Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Tip of the Day: Planning a Wedding with Severe Food Allergies to Egg & Dairy

How to plan a safe wedding when you have severe food allergies:

Currently, I am planning my wedding that will be this Spring. The toughest aspect we have had to face is choosing a catering company that is right for my food allergies.

We started planning our wedding over a year ago and we didn't realize that we would have problems finding a caterer that would be able to handle severe food allergies.
However, we certainly have been shocked to find out what some had to say to us over the course of planning our big event. We found the perfect location only to discover the one caterer contracted for this venue would not take on our event because they thought my food allergies were a liability. They asked if I would have my mom make me a plate of food that was safe for me to eat and bring it to the event. My heart sank because I have done that my whole life and this time it was different because it was my wedding and I felt I shouldn't have to do that.
It took a while but we finally found a caterer that listened to me and understood what I wanted my day to be like. The sales staff and kitchen staff at Puff n' Stuff located in Maitland, Florida are knowledgeable, accommodating and are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that I will be able to safely eat what I want to on our big day.

Make sure you schedule a meeting with the head chef of each catering company you are interested in for your event. Let the chef know what you are allergic to and how safe they have to be in the kitchen to ensure your safety. If at that time the chef feels he can accommodate you then you will want to create your menu and from there meet with him again. You will need to go over each menu item and the ingredients within the item. Let him or her know that every label needs to be read for the things you are allergic to and if a substitution needs to be made, the chef should know what would work best. For example, they were planning to serve a yogurt sauce with the fresh fruit and since I am allergic to milk they will be using a soy yogurt instead. They did this with many things on the menu.

It can be done. You just need to do your homework and leave yourself plenty of time to find the right caterer who will accommodate your food allergies before you set a date.

Thank you Puff n' Stuff!

Nicolle Avery

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