Eating and drinking at a wedding can prove challenging for those with a dietary requirement or food allergy. According to Statistica, almost 60% of shoppers in the UK consider dietary requirements when grocery shopping. With this in mind, here’s how you can cater for all guests at your wedding. 

Prepare in advance  

It’s best to know as soon as possible whether your guests have any allergies or dietary requirements you need to consider. Having a little space to mention this at the bottom of your wedding invite will be helpful for yourself and your caterers. Many caterers can easily adapt their menus to suit lifestyle choices and food allergies.   

Speak with your caterer to see what options are available especially if you're choosing to have a set menu. Once this is sorted, you can then start to look at the more fun options like a dessert table or rustic wood-fired pizza truck.   

Food options for dietary requirements

When in doubt, make sure you have at least one meat, one fish and one vegetarian option for your set menu. If you’re able to, keep your alternative options as close to non-dietary restricted meals as possible and make sure the meals themselves are substantial - you don’t want hungry guests as the wedding day goes on. This will also save any allergy-prone guests from feeling left out if they were to have a different dish than everyone else.  

Some caterers can make the same meal with slight alternatives for allergies and dietary restrictions. For a laid-back wedding, you could serve mini cheeseburgers and offer a meat-free option, a naked burger option for coeliacs, and a variation of toppings instead of cheese for those with lactose intolerance.   

Canapés are also a great option not only for light-bites to keep guests satiated throughout the day, but to provide greater food options for dietary and allergy requirements. This gives you the chance to serve food such as mini fish and chip cones, mini tacos and pizza alongside soup cups and vegetarian skewers. Just be sure to label the food if it's a buffet-style affair so that those with allergies know what they can and can't eat.    

Don’t forget the drink  

Bear in mind drink options for those prone to allergies. Any drinks made with lemons, limes or oranges are not safe for those with a citrus allergy and some pre-made mixers can contain milk or powdered milk.   

Look to delicious alternatives like gluten-free beer and wine, as well as special cocktail versions of classics such as a dairy-free grasshopper and a vegan white Russian cocktail. A tequila sunrise is a great alcoholic beverage for coeliacs, as distilled tequila is considered gluten-free. Whiskey sours can also have the egg whites removed.   

With these ideas, you’ll be sure to have a memorable wedding feast that everyone can enjoy.