Vegetarian options?

KGold80

netskyblue2 said:

KGold80 said:

Eureka! These were the two options given:

1. Pasta Fresca - Pasta with fresh vegetables in a white wine butter sauce
2. Vegetable Medley with Tomato Florentine - Stuffed Tomato served with rice

My MOH chose the stuffed tomato. Problem solved.

Will you be listing these as choices for everyone?  I'm not a vegetarian, but I'd choose the stuffed tomato over chicken OR beef!

Yes, I am listing it as a third adult entree option. I am looking into having some protein added, such as quinoa instead of rice or adding beans because a PP pointed out that it was lacking in that regard.

mysticl

KGold80 said:

mysticl said:

KGold80 said:

Thanks for letting me know I'm not crazy or "bridezilla" for asking for specifics on this.

I just called my wedding venue coordinator and told her I really need to nail it down because my invites need to go out in two weeks. She just said she is going to go talk to her chef and call me back with two options so I can choose which one we want to serve. I'm still not sure why that was so friggin' hard all this time! I guess maybe she is tired of me asking about it. Now I need to pin it down with the RD venue.

Here is my thought.  She's not expecting you to be giving people a choice of vegetarian.  I have been to weddings with a plated meal where a vegetarian option was not provided in the invites.  However, the vegetarian guests at the wedding were presented with a vegetarian dish.  She's expecting you to just say "we need x vegetarian meals" and then she will pass that number onto the chef who will plan the menu from there.  He may even plan the menu the day of based on what vegetables they get in that morning.  

STUCK IN BOX:

I don't want to put "vegetarian" on the response card. I want to specifically list what the dish will be and also denote that it is the vegetarian option. That requires knowledge ahead of time. I'm totally good with serving veggies based on what is in season (and actually prefer it), but I'm assuming they're not just going to get a big plate of vegetables and nothing else. If they're getting pasta with veggies, GREAT! But let me know so I can say it's "Pasta primavera" or "vegetable lasagna" or whatever it is on the response card...as well as on the menu that will be at every single place setting. I just don't think it's right to give meat eaters information about what they will be eating and then not offer the same consideration to vegetarians. Someone who is not a vegetarian very may well prefer the vegetarian dish...and that is totally fine with me, or someone may have just changed to a plant-based diet without my knowledge. We want to offer the same choices to each guest and let them decide on their own. I'm certain we won't have enough people request the veggie dish to then feel justified in going back to the venue to renegotiate a lower price or anything like that. It just seems crazy to have this much trouble figuring out what the hell is going to be served to a handful of people.

I understand where you are coming from.  I was just offering a potential point of view for the venue.  That they were not expecting you to offer all of your guests a third option to choose from.  That you would have a hard number of actual vegetarians who need a special meal and since they wouldn't be getting a choice in their meal there would be no need for you to know what it was ahead of time.  I'm not saying I agree with this but I have seen people do their weddings this way.  All guests are given a choice of chicken or beef (or no choice at all, in one case we all got beef) and then at the reception a special meal is brought out for the vegetarians.  

theartistformerlyknownas

KGold80 said:

netskyblue2 said:

KGold80 said:

Eureka! These were the two options given:

1. Pasta Fresca - Pasta with fresh vegetables in a white wine butter sauce
2. Vegetable Medley with Tomato Florentine - Stuffed Tomato served with rice

My MOH chose the stuffed tomato. Problem solved.

Will you be listing these as choices for everyone?  I'm not a vegetarian, but I'd choose the stuffed tomato over chicken OR beef!

Yes, I am listing it as a third adult entree option. I am looking into having some protein added, such as quinoa instead of rice or adding beans because a PP pointed out that it was lacking in that regard.

FYI, "Florentine" dishes are typically made with spinach, which is a great source of vegetable protein (it's actually more protein-dense than beef!). There's probably also cheese in it as well (cottage or ricotta), and potentially egg. You may be better off than you think.  

thesummersky

Musikalbunni said:

Fiance and I have a few vegetarian friends. We are having Mexican food for our wedding reception. 

We had a meat and a vegetarian option listed on our rsvp card. For those who went to our wedding website, there is a section that let's them know what each entree entails. Basically they are both made out of the same ingredients and sides. We chose "poblano chile" as our central ingredient for both entrees. The vegetarian dish has poblano chiles or "chiles rellenos" as the main entree, and our main dish has a poblano chile sauce on top of chicken breasts. 

Fiance and I went to a wedding a year ago where we sat next to about 5 vegetarians who were stuck with eating, mash potatoes and veggies for dinner. Fiance and I promised each other to avoid that sort of stuff for our wedding. 

Great idea. Having the veggie option as similar to the meat option as possible should also cut back on last minute switches! 

KPBM89

Just got an invitation to a wedding today.  The meal choices? 

Prime Rib, Salmon, Chicken

-_-  None of those are vegetarian. 

FI texted the groom to ask what sides will be on the plates so we can do our usual: he gets my meat, I get my side and possibly his side or even half of his side.  I generally don't eat enough when we go to things like weddings because vegetarian meals aren't common.  I mean, I get it, you don't want to pay $75 pp to have steak for one person and veggies for another (unless they have tofu or soy substitutes, which actually make more sense to pay that much since they cost the same, if not more, than meat) , but come the fuck on it is not like being a vegetarian is a new thing.  I have been one more than half my life.

pinkshorts27

KPBM89 said:

Just got an invitation to a wedding today.  The meal choices? 

Prime Rib, Salmon, Chicken

-_-  None of those are vegetarian. 

FI texted the groom to ask what sides will be on the plates so we can do our usual: he gets my meat, I get my side and possibly his side or even half of his side.  I generally don't eat enough when we go to things like weddings because vegetarian meals aren't common.  I mean, I get it, you don't want to pay $75 pp to have steak for one person and veggies for another (unless they have tofu or soy substitutes, which actually make more sense to pay that much since they cost the same, if not more, than meat) , but come the fuck on it is not like being a vegetarian is a new thing.  I have been one more than half my life.

I love my meat, but I would never ever dream of not offering a veggie meal or accommodate requests (allergies, restrictions, etc.)

KPBM89

blueeyes90 said:

KPBM89 said:

Just got an invitation to a wedding today.  The meal choices? 

Prime Rib, Salmon, Chicken

-_-  None of those are vegetarian. 

FI texted the groom to ask what sides will be on the plates so we can do our usual: he gets my meat, I get my side and possibly his side or even half of his side.  I generally don't eat enough when we go to things like weddings because vegetarian meals aren't common.  I mean, I get it, you don't want to pay $75 pp to have steak for one person and veggies for another (unless they have tofu or soy substitutes, which actually make more sense to pay that much since they cost the same, if not more, than meat) , but come the fuck on it is not like being a vegetarian is a new thing.  I have been one more than half my life.

I love my meat, but I would never ever dream of not offering a veggie meal or accommodate requests (allergies, restrictions, etc.)

The groom wrote back, not saying what the sides are or any veggie alternatives, but said to just write on there vegetarian, no mushrooms.  Because that tells me what I'm going to be eating...

APDSS22

KPBM89 said:

blueeyes90 said:

KPBM89 said:

Just got an invitation to a wedding today.  The meal choices? 

Prime Rib, Salmon, Chicken

-_-  None of those are vegetarian. 

FI texted the groom to ask what sides will be on the plates so we can do our usual: he gets my meat, I get my side and possibly his side or even half of his side.  I generally don't eat enough when we go to things like weddings because vegetarian meals aren't common.  I mean, I get it, you don't want to pay $75 pp to have steak for one person and veggies for another (unless they have tofu or soy substitutes, which actually make more sense to pay that much since they cost the same, if not more, than meat) , but come the fuck on it is not like being a vegetarian is a new thing.  I have been one more than half my life.

I love my meat, but I would never ever dream of not offering a veggie meal or accommodate requests (allergies, restrictions, etc.)

The groom wrote back, not saying what the sides are or any veggie alternatives, but said to just write on there vegetarian, no mushrooms.  Because that tells me what I'm going to be eating...

Unless everyone else is checking off something like "meat, no nuts" that is ridiculous.  We did a buffet so people could just pick what they wanted.  Worked out nicely for everyone.  If given the choice, although I do eat meat at home, I usually select vegetarian because I prefer it.  H enjoys the fact that I'm usually a pretty cheap date

KGold80

APDSS22 said:

KPBM89 said:

blueeyes90 said:

KPBM89 said:

Just got an invitation to a wedding today.  The meal choices? 

Prime Rib, Salmon, Chicken

-_-  None of those are vegetarian. 

FI texted the groom to ask what sides will be on the plates so we can do our usual: he gets my meat, I get my side and possibly his side or even half of his side.  I generally don't eat enough when we go to things like weddings because vegetarian meals aren't common.  I mean, I get it, you don't want to pay $75 pp to have steak for one person and veggies for another (unless they have tofu or soy substitutes, which actually make more sense to pay that much since they cost the same, if not more, than meat) , but come the fuck on it is not like being a vegetarian is a new thing.  I have been one more than half my life.

I love my meat, but I would never ever dream of not offering a veggie meal or accommodate requests (allergies, restrictions, etc.)

The groom wrote back, not saying what the sides are or any veggie alternatives, but said to just write on there vegetarian, no mushrooms.  Because that tells me what I'm going to be eating...

Unless everyone else is checking off something like "meat, no nuts" that is ridiculous.  We did a buffet so people could just pick what they wanted.  Worked out nicely for everyone.  If given the choice, although I do eat meat at home, I usually select vegetarian because I prefer it.  H enjoys the fact that I'm usually a pretty cheap date

Well, from what I have read, a lot of people who offer buffets really don't consider vegetarians and they get stuck with what the rest of us consider side dishes to round out the meal. That's just as bad if you ask me! As an aside, a buffet at our venue was quite a bit more expensive than the plated meal, so it was just not an option. Instead, we've tried to make good choices with regard to the entrees we can afford and I think we've done pretty well.

KittyKaty20

lolo883 said:

KGold80 said:

netskyblue2 said:

KGold80 said:

Eureka! These were the two options given:

1. Pasta Fresca - Pasta with fresh vegetables in a white wine butter sauce
2. Vegetable Medley with Tomato Florentine - Stuffed Tomato served with rice

My MOH chose the stuffed tomato. Problem solved.

Will you be listing these as choices for everyone?  I'm not a vegetarian, but I'd choose the stuffed tomato over chicken OR beef!

Yes, I am listing it as a third adult entree option. I am looking into having some protein added, such as quinoa instead of rice or adding beans because a PP pointed out that it was lacking in that regard.

FYI, "Florentine" dishes are typically made with spinach, which is a great source of vegetable protein (it's actually more protein-dense than beef!). There's probably also cheese in it as well (cottage or ricotta), and potentially egg. You may be better off than you think.  

While it is considerate to try to provide a "balanced" meal, I don't think of the obverse when planning sides for the meat options.

Cookie Pusher

I was a vegetarian for several years (right around when all my older cousins were getting married), and it was hell. And like @KGold80 said, even buffets weren't a guarantee that I could eat. We have tried really hard to accommodate all of our guests' dietary restrictions (no cross-contamination between seafood and everything else, half of the sides are dairy-free for the one person with a dairy allergy and those with lactose intolerance, all the gravies/sauces for the meat are made dairy-free, all our sides and salads are vegetarian and hearty enough for a meal).

APDSS22

KGold80 said:

APDSS22 said:

KPBM89 said:

blueeyes90 said:

KPBM89 said:

Just got an invitation to a wedding today.  The meal choices? 

Prime Rib, Salmon, Chicken

-_-  None of those are vegetarian. 

FI texted the groom to ask what sides will be on the plates so we can do our usual: he gets my meat, I get my side and possibly his side or even half of his side.  I generally don't eat enough when we go to things like weddings because vegetarian meals aren't common.  I mean, I get it, you don't want to pay $75 pp to have steak for one person and veggies for another (unless they have tofu or soy substitutes, which actually make more sense to pay that much since they cost the same, if not more, than meat) , but come the fuck on it is not like being a vegetarian is a new thing.  I have been one more than half my life.

I love my meat, but I would never ever dream of not offering a veggie meal or accommodate requests (allergies, restrictions, etc.)

The groom wrote back, not saying what the sides are or any veggie alternatives, but said to just write on there vegetarian, no mushrooms.  Because that tells me what I'm going to be eating...

Unless everyone else is checking off something like "meat, no nuts" that is ridiculous.  We did a buffet so people could just pick what they wanted.  Worked out nicely for everyone.  If given the choice, although I do eat meat at home, I usually select vegetarian because I prefer it.  H enjoys the fact that I'm usually a pretty cheap date

Well, from what I have read, a lot of people who offer buffets really don't consider vegetarians and they get stuck with what the rest of us consider side dishes to round out the meal. That's just as bad if you ask me! As an aside, a buffet at our venue was quite a bit more expensive than the plated meal, so it was just not an option. Instead, we've tried to make good choices with regard to the entrees we can afford and I think we've done pretty well.

Our buffet was a pasta bar with everything separated out: noodles, sauces with and without cream, meats, veggies, salad and rolls.  I got to eat vegetarian, H got to eat meat, and our lactose intolerant friend got to have his without cream.  Our meal was catered by someone who has to make his living catering and most of his options were in a buffet form and his pasta was delicious so it worked out well.  I definitely didn't want our vegetarian guests to have to munch on a broccoli head whilst everyone else was cutting into steak!

theartistformerlyknownas

I've been digging into our menu a little more lately trying to decide what to try at our food tasting in a few weeks, and now totally panicking about everything. Because out of 250 guests, I know I have one vegetarian, one gluten allergy, one shellfish allergy, one mushroom allergy, a lot of picky eaters, a lot of people I don't know, etc. The stuffed chicken sounds the best to me, but it has pork in it. Do I know anyone who doesn't eat pork? My Jewish bridesmaid doesn't keep kosher but just doesn't eat cute animals... she prefers fish, ok, just don't pick the fish that's topped with crab. But the chicken has mushroom sauce and BIL hates mushrooms AND seafood. Ok, he can order without sauce. But the fish... shit, the salmon sounds amazing but is farm raised, not wild caught. The accoutrements to the cod sound better than the salmon, and it's day-boat wild-caught, but... cod sounds like it belongs in fish sticks. And the veggie option... wild mushroom strudel with butter-poached asparagus sounds the most exciting, but what if any veggies don't like mushrooms they're TOTALLY screwed. The penne sounds boring and like what they'd get stuck with everywhere... and it has pesto. Does anyone but the 4 year old have a nut allergy? The capellini has no nuts but has olives and I know a lot of people don't like olives. What if anyone's dairy free? WHAT ABOUT THE GLUTEN?! FI wants a steak. Head>wall>repeat.

So I guess, long story short... it's not much easier to deal with this when you do have a lot of specific options to choose from.

amakayeb

I feel badly about this...but we are getting married in a small, rural town in the Midwest. Our caterer does not have a vegetarian option. We have two meat options, choice of green salad, choice of potato, choice of veggie, and rolls. That's what everybody we looked at offered. There really wasn't even a pasta option with any of them. I'm not sure what we should do... my brother's GF is vegetarian, but that's the only person I know of. I'm sure there are others that I don't know about, though...

mysticl

amakayeb said:

I feel badly about this...but we are getting married in a small, rural town in the Midwest. Our caterer does not have a vegetarian option. We have two meat options, choice of green salad, choice of potato, choice of veggie, and rolls. That's what everybody we looked at offered. There really wasn't even a pasta option with any of them. I'm not sure what we should do... my brother's GF is vegetarian, but that's the only person I know of. I'm sure there are others that I don't know about, though…

Did you ask about a veggie option?  It may not be on their regular menu but they might be willing to whip up some pasta primavera or at least pasta with a marinara sauce if it's only for a couple of people.  

MollyandD

That response would irritate me too. I'm a vegetarian, and I'd like to have a nice meal too. I've been to weddings where I have to pick at things or have just the salad portion, and I'm usually ok with it since it's something. I don't expect people to cater their meals based on my preferences when, out of 200 guests, I was the only vegetarian. If I were paying for a meal and asked about options, it would piss me off though. There's a big difference between a steak dinner and a salad with some ranch dressing. I just want to know I'd be buying something equally delicious. It seems like people sometimes think that just because I don't want to eat an animal, that I don't care how things taste anymore.

wrigleyville

amakayeb said:

I feel badly about this...but we are getting married in a small, rural town in the Midwest. Our caterer does not have a vegetarian option. We have two meat options, choice of green salad, choice of potato, choice of veggie, and rolls. That's what everybody we looked at offered. There really wasn't even a pasta option with any of them. I'm not sure what we should do... my brother's GF is vegetarian, but that's the only person I know of. I'm sure there are others that I don't know about, though...

I would find out if one of the salads has protein in it - sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds, cheese, hard-boiled egg - things like that. If not, maybe they can add it.

Same for the potatoes. If you're having baked potatoes as the option, perhaps they can add some cheese and broccoli options on the side so guests (particularly your brother's GF) can add those if they choose. I LOVE baked potatoes with cheese, broccoli, and a bit of sour cream. That plus a salad (with nuts, eggs, and cheese) would fill me up for a while. In fact, I usually have a salad like that for lunch.

jdluvr06

I would make sure that some of your guest who say they are vegetarian aren't actually vegan. My friend says she is a vegetarian but she doesn't eat dairy or eggs either.

CrazyCatLady3

TeddiD34 said:

I'm happy you're happy with that, but I'd be pretty pissed. Where's the protein in those 2 options? Some venues/chefs/cooks just don't get it.

My sister is vegan and is so fed up with being served just veggies and rice/pasta that she started this tumblr:

http://veganoptionfail.tumblr.com/

It tells you what vegetarians really think of that stuffed pepper, pasta with tomato sauce, or grilled vegetable plate.  What is so hard about a tofu stir fry, for example?

CrazyCatLady3

KPBM89 said:

Just got an invitation to a wedding today.  The meal choices? 

Prime Rib, Salmon, Chicken

-_-  None of those are vegetarian. 

FI texted the groom to ask what sides will be on the plates so we can do our usual: he gets my meat, I get my side and possibly his side or even half of his side.  I generally don't eat enough when we go to things like weddings because vegetarian meals aren't common.  I mean, I get it, you don't want to pay $75 pp to have steak for one person and veggies for another (unless they have tofu or soy substitutes, which actually make more sense to pay that much since they cost the same, if not more, than meat) , but come the fuck on it is not like being a vegetarian is a new thing.  I have been one more than half my life.

Just to clarify, tofu/soy does NOT cost as much or more than meat.  It is quite a bit cheaper.  Soy (which is what tofu is made from) is one of the cheapest crops there is.