Reception meal options

annieoldfield

So im not really at the stage yet but im just bored and wondering so... just wondering about menu options.

Do we need to include a vegetarian option? I would prefer to do just a meat and a fish option. 

We are having around 25-30 guests and I know only 3 are vegetarian. That being me, my mum and sister, though both my mum and sister eat fish. 

Do we need to offer a veggie option? 

s-aries8990

Can your caterer have a select # of veggie plates? You don't need to advertise it, but I'm sure you'll get a few calls from vegetarian friends and have them substitute the veg plate for them.

Amanda1443994

Usually you don't have to pay any extra for a veggie plate. We didn't offer it on our response cards but if someone wanted a veggie plate they could have written it in and would have been accommodated. So I wouldn't offer it explicitly but if someone contacts you then you should let the caterer know.

MrsKathyC

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_reception-meal-options?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:e8f7701f-6702-41d2-b12c-a2dae2245b32Post:6c5f4186-684c-4d82-987c-4e757f4cd680">Re: Reception meal options</a>:
[QUOTE]Can your caterer have a select # of veggie plates? You don't need to advertise it, but I'm sure you'll get a few calls from vegetarian friends and have them substitute the veg plate for them.
Posted by sydaries[/QUOTE]

That's exactly what we did.  We only needed 2, and I let those guests know to let the server know. Worked out fine.

JoanE2012

You should have it as an unwritten option.  Perhaps a guest that you don't know well or that is a date of someone will be a vegetarian.

mlperkins12

We had a vegetarian option and I was surprised by the number of people who chose it.  We had are having an eggplant dish and it must have sounded good to people who wan't something different than the beef or chicken option.

LDubHawksFan

With our caterer, they always offer a vegetarian option for free, so we still did our beef and fish option that we paid for, but still had an option for those vegetarians (or people who just decided to choose it).  Ask your venue.

Meegles4

Yes. In fact, I'd rank a veggie option over a fish option if you are only able to have two menu choices. I feel like fish is less popular of a meal for things like this.

But, if you don't have to limit it to two food choices, go for it and do all three. In my experience, we just paid a per head price, whether it was veggie or meat, and I'm sure the veggie wasn't more expensive.

Just because someone's not "officially" a vegetarian, they may prefer to eat vegetarian, so that's why I'd include it as an option for all guests to choose along with the meat/fish options. I fall into this category. I'll eat meat if that's what's offered, but when given a choice I almost always choose a vegetarian entree (or fish, but not everyone likes fish so I don't think that can cover you)

Then, everyone makes their choices on the RSVP card and you order exactly the # of meals you need, and you're not charged for any extras and thus your costs don't go up.

SKPM

If you're vegetarian and don't eat fish, what are you planning on eating? I think it would seem a bit odd, as a guest, if the bride has some special plate brought out that was never mentioned as an option to guests. I guess I would find it less odd if I knew the bride was gluten intolerant or something, but I still vote for making the option available to all guests. Ditto PP that often the veggie option sounds the best to me even though I'm an omnivore.

KellyBrian2013

In our case, veggie meals were actually cheaper than the chicken dish we offered. We knew we were inviting at least 3 vegetarians, so we included it on the response card. Come to find out, DH's aunt is a vegetarian, which we didn't know. We predicted 34 veggie meals, and wound up with well over a dozen requests for it. I would add it as an option on your response card, personally.

Fancypantsamy

My reception hall offered the option of a split entre - half beef, half chicken with a potato and veg side. I'm offering that to meat eating guests and then offering a vegetarian option as well. I figure vegetarians or people like Meegles will be vocal about wanting to order a veg meal, but that way I wouldn't get stuck like my friend did, calling people who rsvped but didn't list what they wanted to eat as they deliberated between the merits and downfalls of chicken vs. fish. 

Peledreamsofrain

We only had one vegetarian rsvp to our wedding, but I wanted my guests to be comfortable, and we added it to the menu as an option. We had 10 people sign up for it! People like options.

achiduck

You absolutely need to provide a veggie option. We only have one guest who is vegetarian in her day-to-day life but we had 7 people select the veggie option on the RSVP card.

Some people, like my FSMIL, won't eat meat that they didn't cook themselves.

lyndausvi

This is the first time I've ever heard of a bride being a vegetarian and not wanting a vegetarian meal.  What's the deal?  Do you want a special meal that only you get?  

I'm just very surprised. It makes zero sense to me.

acaponi87

We didn't have meal choices (everyone got beef and chicken both) so we just got vegetarian meals for those we knew were vegs and had some extras available at the venue in case we had missed anyone.

gurrlballa10

Eh, we had one vegetarian at our wedding, and I cleared our menu with her to make sure she would have enough to suffice a full meal.  We also had a buffet though, so that may be why.  Gah, I want our food again.  It was sooooo good. 

Kath1083

We did not have room to list vegetarian option, but any vegetarian let us know and we are going to have it avaliable.  This was done on the request of the venue.  It seems to have worked out fine. 

Carrie81677

As several PP have said, most venues offer a veg option at no additional cost, and in some cases at a lower cost.  I knew that one member of my WP was a veg, and with 200+ people invited, there were likely to be others.  We actually had four options for meals--beef, chicken, veg, and children under 12--but we only had to choose the beef and chicken at our tasting.  The other stuff was standard upon request.

annieoldfield

Ah yeah youre all right. Some people might want the option even if they arent a veggie. 

The menus for our venue are all including meat but im sure they will have the option we will just have to ask what they can do. It seemed there was only a choice of two allowed so one veggie one meat it will be or three options if they will allow it. Thanks guys.