Wedding Menu Help!

Sounds fine to me. I didn't offer a choice (apart from dietary requirements).

That's what I thought, should be our choice! Just have it drilled into me that chicken is the safest option! I want everyone to think the meal was lovely though and the fish was sooo much better. I'm doing everyone a favour really! yUm yum!

Sounds amazing. Will there be Ketchup ?

Sounds great to me!

Thanks all!

Daffodil - Yes, going to ask for a pot of ketchup, tartare sauce, and mushy peas on each table so people can help themselves.

Posted a while ago saying I'd not been offered a food tasting and asking if people thought I should ask for one etc. So glad I did! Otherwise I'd of gone through the hassle of offering more than one option, then been disappointed when the chicken was served on the day, it even looked less presentable than the fish option!

I'd have to demand a hot meal if I was a supplier there then ?

:-) I might serve the suppliers it too! Its relatively cheap, £12.95 for the main, although I say its cheap I have no idea as we didn't approach many other venues for our wedding!

Personally I'd be happy to have fish and chips but what about any of your guests who don't like fish ???

The fish is not really fishy fish. I'm not a fish eater but I like fish from chip shop / battered fish.

I know what your saying as that was my concern but there is plenty of people who have to pick a main course and the same could be said for their guests, someone might not like what they have chosen.

Exactly this.

I love fish, but OH won't touch the stuff and he's not the only person I know either.

I know you can't please everyone though, but I always think fish is a bit of a risk.

Just my cabbage of course.

You'll always get someone who doesn't like part of your meal, no matter what you pick - unfortunately that's life. But picking something traditional like fish and chips is as safe a bet as you'll get in my opinion - like you say, you don't need to be a fish coneseur to like going to the chippy! We're having steak and ale pie and I'm hoping people will enjoy it.

We had lamb for the meat eaters and just asked people to give us ALL dietary requirements. Those who did not like Lamb were given the veggie option.

I think it is your wedding, you are paying and it is expensive. So go with the fish

Would he not put 'no fish' when asked for dietary requirements though? If someone absolutely hates something then I would expect them to stipulate that and have the veggie, I think.

It's true , no matter what you have on your menu the chances are someone wont like part of it but if you are able to offer people a choice isn't it better to let them choose for themselves? Not liking the main part of the meal isn't the same as choosing to push carrots to the side of your plate.

Yea, OH is really fussy with food, he probably wouldn't want the veggie option either ?

I guess I'm probably looking at it from my specific guests' perspectives.

OP, you know your guests, so gauge what you think would be best.

You're a northern lass..... Stick with the chippy lol!!! Lots of folk might say they don't like fish but will happily eat a bit of chipshop style cod or haddock. They generally mean they don't like the stronger flavours.... Other than real antifishies or those with allergies, I wouldn't see a problem at all. We are just having a hog roast.... Anyone who doesn't like pork is free to have salad and spuds haha. Sounds harsh I know, but folk will eat if they are hungry... and there's always the ice cream van. If the fish was good enough for you, it will be more than good enough for your guests x

Fussy git ?

If you are at all worried about it you could include somewhere in the invite info that dinner will be fish and chips so to requet a vegetarian alternative if they don't like fish and chips.

I love all types of fish and seafood but I really can't stand battered fish, so even though I'm generally a safe bet with anything, that's the one thing I really don't like! Having said that, if it was served at a wedding I would never complain and would just shut up and eat it.

Plus there will be bread on the tables right? I'd feel a chip butty coming on for the non fish lovers ?

?

Now who could go wrong with that on their menu !!

Love the fish and chips idea

If you're interested - we make personalised newspaper for wedding fish and chips - your photos and wedding headline etc on to wrap the chips in (can be served on the plate like this). The fun part is who notices your photos and 'love story' on the newspaper first. It's a lovely little extra and great fun when they notice you on the newspaper.

Re: the dietry requirements notice I would just mention the fish as not everyone thinks of fish as being a dietry requirement - most people think veggie, nuts, gluten free etc x

Do visit my wedding blog x

Its just a pain. I'll have to put it in invites, keep on top of it, mark their place cards, do another version of the table plan for the restaurant, and the chances of the service being all over the shop because of it is likely. Instead of just bringing 8 fish and chips out to each table they'll end up coming out drib and drabby, can just see it now! The way I'm seeing it is most people have to pick a main for their wedding breakfast. I could pick the chicken, but its really not very nice, so I don't want to serve a dish thats not very nice just to be safe. I don't like fish but if I was served it I would it, and if I was served any other type of fish I'd just get on and eat what I could as well, if I disliked it enough I would put it under my dietary requirements. Also we can warn anyone who we may think it will be a problem for, I have a very fussy friend so I'll tell her what the main is and say if she wants the veggie option to say when she RSVPs.

I think you are putting more worry into this than needed. It really won't be that complicated and venues are used to this. The food won't come out in drips and drabs and I doubt you'll have to redo the seating plan. Mark on the invites 'fish and chips or veggie'. People will mark what they want. You tell the venue and that's exactly what the venue will bring out, serving each table all together, regardless of choice. I wouldn't be concerned about it.

My point is mainly that you are able to offer your guests a choice . Is it just that you preferred the fish or was the chicken really not thaat nice ? ie very greasy or tasteless , if its the latter then you should speak to the venue about this and let them know you were not happy with the chicken , maybe they can do pie and chips and fish and chips instead.

I know your worried about keeping on top of peoples choices if you offer it to them , but its really not that complicated , 3 columns - Fish / chicken(pie) / Veggie , and as each RSVP comes back choices Mr Smith goes in the fish column Mrs Smith in the veggie, then total them all up - keep the list handy ( pin on a notice board or on the fridge ) then you will do it as they arrive. Anyone that doesn't specify get fish and chips as thats your preference and they weren't bothered enough to say different.

Your concern about food coming out in dribs and drabs is valid regardless of all this , have you checked your venues facilities for making fish and chips in bulk , if they only have say 2-3 fryers then depending on the size of them your probably only talking about them being able to do 8-12 portions at any one time , so how will the deal with this ?? .....I could be wrong but it would be something I'd want to know especially if I had upwards of 60 guests.

Again its just my opinion that if you can offer a choice then you should after all if its pre selected it shouldn't make a difference to your budget ,but as ever at the end of the day its your day so do what you want. ?

Good Luck

L x

I personally hate fish, even chippy fish I don't know why but it makes me gag (nice image) so I would just eat the chips which would be a waste! If I had the option I would have the chicken or even the veggie option. I obviously wouldn't tick the vegetarian option on my RSVP though as I'm not a veggie, unless you stated that the main meal was fish. I eat everything else that is literally the only food I can't eat.

Thanks for all your replies.

RE not offering other options - the RSVP milarky / service on the day is at the bottom of the reasons why we didn't want to offer all options. Before our menu tasting, we were offering other options! I don't want to put 'cajun chicken or battered fish' because I know some people will opt for the chicken because they think it will be just as nice as the fish and thats what they fancy more. Putting both on there makes people think they are both at the same standard, which in our opinion they were not. I'm sure other people have had to pick between courses and haven't picked the blandest option just to be safe so I don't want to either.

So, we are going to stick with fish but include in the dietary requirements section that we are serving battered fish and chips and if that is a problem for anyone then to let us know as we may be able to source a different meat dish for them (then thats where the cajun chicken will have to come in!). Then those who really don't like that dish can have something else, and those who don't mind it / like it can trust our decision is the best one!

I would stick with your choice of fish and mention it on the RSVP so people can choose veggie if they don't like fish.

We had beef, not a popular choice but everyone ate it, whether that was because it was absolutely gorgeous or they were just being polite, either way, no one went hungry! You have what you want to eat.

I'd go with the fish / veggie options only. Most people don't expect a choice at weddings and fish and chips is pretty non-offensive in my opinion.

We asked for dietary requirement and had a couple stating no meat but eat fish, no red meat etc etc. a couple of people casually enquirer what the main dish was before confirming. If I was going to a wedding I would generally state veggie even though I eat fish ( to make it easier for the hosts) but if I really hated something ( ie made me gag) I would highlight in my RSVP

YUM! I'd love to be a guest at your wedding - gotta love fish and chips!

Also, as someone who is poorly sick when eating chicken I'd be incredibly grateful for your choice! And I think for those who aren't fish lovers, chip butties is the perfect solution! It's a hell of a lot more filling than just eating the veg that comes with a meat you can't eat! (But I'd also never dream of complaining when I'm served chicken so can't imagine anyone would whinge if they didn't fancy the fish!)

It sounds like you weren't impressed with the chicken so I'd stick with fish or veggie option - don't overcomplicate things for yourself - then you won't be worried that other people will have the same reaction to the chicken as you.

This is exactly how I feel. Some fish makes me very sick when I eat it but Im not allergic to it per se, so I doubt I would think it put it down as a requirement (which is part my fault). If I knew in advance it was fish and chips, Id either choose veggie or ensure I ate before hand or had something to munch on later if I needed. I know my OH would LOVEEEEE to go to your wedding so I think its a fine choice overall, esp if it suits you guys. We are having two "nicer" (for lack of better word) choices and then steak and ale pie. We have a feeling 75% will go with the steak and ale pie, and they will appreciate the heartier meal

Although I don't like fish I wouldn't expect a different meal just for me, if I knew it was fish I'd put myself down for veg option and if I didn't know I'd eat the chips and my OH would scoff my fish no doubt! There is no way to please everyone when catering for so many.