Dietary Requirements Summary

Managing wedding dietary requirements

Expect 20–30% of your guests to have at least one dietary requirement at a 2026 wedding. Vegetarianism is mainstream; gluten-free and dairy-free are now common; vegan, halal, kosher, and intolerance-driven diets all appear regularly. A clear dietary summary is the single document that prevents kitchen chaos on the day.

Why you need two views

Catering needs the by-diet view to portion correctly — they need to know "we're plating 12 vegan mains, 8 gluten-free entrées, 3 nut-free desserts". Wait staff need the by-table view to deliver to the correct guest — "Table 5, two vegans, one gluten-free".

How to collect dietary info from guests

• Always include a dietary field on the RSVP. Make it free-text, not just checkboxes — allergies and intolerances are personal.
• Follow up with anyone who lists a serious allergy. A "nut allergy" guest needs to know whether your kitchen handles nuts at all.
• Capture the diet on the same line as the table assignment so it doesn't get lost in spreadsheets.
• Update the list weekly in the last 8 weeks before the wedding — guests change their minds.

Common dietary categories

• Vegetarian — no meat, but eggs and dairy are usually fine.
• Vegan — no animal products at all (including honey, gelatin, dairy).
• Pescatarian — fish OK, no other meat.
• Gluten-free — no wheat, rye, barley. Coeliac diagnosis requires cross-contamination care; "intolerance" is more flexible.
• Dairy-free / Lactose-intolerant — no cow dairy. Goat and sheep dairy is sometimes OK.
• Nut allergies — usually severe. Ask whether tree nuts, peanuts, or both.
• Halal — meat slaughtered according to Islamic law, no pork or alcohol-cooked dishes.
• Kosher — meat slaughtered according to Jewish law, no shellfish, no mixing meat and dairy. Often requires certified catering.
• Low-FODMAP — for IBS sufferers. Specific list of excluded foods.

Brief the catering captain

Hand the printed dietary summary to the catering captain at venue setup. Walk through any serious allergies in person — words said directly to a person stick better than a line on a sheet. Confirm the kitchen has been briefed.