Accommodating Special Dietary Needs

Photo courtesy of Crystal Liepa Photography

Deciding on your wedding menu can be a difficult process. You’re often trying to appease anywhere from one to two hundred different guests, stay within an allotted budget, and provide a pleasant dining experience for everyone involved. This process can become even more complicated when RSVPs start trickling in and you learn about your guest’s myriad spectrum of dietary needs. However, when it comes to Fork and Flair, we pride ourselves on a menu that is customizable and accommodating. Here’s how we can work with you to create a delicious meal that all of your guests will enjoy. 

First, let’s address the difference between dietary restrictions and dietary preferences. Dietary restrictions are typically medical or ideological in nature. They are there to prevent life-threatening events or adhere to specific religious or moral beliefs. Dietary preferences, however, are usually related to an individual guests’ likes and dislikes. In our experience, it is up to the couple to decide what preferences to take into consideration when planning their meal. 

Given the abundance of multicultural diversity in the Twin Cities, we’re no stranger to religious dietary restrictions. We understand that having a wedding meal that honors and reflects your specific religious creed not only is of paramount importance to you and your soon-to-be spouse, but also to your invited family and friends. Alternatively, you may not come from a faith with dietary restrictions, but have invited guests who do and wish to make sure they are provided for at your dinner.

The two most common religious dietary restrictions come from Judaism and Islam, referred to as “kosher” and “halal” food respectively. 

The largest and most well-known kosher certification agency, OU Kosher, defines the word kosher as “fit or proper as it relates to Jewish dietary law.” While there are many complex dietary laws found in the Torah, they broadly tend to focus on what kind of food may be eaten and the type of processing it undergoes before being consumed. 

In Islam, the term halal is used in conjunction with haram to express what behaviors or practices are either allowed or forbidden to practicing Muslims. According to the American Halal Foundation, “most foods and drinks are considered to be halal unless they are specifically forbidden” (such is the case for pork and alcohol).

Thanks to the efforts of international certifying organizations like the ones referenced above, it is easier than ever for caterers to source ingredients that our clients can trust to adhere to their faith’s highest standards.

At times, one’s dietary restrictions may not come from a religious or spiritual source, but rather from a moral or ideological viewpoint. Alternative diets may have ethical concerns at their root (i.e. agriculture’s ecological impact) or may be medically necessitated (i.e. Celiac’s Disease requiring a gluten-free diet). Regardless of the source, we strive to accommodate all of your guest’s needs with our usual degree of care and satisfaction.

While coordinating meals for a couple hundred guests can be a challenge, we want to work with you to create the easiest, most stream-lined process for everyone involved. You can trust Fork and Flair to create high quality meals that will satiate all of your guests – regardless of their individual dietary needs.