Fussy eaters

Your menu sounds lovely. Do you have any proper veggies who won't eat fish? I'm just thinking I'm having to order a special meal just for one of my bridesmaids as she won't eat anything that's been alive.

Salmon is flesh, so it isn't vegetarian. Or do you just have pescetarians coming?...

The food sounds lovely. You are never going to please everyone, it just happens you are aware of the particular people you aren't pleasing. If you change you menu others will no doubt have similar issues.

As for the vegetarians, Salmon isn't vegetarian. Unless you are certain that all your guests eat fish or meat then you need a veggie option. I'd be tempted to change the salmon for chicken (as I'd be having the game pie!) and then add the veggie tart. Also, with the vegetarians is the goats cheese vegetarian? As not all cheese is.

I'm not sure to be honest if anyone is veggy. But I think your right. We are paying for canapés, starters, main, serving wedding cake& cupcakes as pudding. We are supplying an evening buffet having a sweet buffet and also toasting marshmellows later so there is plenty of food. Also all the drink we are supplying.

i just spoke to oh and said we should really have meat fish and vegetarian option. If they don't like have the kids meal and he agreed.

i said to my oh if they tried the food they would really like it. They are just stubborn in doing so. OHs dad doesn't like cheese, eggs beans or any foreign food (one of those stuck in his ways) When on holiday once we had bread with cheese on and he ate some on his own accord without knowing it was cheese and really enjoyed it. So he's deffo fussy for the sake of it lol. It is very frustrating.

With the goast cheese salad I'm sure the caterer could take the goats chees off? If we do have any veggies they could just have a grilled vegetable salad which is still really nice without the goats cheese. The goats cheese is just cut and layed on top of the salad.

Just asked oh there is only one vegetarian that we know of, so shouldn't be too much of an issue.

Veggies can eat goats cheese usually . Just depends how it's made.

As said fish isn't vegetarian, most goats cheeses are vegetarian - just ask your caterer to ensure its a vegetarian rennet - most are these days.

I think it depends what you mean by fussy - I can't have wheat and don't eat meat - one is a intolerance (I look 6 months pregnant) and the other well I've been pescatarian for 17 years. By the sounds of it they simply don't like stuff and yes you definately cannot cater for everyone's personal tastes - you can only cover the major lines, a gluten free if required, vegetarian and a meat.

Salmon is not vegetarian, it's made from a living creature!

You can do anything for veggies you're having yourself, just use a meat alternative. So veggie pate for starter, and veggie bacon for the main. If they're not keen on meat alternatives like quorn, then a nut roast never goes amiss. Vegetarianism isn't 'fussy eating!

Trust me when I say if you make sure your caterer provides as good a meal to the vegetarians as the meat eaters then you will be very popular! You may find there are others you don't know about - take it from someone who has been to many weddings where it was an after thought (one my OH had to go to our camper and cook me something quickly as they forgot to cater for 10 vegetarians) being hungry after a full on day does ruin your fun a bit, which is not how anyone wants their wedding to be remembered - unfortunately I have this memory of at least 3 out of 5 weddings in the last 2 years.

I've never said vegetarians are fussy eaters?? The people that I have mentions above are fussy eaters are carnivores.What I've said is I don't want to cater for those fussy eaters who just won't try new things and I was worried I would do that and forget about vegetarians. As you can tell I'm pretty much a novice of what vegetarians eat as I don't personally know any. The guest that is a vegetarian at our wedding is a friends plus one.

I don't think anyone else has any other dietry requirements that I need to cater for.

would goats cheese warm salad be something you'd enjoy?

Vegetarians eat all cheese? is it just vegans who don't? bit dumb about this lol.

the two main options we tried for vegetarians was a vegetable tart tartan which we really enjoyed. The other was a pumpkin risotto with blue cheese which I thought was lovely but my nan and grandad who came with didn't like it oh liked it.

Vegetarians do eat cheese. But there is such a thing as cheese that isn't vegetarian, it contains rennet (I won't go into detail on what that is!) Just check with your caterers that their cheese is suitable for veggies. Vegans eat no animal produce at all, but you're unlikely to have any of those. I've been vegan for 16yrs and have only met a few others in that whole time!

Your menu sounds lovely. If I were you, I would choose 1 meat, one fish and one veggie option. I know some meat eaters who love a good steak, but equally, if the veggie option looks appealing, they are as likely to go for that just because they fancy it! So, by having a veggie option, you wouldn't be catering *just* for veggies there.

As far as your fussy eaters are concerned - my mother always said "If she's hungry, she'll eat it" when I went through many of my fussy stages. And I would suggest you apply the same thought. You're laying on a lovely meal at great expense. But you won't always please everyone. Perhaps they should make the effort too......or simply pick out the bits they like and leave the rest. They will undoubtedly fill up later in the evening when you bring out the next round of food. They won't starve, and if they choose not to eat, it is their issue, not yours. This is very different to providing for veggies who actually number more than you might think.

For other dietary requirements - you probably wouldn't be expected to know if people had intolerances or allergies. I know a couple of my family guests have to have special meals cooked for medical reasons, so I have pre-prepared the venue for this, but I wouldn't know if a "+1" had such needs. So we have put on our invites and on our wedding website that if anyone has any special food requirements, they should let us know and we will ensure we will cater for them. The venue won't mind if you ask for a slightly different version of a dish if, for example, someone is allergic to dairy, or to tomatoes.

My daughter is almost 21, and has had eating disorders in the past. She is doing really well now, but still finds eating in social circumstances difficult sometimes. She is going to a work Christmas party at a big venue next month, and has seen the menu, and doesn't like what is on there. Whether this is because she is being "fussy", or is genuinely panicking about eating, only she will know (it could be either!), but what she then does is ring the venue herself, explain her situation to the catering manager, and politely ask if there is any way they could do a simple dish for her that she will feel comfortable eating in public. That way, she doesn't miss out on the party and the social side by not going, she doesn't feel panicked that everyone will be looking at her as she pushes her food around the plate, and she doesn't expect the organiser of her particular group to go to any trouble for her. It seems to work that way.

So, there are lots of different issues that this thread throws up - all of them very valid, but in terms of your initial point, I would cater for as many as possible with a meat, a fish, and a veggie option. Then ask for any dietary requirements when you send your invites out so you can ask the venue to cater for allergies etc, and then anyone who just doesn't fancy what you are putting on for them can wait until the evening and stock up on the sweetie cart and cake instead!

(sorry, rambled a bit there!!)

This. Yes it is your wedding but you are also hosts of what essentially is a big dinner party. I took the view that we needed to make sure we loved one of the options but also that there was a wide enough variety for everyone, including a vegetarian course. We thought we had one vegetarian but when our replies came back we actually have six. In addition, the veggie option has also been chosen by some of our non veggie guests so it isn't like it is a 'wasted' option if it is good one.

On each course we picked one of our favourites, another which we knew would be palatable to the majority and one veggie option. So for example, on our starters, we choose ham hock but discounted the duck as although we both loved it, it was very fancy and a specific taste. So we chose the plainer salmon starter. We also made the vegetarian starter a chunky vegetable soup (specifically asked for it to be veggie friendly as some vegetable soups can have a chicken stock base) and have found lots of non veggies also have gone for the soup. Some people still moaned (OH's dad who won't eat 'soup with bits in it') but I am comfortable that we have as wide a variety of dishes as possible.

I am not a fussy eater by any stretch but I personally think your main courses are a very narrow selection. Game itself is not particularly widely eaten, so you will have lots of guests who won't choose it just because they aren't sure about it. Game pie can also be very rich and a very specific taste which not many people like. I love pie but every game pie I have ever tasted I have hated. My OH isn't keen either. So if it were my wedding and I was already choosing one course which was my taste but many may not like I would be looking at providing a simpler chicken dish main course which is more likely to be suitable for a wider selection of people. And then a veggie option. I always find salmon as a main course very disappointing. I can eat it but it would be my last choice when eating out.

Ive been veggie my whole life nearly (mix of red meat intolerance and a love for animal) much to my highly carnivorous families annoyment (wonder when my mum finally realised it wasnt a 'phase' as she kept telling everyone) but there is nothing worse than no veggie option - people are getting better now a days but 20 years ago veggie options barely existed in most places and I spent my life attempting to pick meat off or eat around it (or ordering starters for a main) which is mental when you consider how ill it can make me, you wouldn't get a nut allergy and be told to eat around the peanut butter would you o.O

anyway back to the point... I have only been to one wedding with a sit down meal but there was no veggie option and as usual I was told to 'eat around the chicken' (something that I hadn't heard in a few years) and 'just eat some veg instead' - now there was 1 very small bowl of veg between a table of 9 so 'eat the veg' consisted of 2 baby carrots and a floret of broccoli, I was also pregnant (2nd trimester) at the time so hardly enough food for an entire day and we where in the middle of no where so not like I could pop to the shops, they had a buffet later but it wasnt enough for half the people there and the only veggie option on the buffet was wedges which had all gone by the time we got their, they also had a chocolate fountain with marshmallow which also aren't veggie... needless to say I was starving, uncomfortable and didnt have fun

buffets at the other weddings I have attended also often dont have enough veggie as meat eaters dive on things like chips, garlic bread or spring rolls (3 of the the veggie options from weddings ive been to that where long gone by the time we got there) and it leaving nothing for us

to the OP cater to really eating things like vegaterianism/veganism, allergies and intolerances and everything else let them sort their own... when I met my OH he only ate English or Italian food but now he loves Japanese and Mexican too which are things he said he would never ever try, some people get ideas in there head (like: sushi = raw fish or mexican = ring fire) without giving stuff a chance and thats just childish and there view is often wrong when they do give it a go

It's so difficult catering to everyone at a wedding. Your choices do sound lovely, but I would have a veggie option for people, salmon def isn't a veggie option! The extra fussy eaters would be happy with a simple chicken dish, can't get much more basic than that. If it was me, I would only worry about the immediate family, allergies and so on, all the other guests will have to make do with the options you give them. You can't have loads of choices, but something that would suit the majority of people.

Good luck! x

Most vegetarians eat cheese, and often these days cheese is vegetarian. But lots of traditionally made or exotic cheeses are made with animal rennet- which (as another poster didn't want to mention but as a meat eater myself I feel it is important to understand where my food comes from) is made from the stomach lining of calves (yum!). If you call your venue they will quickly be able to confirm if it is veggie.

I'm a really fussy eater, I don't eat fish and would probably avoid the game pie as its not my thing. It can be rich and pastry bloats me. To be honest i would be happy with the kids chicken and chips but like I say I am uber fussy!! I think a veggie option as the 3rd choice would be the best!

I recently went to a wedding where the was no option and a menu I didn't like, I picked the best I could but felt guilty that the bride and groom had paid a lot for my meal and it was wasted! I also ended up in bed by 10pm as a empty tummy all day and wine didn't mix!!

Im sure what ever u choose will be lovely and remember its your day xx

We haven't seen our caterers yet, but we do know we won't be offering a 'choice' of food. Will cater for allergies, intolerances and vegetarians/vegans but we will be talking silly money if we offer a choice as the caterers are coming to the venue and will have to bring all the food with them. Know exactly what a few people will say, (Where's the rest of the plate?, Why did they have to ruin it by covering it in that?), but basically, 'I don't want' is not 'I can't eat' and we simply cannot afford to cater for fussy eaters.

MOH, Mom, Nan and Best friend have all been quite positive as we were all brought up with a 'be grateful for what you're given - especially if you haven't paid!' attitude, but we know we'll have issues with others who won't even be willing to try if it doesn't look like something that would have been commonplace 40 yrs ago!

Will just have to close my ears on the day I think!