Wedding Day Allergy Blues: What To Eat When Attending a Wedding

Does the thought of going to a wedding with food allergies scare you? What if the plated dinner comes out covered in gluten? What if the reception is buffet style with all that cross contamination?

It has been recommended to me to just eat before you go to the wedding, which is a great idea, but what if the wedding is an evening event or you are a plus one and don't really know the bride and groom? Who wants to stand out by not eating or make waves with people you don't even know? This past weekend, I had this scenario. The wedding started at 5pm and eating ahead would have been ok, but I would have been starving by 8pm. I also was attending the wedding with a friend and did not know the bride and groom very well at all. The reception was a plated dinner, which only would have made me stand out more if I did not eat anything.  Also, my allergies are so severe that eating an unsafe meal is totally out of the question.

Here is what I did: The week before the event, I got the details from my wedding date about location and times. I called the reception location myself and spoke with the event director. I explained my allergies, which wedding I was attending, and that I wanted to contact them directly so as not to bother the bride and groom during their final preparations.  The event director went over the menu with me and explained that, yes, the main dish would not fit my allergies.  She said it would not be a problem to prepare a special plate for me. What a relief! The night of the wedding, at the reception, I asked one of the event staff if the event director was available, met her in person, and told her which table I would be seated. The reception went smoothly and I received my "special" meal, which looked as good as the original and was quite tasty! This facility went the extra mile and I really appreciated it. I did not stand out too much, and it was nice to enjoy a meal with the rest of the party.

Chatting directly with the reception location gave me an opportunity to get a feel on whether or not I would feel comfortable eating the meal, as well as make sure all of my allergies were addressed. Had the process not been so smooth, I would have eaten beforehand and grabbed a late night snack afterward.  It really depends on the location and their knowledge of food allergies.

* Thank you to Starmount Forest Country Club in Greensboro, NC for taking such great care of me and my food allergies!