wewon Posts: 838 Member
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    life threatening allergy = yes
    picky eater = gtfo

    LMAO!!

    I would also ad religious restrictions as a yes.

    I would try to accommodate people with the food if I know in advance, there's no need to alienate someone at an event that is meant to bring people closer in celebration.

    However, there is being a good and respectful host, then there is being a good and respectful guest and part of respecting your host is to recognize when your dietary restrictions have crossed the line into idiosyncrasies.

    Can't eat pork, that's cool. Can't eat nuts, I'll make it work. You have a "thing" about anything green and leafy, sorry for you.
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,265 Member
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    I guess I'm in the minority here as I don't prescribe to the childish "It's MY wedding! I'll do what I want and who cares about everyone else!" Seriously. I can picture the bride stamping her foot and crying. But that's just me.

    If you KNOW that a guest you have invited has a food allergy then I think you should accommodate that especially if it's an allergy that can kill them like a nut allergy. There are people who can go into anaphylaxic shock just by being near a nut. I worked with a woman who had a very severe nut allergy and whenever I made baked goods and brought them in I made sure that not only did I NOT use any nuts but I skipped any recipe that had nut extracts in it. Also I have never been to a wedding where they didn't offer a vegetarian dish.

    If someone has celiacs then they can ask the venue how the food is prepared and possibly tell them ahead of time that they have an issue with gluten and need things prepared a certain way. If they can't accommodate that then I think it would be acceptable for them to bring their own food.

    Yes!!

    It stops being all about you when you invite people. You are hosting people. The reception is intended to be a thank you to your guests for coming. Just because you are getting married does not mean you get to throw common curtesy out the window.

    I completely disagree. If you are invited to someone's wedding, it is about THEM, not YOU.
    Whether you are allergic to something, choose not to eat meat, or whatever, it isn't about you- and you shouldn't expect to be catered to YOUR needs. The world doesn't revolve around you 24/7.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    life threatening allergy = yes
    picky eater = gtfo

    LMAO!!

    I would also ad religious restrictions as a yes.

    I would try to accommodate people with the food if I know in advance, there's no need to alienate someone at an event that is meant to bring people closer in celebration.

    However, there is being a good and respectful host, then there is being a good and respectful guest and part of respecting your host is to recognize when your dietary restrictions have crossed the line into idiosyncrasies.

    Can't eat pork, that's cool. Can't eat nuts, I'll make it work. You have a "thing" about anything green and leafy, sorry for you.

    I agree with that.
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,265 Member
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    life threatening allergy = yes
    picky eater = gtfo

    LMAO!!

    I would also ad religious restrictions as a yes.

    I would try to accommodate people with the food if I know in advance, there's no need to alienate someone at an event that is meant to bring people closer in celebration.

    However, there is being a good and respectful host, then there is being a good and respectful guest and part of respecting your host is to recognize when your dietary restrictions have crossed the line into idiosyncrasies.

    Can't eat pork, that's cool. Can't eat nuts, I'll make it work. You have a "thing" about anything green and leafy, sorry for you.
    I agree. And I think many people cross the line with what they expect of everyone else - as far as catering to their dietary choices and/or restrictions. As I said earlier, people need to get over themselves and accept that the world doesn't resolve around them. Be happy if someone tries to accomodate your needs and be understanding if they can't. Period.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    I guess I'm in the minority here as I don't prescribe to the childish "It's MY wedding! I'll do what I want and who cares about everyone else!" Seriously. I can picture the bride stamping her foot and crying. But that's just me.

    If you KNOW that a guest you have invited has a food allergy then I think you should accommodate that especially if it's an allergy that can kill them like a nut allergy. There are people who can go into anaphylaxic shock just by being near a nut. I worked with a woman who had a very severe nut allergy and whenever I made baked goods and brought them in I made sure that not only did I NOT use any nuts but I skipped any recipe that had nut extracts in it. Also I have never been to a wedding where they didn't offer a vegetarian dish.

    If someone has celiacs then they can ask the venue how the food is prepared and possibly tell them ahead of time that they have an issue with gluten and need things prepared a certain way. If they can't accommodate that then I think it would be acceptable for them to bring their own food.

    Yes!!

    It stops being all about you when you invite people. You are hosting people. The reception is intended to be a thank you to your guests for coming. Just because you are getting married does not mean you get to throw common curtesy out the window.

    I completely disagree. If you are invited to someone's wedding, it is about THEM, not YOU.
    Whether you are allergic to something, choose not to eat meat, or whatever, it isn't about you- and you shouldn't expect to be catered to YOUR needs. The world doesn't revolve around you 24/7.

    I am not saying a guest should expect these things, I am saying that a host should consider their guests. It's basic etiquette. But then again that's why we are moving towards events where brides spend a ton of money on decorations and a dress and ask their guests to pay for the meal.
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
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    No, it's not.
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,265 Member
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    I guess I'm in the minority here as I don't prescribe to the childish "It's MY wedding! I'll do what I want and who cares about everyone else!" Seriously. I can picture the bride stamping her foot and crying. But that's just me.

    If you KNOW that a guest you have invited has a food allergy then I think you should accommodate that especially if it's an allergy that can kill them like a nut allergy. There are people who can go into anaphylaxic shock just by being near a nut. I worked with a woman who had a very severe nut allergy and whenever I made baked goods and brought them in I made sure that not only did I NOT use any nuts but I skipped any recipe that had nut extracts in it. Also I have never been to a wedding where they didn't offer a vegetarian dish.

    If someone has celiacs then they can ask the venue how the food is prepared and possibly tell them ahead of time that they have an issue with gluten and need things prepared a certain way. If they can't accommodate that then I think it would be acceptable for them to bring their own food.

    Yes!!

    It stops being all about you when you invite people. You are hosting people. The reception is intended to be a thank you to your guests for coming. Just because you are getting married does not mean you get to throw common curtesy out the window.

    I completely disagree. If you are invited to someone's wedding, it is about THEM, not YOU.
    Whether you are allergic to something, choose not to eat meat, or whatever, it isn't about you- and you shouldn't expect to be catered to YOUR needs. The world doesn't revolve around you 24/7.

    I am not saying a guest should expect these things, I am saying that a host should consider their guests. It's basic etiquette. But then again that's why we are moving towards events where brides spend a ton of money on decorations and a dress and ask their guests to pay for the meal.
    Consider their guests - absolutely.
    Accomodate every single allergy and diet restriction known to man - just in case - no.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    One of my favourite bloggers is engaged, and writing a lot of guest posts on wedding dilemmas. On one of her recent posts, she included the line "you don't have to cater for every allergy/diet".

    I really disagree with this. I think it would be incredibly rude to invite a celiac, vegan, vegetarian, person with a nut-allergy, etc, to your wedding, with the proviso that you'll be serving edible food to everyone except them.:/

    We did discuss this a little, and it turns out that I was picturing a scenario where you knew about the allergy/diet in advance, while she was picturing a scenario where you only found out late in the day. However, she did still say that she wouldn't feel the need to cater for one lone vegan, who would be "used to fending for themselves".

    Having been that one lone vegan, I would be quite hurt if someone whom I liked enough to attend their wedding fed everyone but me.:(

    I'd love to hear some other thoughts on this. I'm aware that I'm heavily biased due to the vegan thing. Plus, I've never organised a wedding.

    Where should the line be drawn? Allergies, like celiac disease or nut allergies? Choices like veganism or vegetarianism? Special diets like atkins or the cabbage soup diet?

    There were over 200 people at my wedding...really...you think I could have catered to everyone...allergies or not? That's just ridiculous. I had a menu...I had two meat options and a vegetarian option...if someone couldn't handle one of those options then they have the option to not attend the wedding or eat something else before hand or whatever. You can't cater to everyone when you're talking about 100s of people.
  • lobbyart
    lobbyart Posts: 24 Member
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    I'm really shocked at the number of people I've encountered who won't consider allergies or celiac in their catering. It's REALLY not that hard to do - I did it for my celiac and dairy allergic guests before I knew I had celiac.

    I'm in a wedding next month and the bride (who has been telling me about the amazing catering for months) told me to bring my own food because she can't be bothered to ask for a separate plate without gluten. That kind of callousness to a serious disease is bound to affect the relationship.

    I think one of the main problems is that a wedding IS so much about "me me me" now... instead of being about the community and bringing your favorite people together. Aren't your guests invited for more than just their gift?
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    I guess I'm in the minority here as I don't prescribe to the childish "It's MY wedding! I'll do what I want and who cares about everyone else!" Seriously. I can picture the bride stamping her foot and crying. But that's just me.

    If you KNOW that a guest you have invited has a food allergy then I think you should accommodate that especially if it's an allergy that can kill them like a nut allergy. There are people who can go into anaphylaxic shock just by being near a nut. I worked with a woman who had a very severe nut allergy and whenever I made baked goods and brought them in I made sure that not only did I NOT use any nuts but I skipped any recipe that had nut extracts in it. Also I have never been to a wedding where they didn't offer a vegetarian dish.

    If someone has celiacs then they can ask the venue how the food is prepared and possibly tell them ahead of time that they have an issue with gluten and need things prepared a certain way. If they can't accommodate that then I think it would be acceptable for them to bring their own food.

    Yes!!

    It stops being all about you when you invite people. You are hosting people. The reception is intended to be a thank you to your guests for coming. Just because you are getting married does not mean you get to throw common curtesy out the window.

    I completely disagree. If you are invited to someone's wedding, it is about THEM, not YOU.
    Whether you are allergic to something, choose not to eat meat, or whatever, it isn't about you- and you shouldn't expect to be catered to YOUR needs. The world doesn't revolve around you 24/7.

    I am not saying a guest should expect these things, I am saying that a host should consider their guests. It's basic etiquette. But then again that's why we are moving towards events where brides spend a ton of money on decorations and a dress and ask their guests to pay for the meal.
    Consider their guests - absolutely.
    Accomodate every single allergy and diet restriction known to man - just in case - no.

    That's not what I suggested either. But having a vegetarian option isn't difficult. Nor is giving staff a heads up that one or two dishes needs to be prepared without nuts/whatever allergy. They do it all the time.
    Those with severe allergies/issues who don't normally eat in restaurant situations because of it will likely choose to skip the meal anyway.
  • jessicae1aine
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    It seems to me that its become the fashion to have allergies!

    I didn't know one person with a allergy when I was a kid!!

    Ps. I know some of you won't like this comment but its my opinion!

    Yes!!! Thank you I'm glad someone finally came out and said it. Having (fake) wheat / gluten / peanut allergies is all the rage these days.

    This is so, so true. Having actually HAD allergies for most of my life (and almost dying from a couple of them!), I just roll my eyes at people having "fake" health issues.
    haha, I know someone who had a fake allergy for awhile too. I agree, when I was a kid I didn't know one person with an allergy in my class. Nowadays, every kid has some kind of allergy - just like every kid has ADD.

    SOOOOO funny! I have a coworker who legitimately has ADD - you can tell him apart from all the people medicated because, as a child, they acted like a normal child! I also know several people who have told me they're "deathly allergic to X" and then proceed to eat food I know has it in it. I'm not saying NO ONE has allergies or health issues... but it does seem to be a fad. >.>
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
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    It's the bride's day, not yours. YOU would be quite hurt? How would a stressed and frazzled bride feel, seeing a friend turn their nose up at the food that is offered to them (for FREE, I might add?) If you know you have a fussy diet, don't make it the party-thrower's problem, because it's not. It's yours.
  • jessicae1aine
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    I'd also like to point out the "low-carb is a lifestyle choice, no ill effects if you don't cater to them - but being VEGAN? We're special and it would just make us SO sick to eat meat or something that might have looked at meat" argument? BS. Totally. I'm adapting to a low-carb diet not by choice, but because the medication I'm on forces that or some seriously unpleasant stomach issues. I love carbs, so I assure you it's not always a "lifestyle choice" but a necessity - and I STILL wouldn't expect someone to cater to me.
  • solarpower4
    solarpower4 Posts: 250 Member
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    i am pretty amazed that their are people who wouldnt consider catering for someone who is celiac!

    my sister in law is celiac, so she got a separate meal... it didnt cost us any extra! i didnt have any vegetarians so that wasnt a problem, but like someone else said if i liked someone enough to have them at my wedding i would want to feed them too!

    ^^^ This. ^^^
    If someone has allergies / intolerances and they are liked enough to be invited to the wedding, then darn tootin' their dietary needs should also be met! I do distinguish between needs and wants. I have catered at weddings where a vast assortment of allergies / intolerances and dietary restrictions were present, and catered to (at no extra charge!), and everyone enjoyed it. Likewise I've been at hundreds of events where I couldn't eat anything except the snack food I had brought. Just because you're used to it doesn't mean you enjoy it. And it does reflect upon the hosts.

    I'll never forget a wedding in Sweden I attended as someone else's GUEST. When the first salads arrived, the head waiter came over to discuss all of the ingredients with me and to let me know the bride had already gone over all of my allergies with the chef, and prepared a corresponding complete meal for me. I actually cried. It was by far the best wedding I have ever attended, and that classy touch contributed to the wonderful experience.

    A good caterer usually can find good options that will satisfy multiple dietary restrictions and still be enjoyable for other guests as well. It does take work, but everyone invited should have a meal provided that's safe to eat. That's good manners.
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,265 Member
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    i am pretty amazed that their are people who wouldnt consider catering for someone who is celiac!

    my sister in law is celiac, so she got a separate meal... it didnt cost us any extra! i didnt have any vegetarians so that wasnt a problem, but like someone else said if i liked someone enough to have them at my wedding i would want to feed them too!

    ^^^ This. ^^^
    If someone has allergies / intolerances and they are liked enough to be invited to the wedding, then darn tootin' their dietary needs should also be met! I do distinguish between needs and wants. I have catered at weddings where a vast assortment of allergies / intolerances and dietary restrictions were present, and catered to (at no extra charge!), and everyone enjoyed it. Likewise I've been at hundreds of events where I couldn't eat anything except the snack food I had brought. Just because you're used to it doesn't mean you enjoy it. And it does reflect upon the hosts.

    I'll never forget a wedding in Sweden I attended as someone else's GUEST. When the first salads arrived, the head waiter came over to discuss all of the ingredients with me and to let me know the bride had already gone over all of my allergies with the chef, and prepared a corresponding complete meal for me. I actually cried. It was by far the best wedding I have ever attended, and that classy touch contributed to the wonderful experience.

    A good caterer usually can find good options that will satisfy multiple dietary restrictions and still be enjoyable for other guests as well. It does take work, but everyone invited should have a meal provided that's safe to eat. That's good manners.
    You invite people to a wedding because you want them there to celebrate your wedding with you.
    That doesn't mean you need to cater to every single little dietary restriction because of it. That is just unrealistic. Doesn't make the person any less special to you.
    Just like I wouldn't go to a vegetarians house and then think they don't like me because they didn't serve me meat.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    It's rude to *expect* special dietary requests when someone else is footing the bill. (With the exception of allergies, and even then, it's up to you to let them know. It shouldn't be assumed.)
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    <snip>I can tell it's a completely different world out there for you and your friends so I do see where you are coming from. My world here and the people I know are completely different. I am mindful of religious requests but I can't really think of one friend off the top of my head who has such requests.. if anything, I am making sure my events are LGBTQ friendly more than worrying about food served. Different worlds.

    Ha! I know the feeling. Unless it's a family thing, I don't invite people to my house that aren't "cool." :smokin:
  • daybehavior
    daybehavior Posts: 1,319 Member
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    It seems to me that its become the fashion to have allergies!

    I didn't know one person with a allergy when I was a kid!!

    Ps. I know some of you won't like this comment but its my opinion!

    Yes!!! Thank you I'm glad someone finally came out and said it. Having (fake) wheat / gluten / peanut allergies is all the rage these days.

    This is so, so true. Having actually HAD allergies for most of my life (and almost dying from a couple of them!), I just roll my eyes at people having "fake" health issues.
    haha, I know someone who had a fake allergy for awhile too. I agree, when I was a kid I didn't know one person with an allergy in my class. Nowadays, every kid has some kind of allergy - just like every kid has ADD.

    Bingo! extremely overblown.
  • dtreg35
    dtreg35 Posts: 93
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    Good thing planning the wedding is the woman's job! Aint got time for all that! lol