Because my fiance and I, as well as a large portion of the guests, are vegetarian, is it ok to have a strictly vegetarian lunch buffet at our reception? To me, this idea seems no different from non-drinkers not wanting to have alcohol at a reception. If the food is good and not too adventuresome or too spicy, people should be fine, right?
He and I are vegetarian for ethical reasons, and many of his family members are vegetarian for religious (hindu) reasons. My family will eat just about anything, so I'm not too worried about them!
Additional note: This question is not intended to start a debate about the merits of vegetarianism. I'm just asking a question about hosting etiquitte. :-)
2007-08-07 07:27:27 · 20 answers · asked by SE 5 in Family & Relationships ➔ Weddings
Good comments so far. We will definitely try to have dishes that people are likely to enjoy: like I said earlier, nothing too adventuresome (ie weird!) or too spicy. We'll either serve Indian food with ingredients that most people like or else have meatless versions of dishes that most people like. Vegetable lasagne is always a hit.
2007-08-07 07:59:54 · update #1
Oh - dairy products are fine.
2007-08-07 08:01:17 · update #2
I think it would be okay. Most meat-eaters don't require that they eat meat, it just means that they don't NOT eat it.
Would you mind having food with animal products, like dairy? There are a lot of actual common meals that have cheese instead of meat. Beans and legumes, of course, are also good meat substitutes.
You may want to look into having some kind of pasta. With a good alfredo sauce (if your'e okay with non-meat animal products like cheese and cream), marinara and even a "meat" sauce using the crumbled soy "ground beef" (typically, I dont' like the fake meat stuff, but the crumbles, mixed in an already hearty Italian tomato sauce, is camoflauged really well and really isn't all that bad -- coming from a happy meateater), or something like spinich lasagna, you could have options that are meat-free, without being overtly vegetarian. A lot of venues or caterers have a Pasta Station as an option for receptions. If you have a pasta station, and maybe a salad station, it's quite possible people wouldn't even notice there's no meat there.
You definately should not have to pay to have something at your wedding that you are against ethically, and others are against religiously. I love a good steak, but I would not have a problem with a vegetarian, especially one who is vegetarian because of ethics rather than just a taste preference, having a purely vegetarian menu. I just wouldn't do some kind of exotic vegetarian dish, or anything that goes along the lines of tofurkey. Include some simple stuff that is recognisable, certainly, but you can get around the meat issue without having to have menu items that will make your guests feel awkward somehow.
Happy wedding!
2007-08-07 07:59:35 · answer #1 · answered by CrazyChick 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That should work fine, assuming your reception isn't an all evening event. If you serve your foods and have your reception at non-dinner times you should be fine. Though depending on the appetizers you choose sometimes they can be just as much as a full meal. You may want to consider light finger foods like sandwiches or wraps and some cake. If the reception will go into evening hours then you may be in trouble as your guests will grow hungry for something more than appetizers (and you probably will too).
2016-05-21 00:05:38 · answer #2 · answered by kaila 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are so many superb vegetable treats like casserole dishes and all the wide selections of salads, etc., that your reception food should be marvelous for all... even a devout meat-eater can skip an afternoon or evening without it, and it is YOUR wedding party after all! Suggestion: try a really outstanding spicy dish to introduce your non-Hindu friends to the good stuff! Oh yes...super breads to go with it all too!
2007-08-07 07:33:44 · answer #3 · answered by constantreader 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think it would be fine, but I would have maybe one dish that wasn't vegetarian, as long as it wouldn't be offensive to the people who are vegitarian because of religion. I don't really know anything about the Hindu religion, so it might be offensive to them to even see people eating non-veggie dishes, but it would be nice to offer one meat dish, too.
I'm just concerned that if they don't like the way the dish looks, some of your guests will skip the meal entirely, leave early and eat somewhere else, leaving you with a partial guest list and lots of leftover food.
2007-08-07 08:01:10 · answer #4 · answered by Queen Queso 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Definitely not rude. It's your wedding. I wouldn't do anthing too odd though. Stick to the basics....salad, pasta dishes, etc. Since most of the guests are vegetarians anyway, even if you went with some of the more unique menu items, most people would probably enjoy it. I would hate to spend money on food and have nobody enjoy it. You'll never please everyone, so just make sure you're happy!
2007-08-07 07:51:11 · answer #5 · answered by geistswoman 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that it's okay to have a vegetarian menu. Like you said not too adventuresome or spicy. Make sure it's filling. You'll probably find that your guests will be pleasantly surprised how much they like your menu choices. Most people think it's neat to try new things- especially when they don't have to cook it.
No need to "advertise" your menu choices ahead of time- people will just give you a hard time about it.
2007-08-07 07:32:03 · answer #6 · answered by Amy P 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
In my opinion, these people coming are your guests and you should not impose your ethical beliefs on them. I would have some meat and poultry dishes. I don't think it is etiquette to limit your cusine choices because of you are vegetarians. . Have a variety of items for everyone's taste. You are not obligated to eat the meat and poultry, it is just for your guests. I assure you that if you go with all vegetarian, there will be comments and complaints by your guests.
2007-08-07 11:50:43 · answer #7 · answered by cardgirl2 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As long as it is still "normal" food (not weird items that possibly only hardcore vegetarians would eat), it should be perfectly fine. People who eat meat also eat vegetable lasagna and salads without meats, etc. It won't even need to seem "vegetarian"... just order the things you and other people will like... leave out the meat. Not rude at all.
2007-08-07 07:32:08 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
I think that you should serve whatever you want...after all it is YOUR reception. Like any party you do the best that you can to please everyone, but the fact of the matter is that you can't. Some will enjoy the food and others may not. So you just need to do what makes you happy. I say go with the vegi buffet!!!
2007-08-07 07:37:29 · answer #9 · answered by ME 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The only way people would be upset is if all of the food was odd.I don't use the word odd to be mean, I'm just saying that I would consider tofu etc to be odd, and others might too. Add pasta primivera to you buffet. This way everyone will have one familiar dish.
Also check with your mom, some in her family might think it it rude to push your political beliefs on them.
2007-08-07 07:52:10 · answer #10 · answered by ee 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋